Agentic AI: A Practical Roadmap for Busy CEOs
- julie35214
- Jul 16
- 2 min read
Autonomous agents outperform chatbots by acting on live data without hand-holding. McKinsey calls this agentic AI - the next wave of productivity.
Many organisations run AI pilots with little to show. McKinsey’s new report argues for Agentic AI (autonomous agents delivered within core workflows to tackle meaningful decisions). These are not side‑car bots; they become part of the engine. This is where real value lies. https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/quantumblack/our-insights/seizing-the-agentic-ai-advantage
1. Spot the Right Workflow
Look for decision-heavy workflows that follow clear rules i.e. invoice matching, procurement restocks or first-line customer triage. Agents in these areas reduce manual effort and free staff for strategic work.
2. Plug in Transparent Oversight
Set dashboards that show every agent action, make agent decisions traceable and trigger human escalation for edge cases. Add a weekly 15-minute “agent audit” to help build confidence and keep systems aligned.
3. Upskill Your People Early
Teams must learn how to frame prompts and assess agent outputs. Run micro-sessions on prompt framing and bias spotting. People stay in control; agents boost pace.
4. Measure Long Value, Not Quick Wins
Moving beyond quick wins is critical. ROI is often about long‑term transformation, not immediate cost savings. Use the five-step scorecard from The Australian CFO Journal: time saved, error rate, NPS, talent redeploy, future options. https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/cfo-journal/how-you-should-calculate-the-roi-in-ai/news-story/2d2ca6bd91c442f2c7d0a12379470eef.
NAVIZEN’s Take
Agentic AI is the missing link between AI experiments and real business performance. Choose one workflow, give the agent room to learn, track transparently, equip your people, and celebrate the first result loudly - culture will carry the rest.
Curious which parts of your operation are agent‑ready? Book a 30‑minute exploration call with NAVIZEN and we’ll walk through the candidate processes together.
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