Agentic Business Automation (ABA) is the next frontier in generative AI that brings together the latest in Agentic AI and automation and combines it into one intelligent, autonomous system. ABA is the bridge to service as software as we begin to see Agentic AI operate and behave like human employees.

How is ABA different from automation technology that has been around for the last 20 years? You’ve probably heard of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and Digital Process Automation (DPA), which have transformed businesses' operations by automating repetitive tasks and streamlining workflows. Both RPA and DPA however have severe limitations – in particular their lack of flexibility and inability to adjust course based on contextual information. The emergence of generative AI has now made possible almost human-like business automation that is powered by Agentic AI (A mesh of AI agents – read more here).

Let’s take a simple example. Imagine having to write a response to an RFP document. With RPA you could at best help pre-generate standardized sections of the RFP that do not change from proposal to proposal (for example a section like “About the company”). With Agentic Business Automation, you can issue instructions in natural language and have the underlying Agentic AI infrastructure

• Understand context
• Identify what products need to be selected for the particular use case by learning from past proposals that have been submitted
• Create a Scope of work by understanding the input issued by humans and analysing email interactions with the customer/analysing the product requirements from the RFI/RFP shared by the customer
• Create commercial proposals, terms of service, payment terms that are customised for the use case in question/basis input instructions

This article will explore everything about ABA. We’ll break down how Agentic workflows work, understand the role of AI agents in automation, compare ABA with RPA, discuss its benefits and challenges, and look at what the future of automation holds.

Role of Agentic AI in Agentic Business Automation

The role of Agentic AI in Agentic Business Automation (ABA) is crucial, and it’s what makes ABA so powerful. With Agentic AI at the core, ABA systems can do much more than just follow basic instructions—they can learn, adapt, and make decisions independently.

What is Agentic AI and how is it different from Generative AI? At a very high level, Agentic AI collectively refers to the interaction of multiple AI agents that can execute end to end tasks by integrating with enterprise applications. You can read more here to understand what Agentic AI is and how it will impact the enterprise.

Fig: Why Agentic AI is becoming relevant, Post by Andrew NG

Agentic AI in ABA allows the system to execute end to end tasks, respond to unexpected changes, and improve its performance as it gains more experience. This is a big step from traditional automation, where systems could only do what they were explicitly programmed to do.

Also read The Guide to AI Employees: How Ema is Revolutionizing Enterprise Automation with Agentic Systems.

Understanding AI Agents and Agentic Workflows

The key components of Agentic Business Automation (ABA) are AI Agents and Agentic workflows, which make this technology stand out. Unlike traditional workflows, which are fixed and follow strict rules, Agentic workflows are designed to be flexible and adaptive, making decisions in real time. These workflows are more than just automated—they’re intelligent and responsive to changing conditions.

With Agentic workflows, AI agents work independently to achieve your goals. These agents don’t just follow a preset plan; they actively plan their actions, integrate with different tools, and continuously adapt to meet objectives. They’re always learning and refining their strategies based on new information, which means they get better over time without needing constant input from you.

The ability to create dynamic, self-improving workflows is one of the strong points of Ema's Agentic AI.

Fig: Agentic Capabilities (Source: Link)

What makes Agentic workflows truly powerful is the autonomy of AI agents. These agents can make decisions and take actions on their own, freeing you from having to monitor every step. Advanced language models allow these AI agents to understand complex situations, reason through them, and learn from their experiences.

As they handle tasks, they improve with each experience, becoming more efficient and effective. This means your workflows run smoothly and get more intelligent and adaptable as time passes, allowing you to focus on more important tasks.

What is Robotic Process Automation?

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) involves deploying software robots, or 'bots,' to handle repetitive, rule-based tasks that human workers once carried out. These bots are designed to mimic human actions, allowing them to perform tasks such as data entry, transaction processing, and managing straightforward customer service requests.

What limits RPA apart is its limited ability to scale beyond its existing configuration and lack of flexibility in handling edge use cases. This makes RPA highly complex to deploy across various use cases and needs custom development and integration each time automation needs to be set up. The different automations also do not talk to each other which makes their efforts siloed and less effective.

Difference between RPA and ABA

While both Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and Agentic Business Automation (ABA) are designed to enhance efficiency and reduce manual labor, they differ significantly in their methods and technological capabilities.

RPA excels in automating straightforward, repetitive tasks, making it a practical choice for businesses looking for quick wins without significant changes to their existing systems. In contrast, ABA goes beyond basic automation by incorporating artificial intelligence and machine learning, enabling it to tackle more complex and variable tasks that demand decision-making and adaptability. While RPA is more accessible to implement, ABA offers higher flexibility and capability, making it suitable for more sophisticated automation needs.

So, how exactly does this cutting-edge technology work?

