Multi-Agent Workflows: Orchestration Patterns, Risks, and Controls
Learn when to use sequential or parallel multi-agent systems, where they fail, and how to add guardrails with human oversight.
Choose orchestration by risk and dependency
Sequential orchestration works best when each step depends on prior context and quality checks. Parallel orchestration fits independent subtasks where speed matters. A coordinator agent should consolidate outputs and enforce validation before final actions.
Common failure modes
Multi-agent systems fail when tool permissions are too broad, agents share inconsistent context, or no owner validates final output. Duplicate actions, contradictory recommendations, and silent tool failures are common if orchestration is under-specified.
Controls that reduce operational risk
Add step-level checkpoints, idempotent actions, structured logging, and a human-in-the-loop for high-impact decisions. Design escalation rules as part of architecture, not as a late patch after incidents.