COMPEL Glossary / agent-orchestration
Agent Orchestration
Agent orchestration is the coordination of multiple AI agents working together on complex tasks, managing how work is routed between agents, how handoffs occur, how conflicts are resolved, and how the collective output remains coherent.
What this means in practice
In multi-agent systems, orchestration determines whether agents operate through centralized control (one agent directs others) or choreography (agents coordinate peer-to-peer based on shared protocols). For enterprises, poor orchestration can lead to cascading failures, duplicated work, contradictory actions, or runaway costs as agents trigger chains of API calls. COMPEL addresses agent orchestration in Module 3.3, Article 11, which covers enterprise agentic AI platform strategy and the architectural patterns for coordinating multi-agent workflows at scale within the Technology pillar.
Why it matters
Poor orchestration of multi-agent systems can lead to cascading failures, duplicated work, contradictory actions, and runaway costs as agents trigger chains of API calls without coordination. As organizations deploy multiple AI agents working together on complex tasks, orchestration becomes the critical infrastructure that determines whether multi-agent systems deliver value or create chaos. The difference between a well-orchestrated and poorly orchestrated agent system is the difference between capability and liability.
How COMPEL uses it
Agent orchestration is addressed within the Technology pillar during the Model stage, where enterprise agentic AI platform strategy and architectural patterns for multi-agent workflows are designed. During Produce, orchestration infrastructure is implemented with centralized control or choreography patterns based on the organization's maturity and risk profile. The Evaluate stage monitors orchestration effectiveness and cost efficiency across the agent portfolio.
Related articles in the Body of Knowledge
Related Terms
Other glossary terms mentioned in this entry's definition and context.