Understanding they key components of Agentic Business Automation

In order for Agentic Business Automation (ABA) to work, it needs 4 principal components

• Underlying LLMs – ABA needs to be able to interpret human instructions, and then predict the set of workflows that will be needed to execute a certain task.
• Agent library – For any automation to be successful, in most scenarios multiple AI agents will have to work together to execute the task. For example, to create an ABA for customer service, the ABA need agents that can
  • Analyse a ticket and understand the intent behind the request – A ticket analyser agent
  • Search the customer’s name in the CRM and extract customer information specific to the order/issue mentioned in the ticket – Database search agent
  • Extract, understand and apply a set of rules that are relevant to the particular issue that is surfaced in the ticket – Rule extractor and rule validator agent
  • Communicate the resolution of the ticket to the customer, repeat the entire process if the issue is not resolved – Customer Responder Agent
• Agentic Mesh generator - An orchestration layer that can create an agent mesh (arrange the agents in a workflow) to execute a certain task. For example to create a customer service agent as mentioned before, the Agentic mesh generator needs to communicate information between multiple agents in order to automate responding to a customer ticket. An example is Ema’s Generative Workflow Engine which auto-creates an Agentic mesh using natural language instructions.
• Strong feedback loops – No automation can deliver 100% accurate results from day 1. Inbuilt feedback mechanisms are critical to ensure the underlying models can learn continuously and improve over time.

Now, let’s dive into the features that make ABA truly special.

Benefits of Agentic Business Automation

Agentic Business Automation (ABA) brings a revolutionary approach to business automation powered by Agentic AI. By adopting ABA, you can unlock several vital benefits that surpass what traditional automation methods offer.

• Trained on enterprise data - ABA integrates effortlessly with various tools and platforms, from enterprise software to communication systems. This seamless integration means ABA can learn from your data across systems providing it with higher contextual intelligence.
• Higher flexibility - ABA stands out for its remarkable flexibility and adaptability. Unlike rigid, rule-based systems requiring manual tweaking, ABA’s AI agents make real-time decisions. Your automated processes stay effective even when conditions change, maintaining peak performance without constant human input.
• Faster time to value – ABA is able to quickly learn from your enterprise data, and can be configured to deploy across use cases using only natural language instructions.
• Improves with time - One of the most powerful features of ABA is its ability to self-improve. AI agents continuously learn from their experiences, refining their processes and decision-making over time.

Agentic Business Automation represents a significant leap forward in digital automation. It enhances efficiency, flexibility, and accuracy while seamlessly integrating with your systems and continuously improving.

Challenges in Agentic Business Automation

Implementing Agentic Business Automation (ABA) brings significant benefits and challenges that must be carefully managed to ensure success.

• Safe Decision-Making: It is crucial to ensure that AI agents in ABA systems make safe and ethical decisions. These agents must be programmed to consider safety, ethics, and legal standards, as autonomous choices can lead to unintended consequences if not properly managed.
• Maintaining Human Control: Even with ABA's autonomy, maintaining human oversight is essential. Balancing automation with human control ensures that AI agents align with organizational values and objectives, preventing decisions that could stray from intended goals.
• Integration with Existing Systems: Integrating ABA with current IT infrastructure and legacy systems is challenging but necessary. Seamless integration is vital to avoid operational disruptions and ensure ABA functions effectively within the existing ecosystem.
• Addressing Automation Bias: ABA systems must address potential biases in AI decision-making that stems from the underlying training datasets. If AI agents are trained on biased data, they may perpetuate unfair outcomes, making it essential to monitor and mitigate bias to ensure fairness actively.
• Ensuring Data Privacy and Security: ABA systems often handle sensitive data, making privacy and security-critical. Organizations must implement robust security measures and comply with regulations to protect against data breaches and maintain trust.

Addressing these challenges is essential for the successful deployment of Agentic Business Automation. By focusing on safe decision-making, maintaining human control, ensuring smooth integration, addressing bias, safeguarding data, and developing the necessary skills, organizations can fully leverage the benefits of ABA while mitigating potential risks.

How Our Agentic AI powered Employee Ema Helps You

Ema’s Agentic AI enhances efficiency across all areas of your business by offering exceptional flexibility and customization. With Ema, you can create Agentic AI powered employees tailored to your needs, acting as virtual employees who seamlessly integrate into your workforce. These AI employees take on complex tasks, improve productivity, and provide consistent support in customer service, employee experience, sales and marketing, and legal and compliance.

Businesses use Ema’s AI in various environments, from multi-cloud to on-premises, to maximize operational efficiency. Ema’s adaptability ensures that the AI employees fit perfectly into your existing systems, driving significant value in your operations. Ema also provides the highest level of security and compliance, adhering to standards like SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, NIST, and GDPR.

By adopting Ema’s Agentic AI, you can transform your enterprise, streamline processes, and maintain a competitive edge in the market. Discover the impact Ema can have on your business today. Hire her today!