Task, process or domain: scoping an AI agent project
A task, a process or a whole domain: three project sizes. How to recognise yours, with examples, before asking for a quote.
"We want to automate invoicing." Behind that sentence, there may be a two-week task or a two-month project. Naming the size of the need correctly is the first step of a successful project.
Three units, from the simplest to the widest
| Unit | Definition | Example | Order of magnitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| A task | a trigger, an action, a result — with no decision along the way | an invoice arrives by email; its data goes into the accounting tool | one to two weeks |
| A process | three to six chained steps, with decisions, special cases and at least one branch | from the invoice received to the bank reconciliation, reminders included | about three weeks |
| A domain | two to five processes that share the same vocabulary, the same rules and the same manager | customer relations and support: routine requests, complaints, order tracking | four to six weeks |
How to recognise your need
You describe an action: it is a task
"Sort incoming requests." "Extract the data from an invoice." "Follow up a quote that got no answer." No decision, a clear result. That is the format of the Quick Start, up to three tasks.
You describe lost time: it is often a process
"Our invoicing takes three days a month." When the problem is put this way, there are several steps, exceptions, a person who knows how to handle them. That is the format of the Process Agent, up to two processes, checked on 15 to 30 of your real cases.
You describe a department: it is a domain
"Our customer service is overwhelmed." Several processes, under the same manager, with the same rules and the same vocabulary. That is the format of Business Agents: one domain, up to five processes, with the domain’s knowledge written down for the agents.
Why this distinction matters
- For the price: a process requires scoping the decisions and checking on real cases; a domain also requires writing down the knowledge that runs through it.
- For the result: treating a process like a task gives an agent that stumbles on every exception. Treating a task like a domain costs too much.
- For what comes next: a well-chosen task belongs to a process, which belongs to a domain. Starting small already maps out the path.
The "number of agents" trap
Some offers are sold per agent. It is the wrong unit: the same result may take one agent or five, depending on the design. What matters to you is the work taken over and the measured gain. You pay for a result, not for a number of agents.
To go further
The AI agent catalogue is organised along these three levels: domains, roles, processes and tasks. And if your need covers several processes you want to compare before choosing, the Business Process Audit examines them and puts figures on them.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know whether my need is a task or a process?
Ask yourself whether there is a decision to make along the way. If there is none — receive, extract, file —, it is a task. If you have to choose between several next steps depending on the case, it is a process.
Can we start with a task and grow later?
Yes, it is even the safest route: a task put into service and measured, then the process it belongs to, then, if the result justifies it, the whole domain.
Do we pay per agent?
No. You pay for a result — a task, a process or a domain taken over —, not for a number of agents. How many are needed is a design choice.