AI Agent Challenge Overview

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Welcome to the IFS AI Agent Challenge. This challenge guides you through designing, deploying, and operationalizing an internal AI workload using Agentic AI principles, building on the foundation established in the AI Ready Challenge.

Prerequisites

Before starting this challenge, ensure you have:

  • Completed AI Ready Challenge with selected use cases and prioritized business outcomes
  • Azure Landing Zone foundation established from Challenge 1
  • Access to internal stakeholders for use case validation and requirements gathering
  • One selected use case from the AI Ready Challenge for detailed implementation

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Challenge Context

Internal Use Case Focus: This workload addresses an internal use case within IFS, serving as a learning journey to build expertise with Azure AI before customer-facing engagements.

Risk Minimization & Compliance: Internal deployment provides a low-risk, low-regulatory path to AI innovation while building team confidence and readiness across organizations.

Productivity Focus: Generative AI serves as a productivity accelerator, augmenting internal users to work faster and smarter with intelligent automation.

Agentic AI Principles: Solutions must incorporate:

  • Automated collections of tasks that work together seamlessly
  • Operation with or without human supervision based on context and requirements
  • Agent-to-agent collaboration capabilities enabling intelligent coordination
  • Chained processes creating cohesive, intelligent systems that deliver business value

Challenge Objectives

  • Select and refine one AI use case from the AI Ready Challenge for internal deployment
  • Design an Agentic AI solution that automates collections of tasks and processes
  • Enable agent-to-agent collaboration and intelligent process chaining
  • Focus on productivity acceleration for internal users and teams
  • Integrate seamlessly with the Azure Landing Zone foundation from Challenge 1
  • Plan and design Day 2 operations including monitoring, scaling, and governance

Challenge Structure

This challenge is divided into six steps:

  1. Step 1: Agentic AI Principles & Patterns – Learn foundational concepts and Azure multi-agent architecture patterns
  2. Step 2: Functional Requirements – Capture intended capabilities and behaviors of the AI workload
  3. Step 3: Non-Functional Requirements – Document scalability, performance, security, and compliance attributes
  4. Step 4: Solution Design – Create workload architecture with Agentic AI patterns
  5. Step 5: Integration – Deploy into Azure Landing Zone with Day 2 operations
  6. Step 6: Presentation – Share journey from use case to deployment and operations

Challenge Workflow (Visual) 

flowchart LR
    %% Define the flow of the AI Agent Challenge
    Start([Start]) --> Step1
    Step1[Step 1:<br>Agentic AI Principles] --> Step2[Step 2:<br>Functional Req.]
    Step2 --> Step3[Step 3:<br>Non-Functional Req.]
    Step3 --> Step4[Step 4:<br>Solution Design]
    Step4 --> Step5[Step 5:<br>Integration]
    Step5 --> Step6[Step 6:<br>Present & Justify]
    Step6 --> End([End])
    
    %% Add descriptions
    classDef step fill:#0072C6,stroke:#025,color:white,stroke-width:2px
    classDef endpoint fill:#5CB85C,stroke:#4CAE4C,color:white,stroke-width:2px
    
    class Step1,Step2,Step3,Step4,Step5,Step6 step
    class Start,End endpoint
    
    %% Add annotations
    Step1 -.-> Ann1[Agentic AI patterns<br>and multi-agent<br>principles]
    Step2 -.-> Ann2[User stories<br>and application<br>requirements]
    Step3 -.-> Ann3[Security, scalability,<br>and compliance needs]
    Step4 -.-> Ann4[Agentic AI workload<br>architecture design]
    Step5 -.-> Ann5[Azure Landing Zone<br>integration planning]
    Step6 -.-> Ann6[Solution presentation<br>and justification]

How to Use This Challenge

  • Start with Step 1: Begin by understanding Agentic AI principles and patterns
  • Build on Challenge 1: Leverage the use cases and platform foundation from the AI Ready Challenge
  • Work as a team to complete each step in order with collaborative design sessions
  • Focus on internal productivity use cases that minimize risk while maximizing learning
  • Apply Agentic AI patterns throughout your solution design and implementation
  • Use provided activities, guidance, and success criteria to structure your work systematically
  • Document your findings and designs for each step to build organizational knowledge

Success Framework

Key Success Indicators

✅ Use Case Alignment: Selected use case directly supports internal productivity goals
✅ Agentic Design: Solution incorporates automated task collections and agent collaboration
✅ Platform Integration: Seamless deployment into existing Azure Landing Zone foundation
✅ Operational Readiness: Day 2 operations planned including monitoring and governance
✅ Team Learning: Internal expertise built for future customer-facing initiatives

Learning Outcomes

By completing this challenge, teams will gain:

  • Hands-on experience with Agentic AI patterns and implementation
  • Practical knowledge of Azure AI services integration and deployment
  • Operational expertise in managing AI workloads at scale
  • Confidence to engage in customer-facing AI initiatives
  • Proven methodologies for internal AI adoption and change management