---
id: "action-rearchitect-workflows"
type: "action-item"
source_timestamps: ["§ What Incumbents Should Do Now"]
tags: ["process-engineering", "automation"]
related: ["concept-paving-the-cow-paths", "framework-incumbent-action-plan"]
action: "Redesign processes to remove unnecessary steps and clarify decision rights before deploying AI agents."
outcome: "Clean workflows that amplify automation gains rather than accelerating legacy flaws."
sources: ["futures"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-futures"
originDay: 2
articleStem: "hbr-new-24-agentic-ai-supercharges-startups"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2026/07/how-agentic-ai-supercharges-startups-and-threatens-incumbents"
sourceTitle: "How Agentic AI Supercharges Startups and Threatens Incumbents"
---
# Re-Architect Before Automating

**Action.** Redesign processes to remove unnecessary steps and clarify decision rights *before* deploying AI agents.

**Details.** Before deploying AI agents, redesign the target process: remove obsolete steps, clarify decision-making authority, and simplify the flow. Automating a messy process only locks in old problems and reproduces flaws faster — the [[concept-paving-the-cow-paths|cow-paths]] trap ([[quote-stop-paving-cow-paths]]).

**Outcome.** Clean workflows that amplify automation gains rather than accelerating legacy flaws.

This is **step 3** of the [[framework-incumbent-action-plan]].