Workflow

A workflow is an organized sequence of tasks, decisions, handoffs, information, and checks used to produce an outcome.

Plan for this page

Understand one concept in plain language and connect it to nearby ideas.

You will leave with: Steps may be performed by people, fixed software, AI models, or combinations of them. A workflow can branch and repeat while still following an explicitly designed process rather than choosing its own overall strategy.
Time: 3–8 min
Before you begin: No prerequisite. Keep one real example in mind.
Do this now: Read the explanation, then compare the example with the common misunderstanding.

Prepared next stepCompare workflow and agent

WorkflowA workflow is an organized sequence of tasks, decisions, handoffs, information, and checks used to produce an outcome.

Agentic system
Automation
Orchestration

Plain explanation

Steps may be performed by people, fixed software, AI models, or combinations of them. A workflow can branch and repeat while still following an explicitly designed process rather than choosing its own overall strategy.

Example

An invoice workflow extracts fields, checks totals, routes exceptions to a person, requests approval, then records payment.

Why it matters

Adding AI to a broken or unclear workflow can accelerate mistakes. Mapping inputs, owners, evidence, exceptions, approvals, and recovery should precede automation.

Common misunderstanding

Misconception: every multi-step workflow is an agent. Correction: many workflows follow predefined paths without dynamically selecting goals or strategies.

Related concepts

Follow relationships, not only the alphabet

Agentic systemAn agentic system is the full technical and organizational arrangement that enables goal-directed continuation and action.AutomationAutomation is the use of technology to perform part or all of a process with reduced direct human execution.OrchestrationOrchestration coordinates multiple tasks, models, tools, services, agents, or people so their outputs form one process.

Compare workflow and agent

Sources and scope

What supports this object

Artificial Intelligence Risk Management Framework (AI RMF 1.0)U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology

Supports lifecycle and context mapping across system actors and processes; it is not a workflow-design standard.

Open source

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