Unlock Agentic AI’s Full Potential with a Unified Data Layer

Caique Zaniolo
VP Product
What Is Agentic AI and How It’s Changing Industries
Agentic AI is a powerful and flexible tool designed to assist with decision-making and task execution in a way that goes beyond traditional AI, like Generative or Conversational AI. Unlike Conversational AI, think of your favorite chatbot, which reacts to user prompts and follows set scripts, Agentic AI works within predefined parameters, making decisions and adapting as it interacts with new data—all without the need for constant user guidance.
What makes Agentic AI unique is how it combines three core features:
- Autonomy: While still operating within defined limits, Agentic AI can carry out tasks and make decisions without needing continuous input from users.
- Adaptability: It learns from its interactions and adjusts its responses, improving over time based on new information or experiences.
- Goal Orientation: Agentic AI is designed to focus on achieving specific goals, whether that’s scheduling meetings or managing complex logistics, adjusting its approach when necessary to meet those objectives.
In contrast to Conversational AI, which primarily reacts to user commands and follows a scripted flow, Agentic AI is more proactive. It interprets data and understands workflows, stepping in to take action when needed—whether it’s addressing an initial request, responding to changes in real-time or making suggestions for improvement based on what it has learned. It works efficiently within its set framework, enabling streamlined outcomes with minimal user interaction.
A Day in the Life Without the Hassle
Imagine this: you’ve just closed a big deal, and it’s time to onboard the new client. You know what’s coming – a never-ending email chain. Sales hands off to Legal for contract reviews, Compliance needs documentation, Finance asks for payment terms, and IT needs to set up access. Somewhere along the way, key details go missing, and you’re stuck chasing approvals like you’re on a wild goose chase.
Now, picture a world where Agentic AI handles all of that for you. The moment you confirm the deal, the AI Agent jumps in to coordinate contract reviews, ensure compliance checks, and notify Finance and IT. It sends the right tasks to the right people, nudges them with reminders, and keeps everything organized in one place. No lost emails. No missed steps. Just a seamless automated onboarding process that lets you focus on building the client relationship.
The Key to AI-Driven Innovation: A Unified Data Layer
Agentic AI thrives on data. For AI Agents to operate effectively, they need seamless access to high-quality, real-time data. Yet, many enterprises struggle with fragmented data spread across disconnected systems, limiting the AI’s ability to make informed decisions. Without a unified foundation, AI Agents can’t fully optimize workflows, automate tasks, or adapt to new information.
A Unified Data Layer solves this by integrating and centralizing data across the enterprise, ensuring the AI has a complete, structured view to drive better outcomes. Combined with composable solutions, which allow businesses to build flexible, scalable applications, this creates an environment where AI Agents can deliver real, intelligent automations, without being held back by IT roadblocks.
The Data Challenge: Silos Are Holding Organizations Back
Let’s be honest, despite the increasing adoption of AI and automation, most enterprises struggle with fragmented data across multiple systems, legacy applications, and disconnected databases. This lack of a unified, high-quality data foundation creates fundamental challenges:
- AI lacks full context. Siloed information prevents AI from getting full context and guiding decision-making. If AI Agents don’t have access to real-time data, their decision-making isn’t optimal. Without the full context, AI Agents cannot accurately assess situations, prioritize actions, or generate the best possible outcomes.
- Operational inefficiencies multiply. Disparate systems increase operational inefficiencies. Teams waste time manually consolidating data from different sources rather than leveraging automation.
- Garbage in, garbage out. Poor data quality leads to poor AI outcomes. Inaccurate, inconsistent, or incomplete data can cause AI-driven applications to make flawed recommendations or automate the wrong processes.
The result? AI’s full potential gets buried under layers of complexity, and businesses spend more time troubleshooting than innovating.
The Solution: A Unified Data Layer for AI and Composable Solutions
The answer is simple: a Unified Data Layer, a structured foundation that harmonizes and centralizes data across the entire enterprise to unlock the full power of Agentic AI and composable solutions.
With this, businesses can:
- Eliminate data silos – AI agents and applications get access to a single source of truth, improving accuracy and decision-making.
- Ensure data quality and consistency – Automated data validation and enrichment keep datasets clean and standardized.
- Enable seamless composability – Developers and business teams can build applications quickly without IT bottlenecks and complex integrations.
The Future: AI-Driven, Composable, and Data-Centric
The companies that thrive in the era of Agentic AI will be the ones that break down data silos, power AI with clean, structured, real-time data, and embrace composable architectures. A Unified Data Layer will be the foundation of this transformation, enabling businesses to innovate faster, reduce complexity, and gain a significant advantage in an AI-driven world.
