Three filters help clarify what's worth building:
Reasoning requirements Does the process need multi-step decisions that adapt to changing inputs? Can it handle exceptions without human intervention?
Invoice processing across multiple systems qualifies. Basic data entry doesn't.
Autonomy thresholds The right use cases involve goal-driven workflows where the system plans its own approach. IT incident management fits. Sending templated emails based on triggers doesn't.
AI dependency This matters more than most frameworks acknowledge. Could you solve this problem with traditional automation, or does it genuinely need adaptive intelligence?
High-dependency cases are harder to implement but create actual advantage. Low ones deliver incremental gains you could get more simply.
Match complexity to capability
The strategic move isn't deploying agentic AI everywhere and hoping for wins. It's identifying the handful of processes where adaptive reasoning genuinely changes outcomes, then building those exceptionally well.
