What is an agentic workflow?
An agentic workflow is a multi-step business process carried out by AI agents and software, with set rules for when people review or approve the work. Anthropic separates workflows, where models and tools follow predefined paths, from agents, which decide their own steps. Many real setups mix the two: fixed steps where the process must be predictable, and agent judgment where the input varies from case to case.
Why it matters to a revenue leader
The value of an agentic workflow comes from the process design more than the model. If a process is unclear today, automating it produces unclear results faster. For a revenue leader, the useful questions are which steps run without a person, where approvals sit, what data each step reads and writes, and who is accountable when the output is wrong. Treat it like any standard operating procedure: documented, owned and reviewed when results drift.
Example
A testing and inspection company runs an agentic workflow after each site inspection. Agents read the technician's report, match each deficiency to the price book and draft the repair quote, while larger quotes go to a manager for approval before anything reaches the customer. Office staff handle the exceptions, such as unclear photos or unusual equipment.
"For each AI workflow we run, where does a person approve the output, and who owns the result?"
Sources
- Building Effective Agents | Anthropic checked 9 Oct 2026