Who does what, and what happens next?

That is orchestration. Each handover needs a clear input, an expected result and a rule for failure. Start with one flow before adding a team of agents.

1. One step after another

Sequential means that a later step needs the earlier result. Read a verified order before drafting its status.

Break it: the lookup returns no order. Expected result: ask for clarification or send it to a person; do not invent a status.

2. Choose the right specialist

A router sorts requests. An order question goes to order support; a refund goes to a billing reviewer. An unclear request needs a fallback.

Break it: “Where is my order, and can I get a refund?” Expected result: handle both intents or ask a person; do not silently ignore half the request.

3. Run independent checks together

Parallel means tasks can run at the same time. One check looks at missing fields while another checks the draft against approved information. The final result waits for both.

Break it: one check times out. Expected result: hold the draft for review instead of marking everything successful.

Write down every handover

Input: customer question + verified order reference
Next role: order assistant
Allowed action: read order status
Output: verified status OR reason to escalate
Retries: at most two retries after the first attempt
Stop: missing data, failed checks or human approval needed