Method / 29 June 2026 / 7 min

Implementing an AI agent in business: five stages from the task to the artifact

From fixing the criteria to 30 days of support: five stages of implementing an agent and what each stage includes.

Short answer: The implementation goes through five stages: investigation and fixing the criteria of the result; the passport, the perimeter and the permissions; installation, configuration and integration with the sources; launch with the journal and human control; support and hourly refinement. For an agent the launch includes team training and 30 days of support.

Stage 1. Investigation

The task, the input data, the expected artifact, the acceptance criteria, the constraints and the decision maker are fixed. The composition of the integrations, the perimeter and the cost are determined after the investigation — not before it.

Stage 2. Passport and permissions

The eight fields of the passport are documented: the task, the input, the process, the output, the limitations, the permissions, the perimeter and the verification. The sources, the allowed actions, the retention period and the human confirmation points are set. Unnecessary sources are not connected.

Stage 3. Installation and integration

Installation and configuration for the task, integration with the sources: email, the knowledge base, PostgreSQL, documents. For an agent this stage includes team training and configuring the access roles.

Stage 4. Launch with control

The first results pass a human check: the journal shows the inputs, the stages and the rationale of the conclusions, disputed decisions stop. The acceptance criteria from stage 1 are the only criterion of readiness.

Stage 5. Support and refinement

An agent deployment includes 30 days of support. After that, changes to rules, sources, or formats are billed at $150/hour for a subagent and $300/hour for an agent. These rates cover services; infrastructure and subscriptions are billed separately. See the pricing page for details.

Read also: Golden Trio: research, invention and critique in one process · Agent work journal: how to trace a result back to the source data

Questions and answers

How long does the implementation take?

It depends on the agent, the data and the perimeter: the terms are fixed after the investigation together with the criteria of the result.

What is needed from the company at the start?

The owner of the process, the input materials and the decision about the perimeter: cloud, team or local.

Can we start with one process?

Yes, this is the recommended route: one recurring process with a clear artifact, then the next ones as the result is confirmed.

Where does the implementation start?

With the investigation: the process, the data and the requirements are described, the criterion of the result is fixed.

What follows the investigation?

Designing the architecture and the integrations; the cost of custom development is fixed after the investigation.

Can we stop after the first stage?

Yes: the investigation already gives the map of the process and the criteria; the decision about the next stages is made separately.

What does the handover to the team include?

Documentation, the agent's passport and training; for an agent, 30 days of support are included in the launch.

What if divergences appear at the launch stage?

They are recorded in the journal and refined at the hourly rate: $150/hour for a subagent and $300/hour for an agent. These rates cover services; infrastructure and subscriptions are billed separately.

Who leads the implementation?

The contractor together with the responsible person on the customer's side: the control points and the roles are set before the start.

What confirms the success of a stage?

The acceptance criteria fixed before the launch: the result is checked against them following the journal, not the impression.

First step

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