Agentic AI: From Potential to Process

The potential of AI agents known as Agentic AI sounds compelling. Yet in small and medium sized companies, the starting signal often fails to materialize, as a study by Luenendonk shows. Companies are often deeply embedded in their own processes, which are rarely documented. Moving from visions to use cases feels like jumping into cold water. 

The good news is that Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central already includes standard agents and provides initial impulses, for example for automated processing of vendor invoices or AI supported capture of sales orders directly from email requests. 

The real potential unfolds where AI agents are deliberately tailored to your individual value creation processes. Two practical examples show what this means in concrete terms. 

Anyone working in purchasing and responsible for quality assurance must regularly order new mechanical components. At goods receipt, the items are checked against specific, predefined characteristics. Until now, this has been a time consuming and error prone process. With a custom tailored agent, you provide the order and the product specification. The agent independently creates inspection characteristics, dimensions, and the inspection order. Optionally, it can also create items, orders, or vendors. An employee reviews the proposal, confirms it, and prepares everything for goods receipt. 

Translating data between systems forms the second example. Whether intercompany processes, EDI connections, or clearing centers, complex mappings are required everywhere. An agent tailored for this purpose recognizes structures, proposes mappings, and drastically reduces manual effort. 

Use cases for AI agents are plentiful. But which process holds the greatest impact and therefore a competitive advantage for your company The key questions are the following. 

• Where does the greatest effort currently arise for recurring activities
• Where would proactive support for these tasks deliver measurable added value 

One thing is clear waiting is not a strategy. Define a clear target state, determine your expected return on investment, and start with a clearly defined process. It sounds simple. The benefits are obvious. Yet the real advantage of Agentic AI is defined by each organization through its own processes.