Workflows aren’t new, or glamorous. But every major leap in technology has been about making work flow better. The assembly line automated production. The personal computer and the internet reshaped knowledge work. The cloud, mobile, and collaboration tools broke down barriers of place and time.
We explored this evolution in a recent piece, “A History of Workflows.” Today, we’re examining the present.
With automation and AI, we’re at the next leap. The opportunity grows beyond faster tasks and smarter tools. It’s workflows that combine human ingenuity with AI. We call these intelligent workflows.
What is an intelligent workflow platform?
An intelligent workflow platform is the foundation for those workflows. It unites automation, AI, and integration to create an environment where work can move smoothly across systems and people. It applies the three types of workflows: rules-based automation, AI-driven agents, and human-in-the-loop decisions.
The result: less repetitive “muckwork,” faster execution, and more time for meaningful, high-value work.
Haven’t we heard this promise before?
We have. For decades, new technologies promised to erase inefficiencies, connect tools, and free employees to focus on what matters. And while progress was made, the promise often fell short.
Why? Integration.
In 1995, Standish Group reported that half of implementation projects went nearly twice over budget because systems couldn’t connect.
In 2003, Gartner found 60% of data warehousing projects failed for the same reason.
As recently as 2021, Deloitte reported that 92% of organizations pointed to data silos as the biggest barrier to digital transformation.
Each wave of innovation stumbled because the systems were hard to run, costly to maintain, and required specialized skills.
AI is at risk of repeating that history. It gives non-technical teams a quick, addictive way to eliminate their “muckwork”—but without governance, controls, and integration, those experiments can’t scale. The result? Proof-of-concepts that stall out and never deliver lasting value.
Consider just the past few years:
2020: BCG found that 70% of digital transformation initiatives failed, with data silos the top culprit.
2021: Deloitte reported that 68% of organizations experienced major AI delays due to governance and security concerns.
2023: PwC revealed that 63% of executives cited data privacy as a top barrier to adoption.
2024–2025: Multiple studies show that proof of concepts are failing (88% never go to production)—most often because they can’t integrate into the larger stack.
The lesson is clear: AI alone won’t solve the problem. The foundation matters.
A new foundation for work
The best businesses don’t take an “AI or die” approach. They blend deterministic automation, agentic AI, and human-led workflows. This balance ensures cost efficiency, mitigates risk, and applies AI where it makes the most sense.
Intelligent workflow platforms provide the missing orchestration layer for that strategy. They securely connect tools, teams, and data so AI and automation can actually deliver on their promise.
This foundation doesn’t just make businesses more efficient. It makes work more human. When employees are freed from the drudgery of repetitive tasks, they can focus on higher-value activities that matter to them—and to the business.
The components of an intelligent workflow platform
At their core, intelligent workflow platforms bring together a few essential building blocks:
Build: An intuitive interface that lets people design automations at their own skill level.
Automation: Support for the full spectrum—from rules-based logic to AI agents to human-in-the-loop decisions.
Integration: A secure, scalable, and vendor-agnostic way to connect systems, people, and processes. If it has an API, it belongs in the workflow.
Interaction: Dynamic surfaces that make workflows visible and usable across teams.
Control: Governance, guardrails, and monitoring that keep organizations in charge of how automation and AI are deployed.
Together, these create a flexible platform that adapts as work evolves.
Not a silver bullet.
Intelligent workflow platforms won’t solve every problem. But they create the conditions where organizations can finally move past pilot purgatory, integrate AI responsibly, and scale automation sustainably.
Through smarter, more integrated ways of working, teams are already tackling the problems that quietly drag on productivity:
Manual toil → Freeing people to focus on creative, strategic work.
Silos between teams and systems → Unlocking transparency where it’s needed.
Lagging impact → Multiplying the reach of every employee by orchestrating the complex.
Latent AI value → Creating the conditions where AI can move beyond pilots and transform operations.
Intelligent workflows aren’t just another promise. They’re a proven foundation for the future of work.
Read the first post in this series, "A History of Workflows," here.