Reference
Plain definitions for the terms this category keeps redefining.
What the words actually mean — agent, operator, workflow, orchestration, governed execution — with the distinctions that matter operationally rather than in marketing.
Operational
Definitions with observable consequences
Neutral
Not written to make our product the answer
Cross-linked
Each term points at where it matters
Introduction
Why a glossary is worth publishing at all.
Terms in this category are redefined by whoever is selling. "Agent" means four different things depending on the vendor, and evaluations stall because two parties are using the same word for different behaviour.
The definitions here are written to have observable consequences. If a distinction cannot change what you would check during an evaluation, it is a marketing distinction and we say so rather than dressing it up.
- Format
- Reference definitions
- Written to be
- Checkable, not persuasive
- Cost
- Free, no signup
- Related
- Pillar resources
Why this exists
Shared vocabulary is assumed and rarely present.
Most stalled evaluations in this category are vocabulary problems wearing technical clothes. One party means "runs unattended" by autonomy and the other means "decides what to do next", and the disagreement looks like a capability gap.
The same happens internally. Two teams agree to build an "agent" and discover months later that they scoped different things, because nobody wrote down which behaviour the word was standing for.
You're likely here because
- An evaluation has stalled on what a word means
- Two vendors use the same term for different behaviour
- Internal scoping keeps producing different expectations
How to choose
How to use these.
If
A vendor conversation is using a term loosely
Start with
Look it up and ask which behaviour they mean
If
You are scoping internally
Start with
Agree the terms before agreeing the scope
If
You want the operating model rather than the vocabulary
Start with
The platform pagesHow it works
What makes a definition useful here.
Step 01
Name the behaviour
A definition should describe what the system does rather than what category it belongs to.
Step 02
State the observable
If the distinction is real, there is something you could check during an evaluation. Name it.
Step 03
Give the boundary
Say what the term excludes. Most confusion comes from terms that appear to include everything.
Step 04
Note where it matters
Link the term to the decision it actually affects rather than leaving it abstract.
Step 05
Flag the marketing use
Where a term is used loosely in the market, say so, including where we have used it loosely.
Terms
Reference definitions — 10 in total.
CRM
Customer relationship management software organizes customer, lead, account, deal, and activity records so teams can manage acquisition and relationships from a shared system.
Read the definition →ERP
Enterprise resource planning software coordinates finance, inventory, procurement, operations, and other core business records across a shared system.
Read the definition →Marketing Automation
Marketing automation coordinates audience segmentation, campaigns, triggers, lead routing, nurture, and measurement across marketing and sales systems.
Read the definition →Business Intelligence
Business intelligence combines trusted data, reporting, dashboards, and analysis so teams can understand performance and make operating decisions.
Read the definition →Customer Support
Customer support systems manage requests, conversations, knowledge, routing, escalation, and resolution across customer service channels.
Read the definition →Project Management
Project management software organizes work, owners, dates, dependencies, status, and communication so teams can deliver coordinated outcomes.
Read the definition →Scheduling
Scheduling systems coordinate availability, appointments, meetings, resources, reminders, and follow-up across calendars and business workflows.
Read the definition →Document Management
Document management systems organize files, permissions, versions, search, approvals, and retention so teams can work from controlled information.
Read the definition →Analytics
Analytics systems collect, organize, and interpret behavioral and business data so teams can measure performance, diagnose change, and improve outcomes.
Read the definition →Knowledge Management
Knowledge management captures, organizes, retrieves, and maintains the information teams need to make decisions and complete work consistently.
Read the definition →Scope
What this glossary is not.
- It is not an industry standard; other vendors define these terms differently.
- It is not exhaustive — terms are added when a real evaluation stalled on them.
- It does not attempt to settle academic definitions, only operational ones.
- Where our own usage has been loose, the entry says so rather than retconning it.
FAQ
Questions about this collection.
Whose definitions are these?
Ours, written to be operationally checkable rather than authoritative. Other vendors define several of these differently, which is exactly the problem the page exists for.
Why does it matter what a word means?
Because evaluations and internal scoping both stall on it. Two parties using one word for different behaviour produces a disagreement that looks technical and is not.
A term I need is missing.
Terms get added when a real evaluation stalled on them, so the list reflects encountered confusion rather than completeness.
Are these neutral?
They are written to be checkable rather than neutral. Where a distinction favours how we build, the entry states the observable so you can verify it independently.
Can I use these internally?
Yes, and agreeing terms before scoping is the main use we would suggest.
Where do I go for the operating model?
The platform pages cover how the runtime actually works, which is the substance behind the vocabulary.
Keep exploring
Related paths.
Start with ARIA
Ask ARIA about reference.
You do not have to pick your way through this collection to get started. Describe the outcome you want and ARIA determines which capabilities, systems, and workflows the job needs.
- ARIA acts only through the systems and permissions you connect.
- Connections use scoped credentials you can change or revoke.
- Actions are recorded, and consequential ones can require approval.
Start here
Agree the words before you agree the scope.
If an evaluation or an internal plan is stuck on what a term means, describing the behaviour you actually need to ARIA is faster than settling the vocabulary first.