So, the real question is: Is your business ready to unlock the true power of AI and composable applications?
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Comparisons
BOAT Platform Comparison 2026
Timelines and pricing vary significantly based on scope, governance, and integration complexity.
What Is a BOAT Platform?
Business Orchestration and Automation Technology (BOAT) platforms coordinate end-to-end workflows across teams, systems, and decisions.
Unlike RPA, BPM, or point automation tools, BOAT platforms:
- Orchestrate cross-functional processes
- Integrate operational systems and data
- Embed AI-driven decision-making directly into workflows
BOAT platforms focus on how work flows across the enterprise, not just how individual tasks are automated.
Why Many Automation Initiatives Fail
Most automation programs fail due to architectural fragmentation, not poor tools.
Common challenges include:
- Siloed workflows optimised locally, not end-to-end
- Data spread across disconnected platforms
- AI added after processes are already fixed
- High coordination overhead between tools
BOAT platforms address this by aligning orchestration, automation, data, and AI within a single operational model, improving ROI and adaptability.
Enterprise BOAT Platform Comparison
Appian
Strengths
Well established in regulated industries, strong compliance, governance, and BPMN/DMN modeling. Mature partner ecosystem and support for low-code and professional development.
Considerations
9–18 month implementations, often supported by professional services. Adapting processes post-deployment can be slower in dynamic environments.
Best for
BPM-led organizations with formal governance and regulatory requirements.
Questions to ask Appian:
- How can we accelerate time to production while maintaining governance and compliance?
- What is the balance between professional services and internal capability building?
- How flexible is the platform when processes evolve unexpectedly?
Cyferd
Strengths
Built on a single, unified architecture combining workflow, automation, data, and AI. Reduces coordination overhead and enables true end-to-end orchestration. Embedded AI and automation support incremental modernization without locking decisions early. Transparent pricing and faster deployment cycles.
Considerations
Smaller ecosystem than legacy platforms; integration catalog continues to grow. Benefits from clear business ownership and process clarity.
Best for
Organizations reducing tool sprawl, modernizing incrementally, and maintaining flexibility as systems and processes evolve.
Questions to ask Cyferd:
- How does your integration catalog align with our existing systems and workflows?
- What is the typical timeline from engagement to production for an organization of our size and complexity?
- How do you support scaling adoption across multiple business units or geographies?
IBM Automation Suite
Strengths
Extensive automation and AI capabilities, strong hybrid and mainframe support, enterprise-grade security, deep architectural expertise.
Considerations
Multiple product components increase coordination effort. Planning phases can extend time to value; total cost includes licenses and services.
Best for
Global enterprises with complex hybrid infrastructure and deep IBM investments.
Questions to ask IBM:
- How do the Cloud Pak components work together for end-to-end orchestration?
- What is the recommended approach for phasing implementation to accelerate time to value?
- What internal skills or external support are needed to scale the platform?
Microsoft Power Platform
Strengths
Integrates deeply with Microsoft 365, Teams, Dynamics, and Azure. Supports citizen and professional developers, large connector ecosystem.
Considerations
Capabilities spread across tools, requiring strong governance. Consumption-based pricing can be hard to forecast; visibility consolidation may require additional tools.
Best for
Microsoft-centric organizations seeking self-service automation aligned with Azure.
Questions to ask Microsoft:
- How should Power Platform deployments be governed across multiple business units?
- What is the typical cost trajectory as usage scales enterprise-wide?
- How do you handle integration with legacy or third-party systems?
Pega
Strengths
Advanced decisioning, case management, multi-channel orchestration. Strong adoption in financial services and healthcare; AI frameworks for next-best-action.
Considerations
Requires certified practitioners, long-term investment, premium pricing, and ongoing specialist involvement.
Best for
Organizations where decisioning and complex case orchestration are strategic differentiators.
Questions to ask Pega:
- How do you balance decisioning depth with deployment speed?
- What internal capabilities are needed to maintain and scale the platform?
- How does licensing scale as adoption grows across business units?
ServiceNow
Strengths
Mature ITSM and ITOM foundation, strong audit and compliance capabilities. Expanding into HR, operations, and customer workflows.
Considerations
Configuration-first approach can limit rapid experimentation; licensing scales with usage; upgrades require structured testing. Often seen as IT-centric.
Best for
Enterprises prioritizing standardization, governance, and IT service management integration.
Questions to ask ServiceNow:
- How do you support rapid prototyping for business-led initiatives?
- What is the typical timeline from concept to production for cross-functional workflows?
- How do licensing costs evolve as platform adoption scales globally?
