AI agents for SMEs: Syncronika's Milan workshop with 60 entrepreneurs

In the prestigious setting of Palazzo Giureconsulti, in the heart of Milan, on 22 October 2026 a workshop was held on AI Agents and their applications in small and medium-sized enterprises, organised by the Chamber of Commerce of Milano Monza Brianza Lodi and Formaper.

The event brought together around 60 entrepreneurs from different sectors, interested in understanding how artificial intelligence can help improve operational efficiency, automate activities and support the digital transformation of their organisations.

The meeting was led by Syncronika's professionals, together with Leonardo D'Itri, through a path that alternated technology deep dives, analysis methodologies and concrete applications.

Processes first, technology second

One of the central messages of the workshop was clear: the adoption of artificial intelligence must start from business needs, not from technology tools.

Before introducing an AI system, it is essential to understand how existing processes work, identify inefficiencies and assess which activities can genuinely benefit from automation.

This approach requires considering several elements:

• Process analysis: identify repetitive tasks, bottlenecks and improvement opportunities.
• Benefit assessment: estimate time savings, error reduction and potential return on investment.
• Risk management: consider security, privacy, reliability and operational continuity.
• Technology choice: identify the most appropriate solution, without introducing unnecessary complexity.

The goal is not to adopt AI at any cost, but to build sustainable, measurable solutions integrated with company systems.

Deterministic automation and artificial intelligence: when to use which?

During the workshop we explored a distinction that is often underestimated: not all automation requires artificial intelligence.

Many business processes can be handled through deterministic procedures, based on defined rules, verifiable conditions and predictable outcomes.

These solutions often offer significant advantages in terms of cost, reliability, control and ease of maintenance.

Artificial intelligence becomes particularly useful when processes require capabilities that traditional automation handles with greater difficulty, such as:

• Understanding requests phrased in natural language.
• Interpreting unstructured documents and information.
• Classifying and organising complex content.
• Extracting information from heterogeneous sources.
• Supporting decisions and activities that require contextual judgement.

The most effective solution is often a hybrid architecture, in which deterministic components and AI models collaborate, each with well-defined responsibilities.

AI Agents: beyond chatbots and traditional automation

Another central theme of the meeting was the shift from conversational AI systems to AI Agents, applications able to use tools, access information and carry out operational activities within a process.

Unlike a traditional chatbot, an agent can interact with company software, query databases, retrieve documents and call external services to complete specific tasks.

The potential applications in SMEs are numerous:

Customer service and support

Agents able to consult company knowledge bases, retrieve information and support request handling.

Administration and document management

Systems that interpret invoices, orders and documents, extract data and help automate administrative activities.

Sales and commercial processes

AI assistants able to support lead qualification, information research and the preparation of commercial activities.

Operations and internal processes

Agents integrated with ERP, CRM and other business applications to perform controlled operations, retrieve data and coordinate activities.

However, one principle remains fundamental: an autonomous agent is not always necessary.

In many cases, a traditional workflow enriched with single AI features can deliver better results, with greater predictability and control.

Reliability, control and oversight: the conditions for bringing AI into production

Bringing artificial intelligence into business processes means facing a challenge that goes beyond the quality of the answers generated by the models.

A system used in production must be reliable, observable and governable.

That is why it is important to design an application architecture, often called an agent harness, that establishes which tools the agent can use, which operations it can perform and in which circumstances human confirmation is required. We explored this topic in our dedicated article on the Agent Harness and the deterministic security of AI agents.

Critical operations must be protected through controls, validations and deterministic procedures, avoiding leaving sensitive decisions solely to the probabilistic behaviour of a language model.

The goal is to combine the flexibility of AI with the reliability required by business information systems.

The conversation with entrepreneurs: from opportunities to concrete cases

One of the most significant moments of the workshop was the direct conversation with the participants.

The questions that emerged during the session and the conversations that continued over the closing aperitivo highlighted a concrete interest in the applications of artificial intelligence.

Companies from different sectors, with different operational needs and levels of digital maturity, share a fundamental question:

How can we use AI to achieve real benefits in our company?

The answer does not necessarily lie in adopting the most advanced technologies, but in the ability to identify the right opportunities, design appropriate solutions and measure their results.

Syncronika's approach to AI and business automation

At Syncronika we support companies on their digital transformation journey, combining skills in software engineering, system integration, data analytics, automation and artificial intelligence.

Our approach starts from process analysis and leads to the design and delivery of solutions integrated with the existing technology ecosystem.

We believe that the future of AI in companies is not represented by isolated tools, but by intelligent systems able to collaborate with applications, data and people.

Real innovation does not consist in replacing every process with an AI agent, but in designing the right balance between traditional automation, artificial intelligence and human oversight.

We thank the Chamber of Commerce of Milano Monza Brianza Lodi, Formaper and all the entrepreneurs who took part in the workshop, helping to make the meeting an important opportunity for exchange and insight.

Do you want to understand how to apply AI Agents concretely in your company?

Contact Syncronika to assess together opportunities for automation, integration and artificial intelligence in your business processes.