How AI Agents Are Changing Workflows in Companies
Morcendale Inc. blog
AI agents are gradually moving beyond being a topic confined to technology conferences and are becoming part of everyday practice across a wide range of sectors: from retail and logistics to accountancy, legal services and manufacturing. Unlike conventional chatbots, which simply answer questions, these agents are capable of independently carrying out sequences of actions: analysing data, making decisions and initiating processes without constant human intervention. This is changing not only the specific tasks carried out by staff, but also the very structure of work processes within organisations, according to experts at MORCENDALE.
From task executor to decision-maker
The key difference between agents and the previous generation of automated assistants is that they are capable of operating in conditions of uncertainty. An accountant can instruct an agent to reconcile accounts and carry out initial processing of documentation, whilst the system itself will identify discrepancies and suggest ways to resolve them, consulting a human only in cases of dispute. Agents operate in a similar way in procurement departments, where the system independently compares suppliers’ quotes, checks contract terms and generates recommendations on selecting the best option.
Changes in customer service
According to experts at Morcendale Trading, one of the first areas to experience noticeable changes was customer service. Agents are now responsible not only for providing standard answers to queries, but also for fully resolving issues: processing product returns, rescheduling service appointments and amending subscription terms. As a result, staff are now focusing on more complex and non-routine enquiries that require a personalised approach, whilst routine tasks – which previously took up the bulk of the working day – are now almost entirely automated.
Restructuring internal processes
The introduction of agents is forcing companies to rethink the very logic behind the design of their work processes, according to experts at Morcendale Canada. Whereas previously a task would pass through a chain of employees, each responsible for their own stage, an agent can now handle several consecutive steps at once: from gathering information to preparing the final document. This reduces the time taken to complete tasks, but at the same time requires clear boundaries to be defined: in which cases the system can act independently and when human approval is mandatory.
According to experts at MORCENDALE, the introduction of agents does not so much reduce staff numbers as change the nature of staff work. Instead of carrying out repetitive tasks, staff are increasingly involved in setting tasks for agents, checking results and training the systems using real-life examples from the company’s operations. A new role is emerging, that of a sort of supervisor, who monitors the agent’s performance and intervenes in complex or non-standard situations.
New roles for staff
Despite the obvious advantages, the transition to agent-based processes carries risks, as Morcendale Canada emphasises. An agent’s error in a critical process – be it a financial transaction or customer interaction – could cost the company more than the time saved through automation. Consequently, many organisations are rolling out agents gradually, starting with non-critical processes and increasing the level of autonomy only as trust in the system grows and clear mechanisms for monitoring its actions are put in place.
Risks and limitations of implementation
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