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Version: v0.1.4-beta.2

Build your first AI agent

This tutorial shows how Easy BPM connects a business process to an AI agent. You will deploy a reusable Agent Process, then call it from a BPM process when a decision needs AI assistance.

What you will build​

You will create a support-triage-agent that reads a customer message and returns a suggested priority.

PartRole
Agent ProcessDefines the agent goal, model, and operating instructions.
BPM processDecides where the agent fits in the business workflow.
Agent Process CallSends process variables to the agent and maps outputs back.

Before you start​

Agent Process support is feature-flagged in the Modeler. Enable it before running the Modeler:

EASY_BPM_MODELER_AGENTIC_ORCHESTRATION=true npm run dev

For local experimentation, you can use ollama without storing a credential. For hosted providers, configure a backend environment variable or create a stored credential with the AI Credentials API.

Deploy an Agent Process​

Create a reusable agent definition:

curl -X POST "http://localhost:8080/agent-processes" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "resourceType": "AgentProcess",
    "processKey": "support-triage-agent",
    "processName": "Support Triage Agent",
    "goal": "Classify a customer support request and recommend the next action.",
    "description": "First tutorial agent for support intake triage.",
    "instructions": "Review the customer message, identify urgency signals, classify the request priority, and recommend the next action for the support team.",
    "constraints": [
      "Priority must be one of: High, Medium, Low.",
      "Return a short reason for the classification."
    ],
    "availableTools": [],
    "provider": {
      "providerId": "ollama",
      "modelName": "llama3.2",
      "endpoint": "http://localhost:11434",
      "credentialRef": "",
      "systemPrompt": "You are a support triage agent. Classify the customer message as High, Medium, or Low priority and recommend the next action. Respond only with valid JSON.",
      "promptTemplate": "Goal: {{goal}}\nInstructions: {{instructions}}\nConstraints: {{constraints}}\nInputs: {{inputs}}\n\nUse inputs.customerMessage as the customer message. Return only this JSON shape: {\"priority\":\"High|Medium|Low\",\"reason\":\"short reason\",\"nextAction\":\"recommended support action\"}.",
      "tuningParams": {
        "temperature": 0.2,
        "topP": 1,
        "maxTokens": 1200,
        "retryCount": 0
      }
    },
    "audit": {
      "decisionTraceRequired": true,
      "createdFrom": "easy-bpm-modeler-agent-definition"
    }
  }'

The processKey is the stable name your BPM process will use when it calls the agent.

Call the agent from a BPM process​

In the Modeler, add an Agent Process node after your start event and set:

FieldValue
Agent Process Keysupport-triage-agent
Goal OverrideClassify the current support request.
Wait for CompletionEnabled
Timeout Seconds120

Map the customerMessage process variable into the agent:

{
  "targetName": "customerMessage",
  "type": "string",
  "source": "variable",
  "value": "customerMessage"
}

Map the agent result back to the process:

{
  "source": "variable",
  "sourceValue": "priority",
  "type": "string",
  "targetVariable": "suggestedPriority"
}

BPMN example​

This BPMN process calls the deployed support-triage-agent, sends the customerMessage process variable, and stores the agent priority in suggestedPriority. The complete process is available as support-triage.bpmn.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<bpmn:definitions xmlns:bpmn="http://www.omg.org/spec/BPMN/20100524/MODEL" xmlns:bpmndi="http://www.omg.org/spec/BPMN/20100524/DI" xmlns:dc="http://www.omg.org/spec/DD/20100524/DC" xmlns:easy="https://easybpm.local/bpmn/extensions" id="Definitions_support-triage" targetNamespace="https://easybpm.local/process/support-triage">
  <bpmn:process id="support-triage" name="Support Triage" isExecutable="true">
    <bpmn:extensionElements>
      <easy:metadata><![CDATA[{"version":"1.0"}]]></easy:metadata>
    </bpmn:extensionElements>
    <bpmn:startEvent id="start" name="start">
      <bpmn:extensionElements>
        <easy:node><![CDATA[{"id":"start","name":"start","type":"StartEvent","position":{"x":170,"y":130},"width":40,"height":40,"next":["triage-with-agent"]}]]></easy:node>
      </bpmn:extensionElements>
    </bpmn:startEvent>
    <bpmn:serviceTask id="triage-with-agent" name="Triage with agent">
      <bpmn:extensionElements>
        <easy:node><![CDATA[{"id":"triage-with-agent","name":"Triage with agent","type":"AgentProcessCall","position":{"x":370,"y":120},"width":150,"height":70,"next":["end"],"config":{"agentProcessKey":"support-triage-agent","goal":"Classify the current support request.","waitForCompletion":true,"timeoutSeconds":120,"inputs":[{"targetName":"customerMessage","type":"string","source":"variable","value":"customerMessage"}],"outputs":[{"source":"variable","sourceValue":"priority","type":"string","targetVariable":"suggestedPriority"}]}}]]></easy:node>
      </bpmn:extensionElements>
    </bpmn:serviceTask>
    <bpmn:endEvent id="end" name="end">
      <bpmn:extensionElements>
        <easy:node><![CDATA[{"id":"end","name":"end","type":"EndEvent","position":{"x":700,"y":130},"width":40,"height":40,"next":[]}]]></easy:node>
      </bpmn:extensionElements>
    </bpmn:endEvent>
    <bpmn:sequenceFlow id="Flow_1_start_triage-with-agent" sourceRef="start" targetRef="triage-with-agent"/>
    <bpmn:sequenceFlow id="Flow_2_triage-with-agent_end" sourceRef="triage-with-agent" targetRef="end"/>
  </bpmn:process>
  <bpmndi:BPMNDiagram id="BPMNDiagram_1">
    <bpmndi:BPMNPlane id="BPMNPlane_1">
      <bpmndi:BPMNShape id="start_di" bpmnElement="start">
        <dc:Bounds x="170" y="130" width="40" height="40"/>
      </bpmndi:BPMNShape>
      <bpmndi:BPMNShape id="triage-with-agent_di" bpmnElement="triage-with-agent">
        <dc:Bounds x="370" y="120" width="150" height="70"/>
      </bpmndi:BPMNShape>
      <bpmndi:BPMNShape id="end_di" bpmnElement="end">
        <dc:Bounds x="700" y="130" width="40" height="40"/>
      </bpmndi:BPMNShape>
      <bpmndi:BPMNEdge id="Flow_1_start_triage-with-agent_di" bpmnElement="Flow_1_start_triage-with-agent"/>
      <bpmndi:BPMNEdge id="Flow_2_triage-with-agent_end_di" bpmnElement="Flow_2_triage-with-agent_end"/>
    </bpmndi:BPMNPlane>
  </bpmndi:BPMNDiagram>
</bpmn:definitions>

Deploy it after the Agent Process exists:

curl -X POST http://localhost:8080/processes \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/xml" \
  --data-binary @static/data/getting-started/support-triage.bpmn

Start the process​

Start the BPM process after deploying the Agent Process and the BPMN process. Send the customerMessage variable in the start request so the agent receives real input when the process reaches the Agent Process node:

curl -X POST http://localhost:8080/processes/support-triage/start \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "variables": {
      "customerMessage": "My payment went through but my subscription is still locked."
    }
  }'

When the process reaches the Agent Process node, Easy BPM sends the mapped customerMessage variable to the agent and stores the mapped result on the process instance.

Next steps​