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How are Agentic Business Orchestration and automation different?

Picture a busy office where everything just works. Behind the scenes, automation is making it possible. But there’s a big difference between simple automation and Agentic Business Orchestration (AgBO), which connects people, systems, and AI to manage the whole process.

Let’s take a closer look at both to learn how Nintex can help your organization navigate the exciting realm of orchestration and automation.

What is AI Orchestration?

Think of agentic orchestration as the conductor of your business processes. It coordinates and connects processes across systems, with human oversight to ensure harmony, and AI continually adapts along the way.

This orchestration breaks down silos, sparks collaboration, and gives teams real-time visibility into what’s happening. It creates a responsive environment where teams can thrive and customers feel the difference.

Infographic showing the benefits of AI orchestration, including breaking down silos, providing real-time visibility, sparking collaboration, helping teams thrive, and improving customer experience.

What Is automation and what does it do best?

Automation is your tireless digital assistant, taking care of repetitive tasks so people can focus on the work that matters most. It’s about precision and consistency, getting routine work done right every time.


Even though automation runs within set rules, its benefits go far beyond time savings. From data entry to complex workflows, automation reduces errors and boosts productivity, freeing your team to focus on bigger goals.

What’s the difference between Agentic Orchestration and automation?

So, how are agentic business orchestration and automation different? It mostly comes down to adaptability and collaboration, and how flexible and connected each approach can be. Agentic orchestration is dynamic, pulling data from a host of sources. It adapts as processes evolve and encourages cross-team collaboration. Automation sticks to the script, reliably doing what it’s told, and nothing else.

Why choose Agentic Orchestration?

Agentic orchestration helps organizations break down silos and synch operations across teams and systems. It makes communication easier, decisions faster, and enables you to stay competitive in fast-changing markets.

Common challenges & solutions

Implementing agentic orchestration isn’t without its hurdles. Integration can be tricky, and teams need time to learn. Resistance to change is normal, but with clear communication and by showcasing early wins, you can turn skeptics into believers.

The good news: it’s fixable. Pick tools that integrate cleanly, train teams early, and involve stakeholders in the process from the start.

ProblemsSoutions
Integration difficultyChoose tools and platforms that support seamless integration
Teams need time to learnLaunch training and early-pilot programs
Resistance to changeCommunicate clearly why the change is happening
Lack of holistic visibilityAdopt an orchestration platform or layer that provides real-time visibility

How Nintex combines orchestration and automation

With solutions like Workflow Cloud and RPA, Nintex combines the best of agentic orchestration and automation. Our platform integrates AI-driven insights into workflows, ensuring your operations are agile and efficient.

From smoothing onboarding to streamlining compliance reporting, Nintex solutions are here to support your long-term success.

Key takeaways

Agentic Business Orchestration (AgBO) joins people, systems, and AI on one governed layer, while automation handles individual, rule-based tasks.

  • AgBO helps organizations coordinate people, systems, and AI agents in one governed layer.
  • Automation focuses on speed and precision, executing rule-based tasks with minimal human input.
  • The difference: AgBO orchestrates and adapts entire workflows, while automation completes defined tasks quickly and accurately.
  • Together, they form a complete strategy with automation for repeatable tasks and AgBO for adaptable, measurable coordination.

FAQ

Q. What is Agentic Business Orchestration (AgBO)?

A. AgBO coordinates people, systems, and AI agents in one governed layer, aligning automation with business goals.

Q. What is automation?

A. Automation uses technology to handle repetitive, rule-based tasks, freeing up people for higher-value work.

Q. What’s the difference between automation and AgBO?

A. Automation executes defined tasks; AgBO orchestrates entire workflows that adapt to changing conditions and live data.

Q. Can automation and AgBO work together?

A. Yes, and quite well. Automation handles the repeatable steps, while AgBO keeps the whole process flowing.

Q. How does Nintex support both?

A. Nintex unites automation and orchestration on one platform. It combines RPA, Workflow Cloud, and AI-driven insights to optimize your end-to-end operations.

Explore these other topics

Nintex Workflow Automation
Nintex RPA
AI and Automation Solutions

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