Guide

Build an AI agent from a business workflow.

Define the task, collect case records, approve the rules and draft tests. Use the build brief to give developers the information they need.

Start with one decision the agent should handle. FieldSignal helps turn case records and expert explanations into a workflow map, approved rules and draft tests. Your developers can build the agent, or FieldSignal can build it under a separate agreement.

Download the AI agent build brief. Fill it in with your team or AI assistant. The template requires no FieldSignal account.

Gather the inputs.

  • A specific request, its starting point and the result required.
  • Records from completed cases, including exceptions and failures.
  • The current policy and a process owner who can approve the rules.
  • The systems the agent would read or change and who controls access.

Use records you are authorized to share. List missing inputs instead of filling gaps with guesses. Use the collection checklist.

Prepare the build.

  1. Map the decision. Reconstruct what happened and what information was available. Ask the person who handled the case which checks mattered.
  2. Approve the rule. Specify allowed actions, approval requirements and who takes over when information is missing. Resolve conflicts with the process owner.
  3. Choose the implementation. Decide which steps need fixed rules, an AI agent or a person. Have developers confirm the actual data fields, tools and permissions.
  4. Draft the tests. Include a case where the agent may act and cases where it must stop. Specify forbidden actions and the saved result to inspect.
  5. Build and test in isolation. Developers implement the agreed steps and adapt the tests to their tools. Record actual results separately from expected results.

Check the brief before coding.

Developers should receive the workflow map, source references, approved rule version, tool requirements, draft tests and unresolved questions with owners. Each proposed action must have an approved rule and a way to check its result.

If a rule or permission is unresolved, keep that action out of scope until the owner decides. A complete brief means the work is specified; it does not mean the agent has passed its tests.

Start with a public example.

Use the fictional replacement case with your AI assistant. Draft a test plan without connecting to a business system.

For your own workflow, have FieldSignal run discovery or request platform access. Before release, review production readiness.