A workflow is not a prompt
An agent can draft an email in seconds. Handling an entire customer issue requires identity, policy, billing records, approvals, and an understanding of what to do when those pieces disagree. That last mile is where many pilot projects stall.
Teams that succeed tend to define a narrow outcome and map every decision that an automated system could make. They test failure cases first, not only polished demonstrations.
Permission is a product feature
The difference between a helpful assistant and a risky one often comes down to authority. A model may summarize a contract without much danger; accepting new terms on behalf of a company should require a separate, explicit approval.
Good systems enforce those boundaries outside the model itself. Audit trails, rollback plans and rate limits make automated work easier to supervise.
Measure what matters
Executives should resist counting automated messages as proof of value. Better measures include time saved per resolved case, escalation rates, customer outcomes and the cost of correcting errors.
The future of agents will be built one accountable workflow at a time.