Multi-Step Workflow Enforcement

For critical multi-step workflows, relying solely on prompts to enforce ordering is insufficient. Programmatic guardrails provide deterministic guarantees.

The Problem

Prompt-based instructions ("always verify customer first") can be ignored or inconsistently followed. Production data may show agents skipping critical steps in 10-15% of cases. When deterministic compliance is required (e.g., identity verification before financial operations), prompt instructions alone have a non-zero failure rate.

Solution: Programmatic Prerequisites

Add code-level guards that block downstream tools until prerequisite tools have completed:

def can_call_tool(tool_name, session_state):
    if tool_name in ['lookup_order', 'process_refund']:
        if not session_state.customer_verified:
            return False, "Must verify customer first"
    return True, None

Levels of Enforcement

1. Prompt only: Suggest ordering (unreliable)
2. Prompt + examples: Demonstrate ordering (better)
3. Programmatic guards: Block unauthorized calls (deterministic)
4. State machine: Full workflow engine (most robust)

Structured Handoff Protocols

When escalating to human agents mid-process, compile structured handoff summaries including:

• Customer ID and verification status
• Root cause analysis
• Refund amount or requested action
• Recommended resolution

Human agents often lack access to the full conversation transcript, so the handoff must be self-contained.