Use the right control layer at the right point in the AI agent buying cycle.
AI agent risk changes depending on where you are in the decision. Before purchase, you need evidence about the vendor. After selection, you need explicit operating permissions. If the workflow itself is still unclear, neither checklist fixes the real problem.
Choose by decision stage
1. Still choosing a vendor
Compare data handling, model/provider controls, permissions, POC evidence, TCO, switching cost and exit risk before committing.
2. Vendor already selected
Define what the agent may read, draft, execute, publish, delete or spend; add approval gates, retry ceilings, rollback and verification.
3. Workflow itself is unclear
Do not optimize vendor controls around the wrong use case. First identify the workflow with the strongest measurable automation opportunity.
What each decision needs
| Question | Best tool | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Which AI agent vendor should we approve? | $149 Vendor Due Diligence Pack | Creates a comparable record across evidence, permissions, security, POC, TCO and exit risk. |
| What should this agent be allowed to do? | $99 Governance & Permission Kit | Turns autonomy into explicit roles, permissions, human gates, retry rules and rollback. |
| Which workflow should we automate first? | $499 Workflow Opportunity Audit | Prioritizes the workflow itself before vendor or control design. |
Minimum control baseline
- Give each production agent a defined job, owner and task-specific permission scope.
- Increase human approval as consequences become harder to reverse.
- Require evidence for privileged actions, not just an agent-reported success message.
- Cap retries and duplicate side effects.
- Know how to stop, roll back, export and replace the vendor before dependence grows.
This page provides operational decision support, not legal, compliance, cybersecurity, procurement or financial advice. Validate requirements for your environment and jurisdiction.