Define the record that should change

“Connect to our CRM” is too broad to be a useful buying requirement. Start with an AI agent assigned a business role, such as finding the correct account, preparing an enquiry, and creating a follow-up task for the account owner. A workflow then connects the agent’s task to the permitted system action and any human decision.

Begin with the business result and work backwards to the information, permission and confirmation needed. This planning guide uses a fictional enquiry workflow; it does not imply that every system or action is available without integration.

Write an action contract in business language

  • Trigger: what event starts the request?
  • Read: which record and fields are needed?
  • Change: which fields or records may be created or updated?
  • Approval: who must authorize the action, if anyone?
  • Confirmation: what proves that the destination accepted it?
  • Recovery: who handles rejected, delayed or uncertain outcomes?

For the enquiry example, the AI agent might prepare a task with an account reference and requested next step. The business owner must define whether the AI agent can create it directly and how the destination determines the assignee.

Test identity and permission boundaries

Ask how the workflow selects the correct customer, organization and record. Test missing identifiers, similar names and a request for information outside the permitted account. Use approved test data and accounts so the evaluation does not depend on exposing live customer records.

Inspect the permission actually granted to the connection. A successful authorized request is not evidence that an unauthorized request is blocked. Include both in the acceptance review.

Plan for repeated and uncertain requests

A delayed response can leave the worker unsure whether an action succeeded. Agree how it checks the destination before repeating a write and how duplicate requests are recognized. Use a test where the destination accepts a task but the confirmation is interrupted; inspect whether the recovery creates another task.

Also test a revoked connection, a rejected field and an unavailable system. Decide what the user is told and which person owns unresolved work. Do not display a success message solely because the workflow attempted the action.

Bring a concrete integration brief

Use one row per action: source, destination, permitted operation, required fields, approval, completion record and recovery owner. Prioritize the actions needed for the first workflow before building a broad connector wish list.

Explore business connections, integration options and workflow design. Ask the platform team to distinguish existing support, configuration work and additional integration development for your selected system.