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The “Quick Task” Trap and How Logic Apps agent loop Kills It

A while ago i had a meeting with a new client in the cargo shipping business to map their integration landscape. Everything looked solid, most integrations had the usual needs, nothing out of the ordinary. Then they mentioned the “special bookings” that still land in an operator’s inbox. Yes, manual bookings still occur in the enterprise world. Each one seems tiny until you multiply it across a week, a month, and a year. Those interrupts also break the operations team’s focus. So why not build a Logic Apps agentic loop to take the ad‑hoc cases off people’s plates, while handing off the real edge cases to humans with full context? 

That’s about ten workweeks a year on a repetitive task. Perfect fit for a Logic Apps agentic loop.

First, let’s understand why an agentic loop works.

What is an “Logic apps agent loop” in a simple way

Unlike a fixed workflow, the agent plans, acts with tools, and verifies until the goal is reached or hands off.

plan → act → verify → stop/hand‑off Think of it as a smart, policy‑aware assistant inside your integration that:

  1. Understands the goal (create/update a booking).
  2. Plans the next best action (validate → decide → act → verify).
  3. Uses approved tools (APIs, email/Teams, ticketing).
  4. Checks itself (did we reach the goal?) and repeats if needed.
  5. Knows when to stop and hand over to a human, with all the details.

It’s autonomy with brakes, goal‑driven, tool‑powered, and safeguarded.

Now lets check this scenario Before and after logic apps agent loop

Before : manual path

  • Client chooses website form or email
  • Operator reads & interprets details
  • Operator types into the reservation system
  • Confirmation and change requests bounce via email

Now lets see how it look using Logic Apps agent loop: agentic loop path

  • HTTP trigger receives a booking payload (or parses a form/email)
  • Agent validates required fields and business rules
  • If standard → call Booking API → confirm → log
  • If special/uncertain → open a ticket & notify operator with full context

The flow (step‑by‑step, as configured)

  1. Receive & (if needed) repair JSON
    Trigger receives the BookingPayload → Default_Agent attempts parse; if parse fails → JSON Repair Tool → if still invalid → Jira ticket + Teams alert + customer email, then stop.
  2. Validate mandatory fields
    Check date, route, resource, registrationNumber, contact, company (+ extra per resource type). If missing → Teams alert listing the missing fields → stop.
  3. Decide by resource type
    If TRU → manual hand‑off: Teams post + client email + Jira ticket → stop.
    Else → proceed to Create Booking.
  4. Create booking
    Invoke Create Booking Tool persist tracked properties (ex. ordernr).
  5. Notify & trace
    Post summary to Teams and retain full run history; on exceptions, open Jira with context.

Why this changes how we build integrations, you can keep changes fast and painless by connecting  business process directly to your tools (code and connectors).

  • Process first, in plain English/prompt. Write the steps the way an operator would: receive → validate → decide → act → confirm/hand off.
  • Then build only the tools. Each capability becomes a tool (E.X. Create Booking, JSON Repair, Notify Teams, Raise tickts). The agent handles when and how to use them.
  • Change = edit instructions. When behavior needs to shift, you update the agent instructions (policy/guardrails), not the whole workflow. Adding/replacing a tool is low‑friction.
  • Keep tools simple & testable. Clear inputs/outputs, idempotent by design, with tracked properties for audit.

Apply this to any case: find the 5–30 minute tasks

The principle: You don’t need big projects, target the 5–30 minute tasks that quietly steal time, they compound into outsized impact!

Spot them quickly (signals)

Spot them quickly (signals)

  • Re‑keying or copy‑paste between systems (“swivel‑chair” work)
  • CSV/Excel exports followed by manual massaging
  • Status checks / “can you confirm…?” emails
  • Re‑sends / retries / duplicate checks
  • Manual validations (required fields, formats, cut‑offs)
  • Simple triage or routing (choose queue, project, team)
  • Repetitive notifications or summaries (Email/Teams)

Quantify the value in 2 minutes

  1. Estimate duration (5–30 min).
  2. Count frequency/week.
  3. Compute hours/year = duration (h) × frequency × 52.
  4. Convert to workweeks = hours/year ÷ 40.

Pick first targets (checklist)

  • Clear rules, low ambiguity (rare edge cases)
  • APIs or connectors exist (or can be built as tools)
  • Human fallback is acceptable (safe stop conditions)
  • Idempotent or easy to de‑duplicate
  • Measurable outcome (confirmation, ID, ticket)

Turn it into an agentic loop in one page

  • Write the process in plain English: receive → validate → decide → act → confirm/hand off.
  • List the tools you need (Create Booking, JSON Repair, Notify Teams, Raise tickets).
  • Write the agent instructions (goal, guardrails, stop rules, success checks).
  • Run shadow mode, compare outcomes, then switch to auto for the standard path.
  • Review weekly and adjust the instructions before touching tools.

Example micro‑candidates across domains

  • Logistics: ad‑hoc bookings, schedule lookups, booking confirmations.
  • Finance: invoice status checks, statement exports, simple approvals.
  • HR: candidate interview scheduling, document collection reminders.
  • IT: user provisioning tickets, routine alert triage, access reviews.
  • Sales/Ops: lead enrichment, quote follow‑ups, order status notifications.

Automation isn’t about replacing people; it’s about protecting their focus.
By turning a “quick manual task” into zero, the agentic loop gives that time and attention back to the team.

Ahmed Bayoumy – CTO