MISSION 03

Governed Agents

Agents that do real work in your tools, like sorting tickets, updating records or preparing reports, inside limits you set and with a log you can audit.

The problem

An agent is a model that can act: call an API, change a record, send a message. That is useful, and it is also a new kind of access to your systems.

Most agent failures aren’t dramatic. A token with too much access updates the wrong record, or a loop runs up a bill overnight. The fix is the same as for any new staff account: narrow permissions, a second pair of eyes on risky steps, and records.

What we build

  • An agent for one defined job, with a written list of what it may and may not do.
  • Tool access through scoped service accounts and per-tool allow-lists, often exposed as MCP servers.
  • Approval steps for risky actions, in the tool your team already uses.
  • A full action log: every tool call, its inputs and its result, tied to the request that started it.
  • Limits on steps, time and spend, with a clean stop when one is hit.
  • Evals that replay real tasks and check the agent picks the right tools and stops when it should.

Reference architecture

Governed Agents architectureA request starts the agent, which plans steps and picks tools. Every tool call passes a policy check. Safe actions such as look-ups and drafts run directly. Risky actions wait for a person to approve or reject. Every call, input and result is written to an action log.Requestticket · email · scheduleAgentplans steps, picks toolsPolicy checkscoped tools · risk rulessaferiskyRunslook up · draftWaits for a personapprove / rejectAction logevery call, input and result
A typical layout. The real one is shaped around what you already run.

What you own at the end

  • Agent code and prompts, in your repository
  • A permission map: which tool, which account, which actions
  • Approval and escalation rules, written down
  • Test scenarios and a runbook for pausing or rolling back an agent

When it’s not the right fit

If the job is the same fixed steps every time, a plain script or workflow is cheaper and more predictable. We’ll build that instead.

Talk about Governed Agents

Tell us roughly what you’re trying to build. A few sentences is plenty. We’ll reply by email.

Start a conversation