Report: Companies need new strategy for AI agent value
A new five-stage framework guides leaders on deploying agentic AI for measurable gains, emphasizing work redesign before implementation. The report highlights the need for strategic planning to unlock AI's business value.
A new report from The Conference Board outlines a five-stage framework for redesigning work around AI agents to achieve measurable business value. The framework is based on interviews and research with senior HR, talent, and AI leaders.
The report stresses that companies must determine how work is divided between humans and AI, establish proper governance, measure outcomes, and decide how benefits will be utilized. Simply acquiring technology or launching pilot projects is insufficient for value creation.
"AI agents can complete more and more work, but capability alone doesn't create value," said Allan Schweyer, Principal Researcher, Human Capital, The Conference Board. "Companies need to know what outcome they're trying to improve, what the agent should—and shouldn't—do, and whether the redesigned process actually performs better."
The report details five stages: defining business outcomes, redesigning and allocating work pre-deployment, building necessary infrastructure and governance, measuring human-agent collaboration, and allocating gains. It also addresses protecting early-career talent pipelines and the collaboration between HR and IT.