Workflows · UK teams
AI agent development
Assess whether a task needs an agent, then define the tools, limits and review points before building it.
Understand the service
What this means in practice
An AI agent uses a model to choose steps or tools while working towards a goal. That flexibility can help with variable tasks, but it also creates more paths to test. A fixed workflow is often the better fit when the sequence is predictable and the business needs a tightly controlled result.
Temrik can scope an agent-assisted task with a small tool set and explicit authority. The proposal should define what the agent may read, prepare or execute, when it must ask for help and how it stops. Existing chat or concept demos do not establish that an autonomous production agent is already available for the buyer’s systems.
- Anthropic: building effective agents Compare fixed workflows with more flexible agent designs.
- NIST: Generative AI Profile Guidance on generative AI risks and controls.
A practical workflow example
A proposed internal assistant gathers approved project records to prepare a briefing. It can search a limited collection and draft a summary, but it cannot email customers or change project status. If the required evidence is missing, it stops with a clear request instead of expanding its own access.
Proposed engagement
How we would approach the work
Choose the simplest design
Compare a fixed workflow with an agent approach. Define the goal, permitted inputs and measurable completion conditions.
Constrain tools and actions
Specify a small tool set, access rules, step limits and approval checkpoints. Treat external content as information, not authority to change the task.
Test paths and recovery
Exercise failed tools, conflicting sources, repeated actions and stop requests. Inspect the sequence of tool use as well as the final answer.
Deliverables to agree in the scope
- An agent-versus-workflow design decision.
- A tool, permission and stopping-rule specification.
- A bounded prototype and acceptance-test proposal.
Access, sample information and reviewer availability affect the plan. Any implementation, provider costs, support arrangements and acceptance criteria are agreed before work begins.
Limits worth understanding
- Agent autonomy does not remove the need for accountable human ownership.
- Tool access, model behaviour, latency and operating cost must be validated for the selected task.
Questions to bring to the first conversation
- Why is a fixed sequence insufficient?
- Which tools can the agent use without approval?
- What stops it from continuing an unproductive or unsafe path?
UK teams
Scope the work for your operating context.
For UK teams, connect the agent’s tool permissions to the organisation’s existing access and delegated-authority processes. Make human escalation, supplier review and revocation part of the pilot design rather than later additions.
A starting reference for your review: ICO: AI and data protection guidance. Local obligations and deployment settings need to be assessed for the actual use case.
A focused next step
Work with Temrik.
Tell us about the workflow you want to improve and the outcome you need. We can review the context and discuss a focused assessment. Scope and price are agreed before paid work begins.