Multi-Agent Architecture Patterns and Tradeoffs

Use multiple agents when task separation justifies the added coordination and failure-handling complexity. A single workflow or agent may be easier to evaluate and operate when responsibilities do not need to be separated. The following architecture is illustrative, not a completed engagement.

The Orchestrator Pattern

An orchestrator can receive a request, route work to specialized components, and combine their outputs. Define which decisions it may make and which require approval before granting access to tools.

User Request → Orchestrator → [Specialist Agents] → Synthesizer → Response

Specialist Agent Design

Each specialist agent should have:

• •A bounded responsibility and explicit inputs
• •A scoped tool set and access permissions
• •Handoff criteria for other agents or human reviewers
• •Independent evaluation criteria

Human Review and Failure Handling

Define which actions require human review, how uncertainty is handled, and how failures are detected. Set limits on retries and delegated work. If a tool is unavailable or evidence is insufficient, the workflow should expose that condition instead of fabricating a successful outcome.

Observability

Record relevant decisions, tool calls, and handoffs with correlation identifiers. Apply appropriate access and retention controls to logs. Evaluate the system using approved test cases, including tool failures, conflicting instructions, and attempts to exceed authorization.