Automating a task changes the handoff to the next person.
IBM and Microsoft’s November 10 announcement of Imagine Enterprise focuses on connecting AI agents with existing business systems and industry processes. It brings me back to a question that spans my work with business-process automation and enterprise applications: what happens after the automated step finishes?
Consider an assistant that classifies incoming service requests. Even if its suggested category is reasonable, the workflow still needs to handle missing information, reassignment, and disagreement from the receiving team. Who can correct the classification? Does that correction reach the source record? Can the requester see why the request moved? Those details shape how people experience the automation. Before introducing an agent into a process, I would walk through one ordinary case and one exception with the people responsible for each handoff. Together, we would define the expected result, the correction path, and the point at which someone takes ownership. That creates a concrete starting point for implementation and training. A useful first deliverable is a process diagram that includes exceptions and named responsibilities. It helps the team see where automation can fit into the work.
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