Why this matters
Most agent failures are systems failures, not model failures. Reliability depends on tool contracts, state handling, and escalation controls.
Recommended approach
Harden tool interfaces with strict schemas, shorten working context to only task-relevant memory, and route uncertain states to human review with a clear audit trail.
Implementation checklist
- Add schema validation for all tool I/O
- Log each reasoning-action step with trace IDs
- Set confidence thresholds for human handoff
- Replay failure traces weekly
Metrics to track
- Task success rate
- Tool call error rate
- Human handoff precision
- Mean time to recover
Key takeaway
Reliable agents come from engineering discipline around orchestration, not just better prompts.