A2A is most useful when work crosses team, system or organisational boundaries.
Enterprise Workflows
An employee assistant delegates to HR, IT and finance agents, each owned by its department with access to its own systems. Onboarding a new hire might involve all three.
Customer Service
A front-line support agent hands off to specialist agents for billing disputes, technical troubleshooting or returns, each with deeper tools and permissions.
Procurement and Supply Chains
Buyer agents request quotes from supplier agents, compare offers and place orders within approved limits.
Travel and Scheduling
A personal assistant delegates to airline, hotel and calendar agents to plan a trip.
Research and Analysis
An orchestrator farms out sub-questions to specialist research agents, such as legal, market and technical research.
What These Share
- Distinct domains with separate owners.
- Specialist knowledge or system access.
- Tasks that may take time or need back-and-forth.
Where It's Overkill
For simple lookups, a tool call is enough. For agents within one codebase, in-process delegation may be simpler.