Intelligent processes. Purposeful. Autonomous.
by Veronika Altenbach
In the traditional world of automation, «agents» are associated with simple bots or user roles. However, a new trend is bringing movement to the topic: agentic AI – so-called AI agents that think like digital colleagues, analyze tasks and can solve them independently.
Just like in an orchestra, where individual musicians are led by a conductor to create a complete work, these agents also require central coordination. This is the only way they can work together in a targeted and efficient manner. This is accurately what agentic orchestration does.
What does Agentic AI mean for companies?
Agentic AI refers to a new class of AI systems that can act proactively, make decisions and perform tasks in a self-organized manner. They combine:
- Goal-oriented thinking: They pursue defined goals.
- Independent planning: They analyze how a goal can be achieved most efficiently.
- Autonomous action: They carry out tasks independently or delegate them to other agents or systems.
For companies, this means that processes are not only automated, but also controlled more intelligently and dynamically.
A recent Forbes article (April 2025) emphasizes that companies are increasingly relying on agentic process orchestration to combine classic process logic with flexible, AI-supported decisions. This combination allows for a much more dynamic process design that can adapt flexibly to internal and external events.
What do agentic workflows look like?
A classic BPMN process clearly defines which step follows which. By integrating agents into a BPMN workflow, the process remains controllable – and becomes dynamic where it makes sense. Workflows with AI agents work as follows:
- Agents recognize context-dependent tasks in real time – e.g., through NLP (Natural Language Processing) or data analysis.
- They decide independently which action makes the most sense.
- The BPMN process takes on the role of conductor: it orchestrates agents, distributes tasks in a targeted manner and ensures target conformity.
Advantages of agentic process orchestration
- Flexibility: Processes react dynamically to new information.
- Relief from routine tasks: Employees focus on strategic decisions.
- Faster time-to-resolution: agents act in real time.
- Better scalability: new requirements can be integrated more quickly.
Integration with existing tools
Providers such as Camunda or OpenAI API-supported systems enable initial practical implementations:
- BPMN engines with AI-supported decision-making for a collection of tasks.
- Combination of human tasks, automated tasks and AI agents
- Use of LLMs for document analysis, decision-making or email classification
A new foundation for sustainable processes
Agentic Process Orchestration is more than just a trend – it is the answer to growing complexity and dynamics in companies. Investing in agentic models now lays the foundation for:
- intelligent and dynamic processes
- more effective collaboration between man and machine
- sustainable digital transformation