Agents of change?
Companies that succeed with AI agents aren't just automating tasks—they're rebuilding how work gets done. The difference between adding agents to old workflows versus designing new ones around agent capabilities.
Did the operating model just shift while we weren't paying attention? Agents aren't taking over the world; they're just taking over tasks. And in doing so, they're changing how work feels. But this downplays what's really happening — we're seeing companies build entirely new methods of operating.
The proof lies in how successful deployments operate. ServiceNow utilizes AI agents to handle IT requests from beginning to end, and Cisco employs AI agents within Webex, where one agent communicates directly with customers, another supports human agents during live calls, and a third listens and creates a summary. Neither company simply automated their old processes; they discarded those processes and built new ones around what agents can actually do.
And that's the pattern that works. These AI agent applications succeed because the tasks are clear and follow a standard process. Clear boundaries, measurable outcomes, and defined handoffs between humans and agents make it effective. So when I see companies struggling, it's usually because they're trying to fit agents into existing workflows instead of rethinking the work itself.
Most companies are still trying to add agents to outdated workflows, which limits their effectiveness. They're treating these systems like highly intelligent chatbots when they should see them as new team members requiring different management styles, success metrics, and ways of collaborating with humans.
The companies that figure this out won't just be more productive—they'll operate in fundamentally different ways than their competitors. That's not a technology advantage, it's an organizational one.
InfoWorld
