As midsize enterprises (MSEs) seek to become more agile and efficient, many are turning to technologies that combine the power of artificial intelligence (AI) with seamless system integration. A new wave of intelligent automation is emerging, powered by AI agents and integration platforms as a service (iPaaS). This combination can help enable smarter decision making, faster workflows, and seamless connectivity across systems. This approach uses intelligent software that can reason and take action across multiple systems, built upon a robust iPaaS foundation.
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The AI Agent Maturity Model
AI agents are evolving rapidly, and their capabilities can be depicted through a maturity model like the one below. Each level represents a significant step up in autonomy and scope.
- Copilots are agents with basic capabilities operating within a single application to assist users. Think of a tool that helps you summarize emails or write text inside a specific program.
- Search agents expand their reach, retrieving information with full enterprise context across various data sources, apps, and processes. These agents can help break down information silos.
- Assistants take the next step by performing actions across systems to complete routine tasks. This could involve an agent that processes an invoice by pulling data from one system and initiating a payment in another.
- Orchestration agents can handle complex, end-to-end business processes that span multiple systems. These can manage multistep workflows with human oversight as needed.
- Multi-agent orchestration represents the pinnacle of this model, where multiple autonomous agents, both first and third parties, collaborate to achieve a shared business outcome. For instance, in a customer onboarding workflow, one agent might validate documents, another might update customer relationship management records, and a third could trigger provisioning in human resources systems, which in turn enables training modules or compliance tracking for employees.
From copilots to orchestration, AI agents are redefining business automation.
How iPaaS Can Help MSEs
For agents to function effectively, they need a foundation that provides versatile connectivity. This is the role of an iPaaS. An iPaaS is a cloud-based solution that acts as a central hub that can connect an organization’s applications, data sources, and workflows.
For MSEs, an iPaaS is critical for several reasons: it can reduce the need for costly and time-consuming custom integrations, provide a scalable and flexible architecture, and help break down departmental data silos. By using a hub like this, an organization can quickly and securely connect its systems, including legacy systems, with newer cloud systems for faster time-to-value for technology initiatives.
iPaaS: A Foundation for Agentic AI
A powerful way this model can be used is when agentic AI is built on an iPaaS. The iPaaS provides the connectivity and centralized security that higher-level agents need to operate effectively. An orchestration agent, for example, can only manage a complex business process if it can access and use data from every system involved.
Representationally, the iPaaS provides the integration infrastructure, the “circulatory system” of the enterprise, enabling the flow of data across systems, applications, and data sources. This connectivity empowers AI agents, the “brains” or intelligence layer of the operation, to access, interpret, and act on enterprise-wide information. Together, this architecture supports scalable automation and is at the “heart” of many modern technology initiatives.
What sets apart some iPaaS providers like Workato is their leading-edge agentic AI capabilities. Workato introduced intelligent, autonomous agents—called Genies—that can reason, act, and collaborate across systems. Genies go beyond static automation by:
- Retrieving and synthesizing information from multiple sources using large language models (LLMs) and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG)
- Taking secure, governed actions across enterprise applications
- Learning and adapting in real time to help enhance workflows and deliver proactive insights
Forvis Mazars is a certified partner of Workato, aligning to help organizations accelerate their digital transformation initiatives. This partnership brings together deep consulting experience and cutting-edge technology to help deliver scalable, intelligent automation solutions tailored to MSE needs.
How Forvis Mazars Can Help
By combining the firm’s technology consulting services with Workato’s iPaaS and agentic AI tools, we can help clients gain:
- Seamless integration, connecting systems and data across the organization for greater visibility and control.
- Scalable automation and adaptive AI, providing flexible, modular tools that can evolve with business needs.
- Improved time-to-value, delivering early wins that help build confidence and momentum for long-term transformation.
This collaboration can help organizations operate with greater agility by reducing data silos and enabling intelligent automation to flow seamlessly throughout the digital ecosystem.
Ready to explore how agentic AI and iPaaS can impact your business? Connect with us today to start your automation journey.
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