AUTOMATION

Agentic Commerce Workflows

Coordinate multi-step workflows across support, orders, returns, and operations with explicit action controls. Move from answering questions to completing work.

Beyond conversations.
Into execution.

Traditional AI stops at answering questions. Agentic workflows complete multi-step business processes — checking data, following rules, executing actions, and recording outcomes.

Autonomous: Executes complete workflows without manual intervention

Controlled: Scoped permissions and approval gates where needed

Observable: Complete audit trails and performance monitoring

EXAMPLE: RETURN PROCESSING

1

Customer requests return

2

Agent retrieves order details

3

Checks return policy eligibility

4

Verifies item condition requirements

5

Generates return authorization

6

Updates customer and records outcome

WORKFLOW EXAMPLES

Common agentic workflows

Multi-step processes that combine data retrieval, business logic, and controlled actions.

Order Modification

Address changes, item swaps, quantity updates — verified against order status, inventory, and business rules.

1.Verify order eligibility
2.Check inventory
3.Calculate price delta
4.Execute update

Refund Processing

From eligibility check to payment processing — automated refund workflows with appropriate approval gates.

1.Verify refund policy
2.Check return window
3.Calculate amount
4.Process refund

Return Authorization

Generate return labels, update tracking, communicate instructions — complete return workflow automation.

1.Validate return request
2.Check item eligibility
3.Generate label
4.Send instructions

Shipping Issue Resolution

Lost packages, delivery failures, address corrections — coordinate with carriers and update customers.

1.Verify shipping status
2.Contact carrier
3.Determine resolution
4.Update customer

Inventory Sync

Monitor stock levels, trigger restocking, update product availability — connected inventory management.

1.Check stock levels
2.Identify thresholds
3.Trigger reorder
4.Update systems

Promotion Application

Verify eligibility, calculate discounts, apply codes retroactively — intelligent promotion workflows.

1.Check eligibility
2.Validate rules
3.Calculate discount
4.Apply adjustment

ARCHITECTURE

How agentic workflows are built

Structured components that coordinate data, logic, permissions, and execution.

Data Connectors

Connect to order systems, inventory, customer data, and business logic through MCP servers and APIs.

  • •Shopify Admin API
  • •ERP integrations
  • •Shipping carriers
  • •Payment gateways

Workflow Engine

Coordinate multi-step processes with conditional logic, parallel execution, and error handling.

  • •Step sequencing
  • •Conditional branching
  • •Error recovery
  • •State management

Control Layer

Permission scoping, approval gates, audit logging, and rollback capabilities for safe autonomous execution.

  • •Action permissions
  • •Approval workflows
  • •Audit trails
  • •Rollback capability

CONTROL MODEL

Autonomous but bounded

Explicit controls that define what agents can do, when approval is needed, and how actions are recorded.

01

Scoped Permissions

Each agent has explicit permissions for which actions it can execute.

Order agent can read all orders but only modify orders placed in last 24 hours.

02

Approval Gates

Define which actions require human approval before execution.

Refunds over $500 require manager approval; under $500 execute automatically.

03

Audit Logging

Complete record of all agent actions with user, timestamp, and outcome.

Every refund logged with customer ID, amount, reason, and approver.

04

Rollback Capability

Ability to reverse agent actions when errors or policy violations occur.

Undo incorrect inventory adjustments with full transaction history.

USE CASES BY DEPARTMENT

Workflows across the organization

Agentic automation extends beyond customer support into every operational function.

Customer Support

  • Order modifications and cancellations
  • Return and refund processing
  • Shipping issue resolution
  • Account updates and preferences

Operations

  • Inventory management and restocking
  • Fulfillment coordination
  • Shipping carrier selection
  • Exception handling and escalation

Finance

  • Payment reconciliation
  • Refund and credit processing
  • Invoice generation
  • Revenue recognition workflows

Marketing

  • Promotion eligibility verification
  • Discount code application
  • Customer segmentation updates
  • Campaign performance tracking

IMPLEMENTATION

From pilot to production

Start with high-value, low-risk workflows and expand based on validated results.

Phase 1

Identify & Prioritize

Map workflows, assess complexity, calculate ROI, define success criteria.

Phase 2

Build & Test

Develop workflow logic, connect data sources, implement controls, test scenarios.

Phase 3

Pilot & Validate

Limited deployment, monitor performance, collect feedback, refine controls.

Phase 4

Scale & Optimize

Full deployment, continuous monitoring, capability expansion, ROI tracking.

Ready to automate your workflows?

Book a workflow assessment to identify high-value automation opportunities and define implementation priorities.