Why Your Next Business Analyst Might Be an Agent

Jeffrey Wong headshot
4 min read

We’re entering a new era of enterprise intelligence: one where getting insights from your data doesn’t have to start with a ticket or a waitlist.

For years, business users have had burning questions but limited access to answers. Not because the data wasn’t there, but because pulling it required jumping through multiple hoops of drafting a request, waiting for a data analyst to respond, refining the request, then re-running the query… again and again and again.

Luckily, that’s changing. With AI agents powered by SnapLogic AgentCreator, asking a question and getting a useful answer can now happen in a single interaction. And the best part? You can build these agents yourself.

This is the first in our new Agents in Action blog series, where we’ll spotlight real examples of AI agents in production, starting with a SQL Agent that turns natural language into enterprise-grade insights. These agents aren’t theoretical – they’re already driving value in the wild.

Watch the Agent Showcase to learn how to build a SQL Agent with SnapLogic

1. Not Just a query: a conversation with data

Most people think of querying data as a one-way street: you write a SQL statement and you get a result. But AI agents flip the script. Instead of needing perfectly phrased questions or structured inputs, business users can simply ask in plain English – “What’s the average order value for Q1?” – and let the agent handle the rest.

In the SQL Agent demo, we show how the agent doesn’t stop at the first try. It attempts a query, gets no results, refines it, tries again, and continues iterating until it lands on the correct answer. It’s not just automation – it’s reasoning.

That’s the difference between a tool and a teammate.

2. The anatomy of an enterprise-grade SQL agent

This isn’t about a single prompt and reply; it’s a full orchestration of specialized agents working together. Under the hood, the SQL Agent is made up of several subagents, each with a specific role: planning, querying, executing, and responding.

Think of it like a professional kitchen. There’s a head chef (the planning agent) coordinating the meal, while sous-chefs (the subagents) handle specific tasks like prepping ingredients, running the grill, or plating dessert. Every step is intentional, traceable, auditable, and sometimes specialized.

This layered approach, built on SnapLogic pipelines, allows you to define exactly how your agent should behave: what tools it can use, what systems it can access, and how it should respond based on outcomes.

And because it’s all built on SnapLogic, you’re not limited by data silos or fragmented systems. The agent connects directly to your data, wherever it lives.

3. Closing the gap from questions to answers

Imagine your sales leader asking for campaign ROI without needing a dashboard refresh. Or your finance team pulling real-time inventory levels without submitting a ticket to IT.

With AI agents, insights don’t get stuck in the IT backlog; they go straight to the people who need them, turning questions into action faster than ever. With a SQL Agent, teams can even self-serve answers in seconds, while your data experts stay focused on strategic, complex work. It’s not about replacing humans; it’s about augmentation and multiplying their impact.

4. Why agents > prompts

It’s tempting to think a simple chatbot interface to an LLM is enough. But prompts alone don’t cut it in enterprise environments where accuracy, repeatability, and governance matter.

Agents, by contrast, are structured systems. They use tools. They follow rules. They can explain their reasoning. With SnapLogic AgentCreator, your teams can unlock faster insights and greater agility by combining cutting-edge AI with LLMs, prompts, and enterprise data. 

The no-code visual designer – Agent Visualizer – automatically maps each agent’s flow, providing the transparency needed to build trust and confidence in how your agents are designed, executed, and refined.

The result? A smarter, more efficient and trustworthy interface to your enterprise data.

Start creating agents, not just using AI

Your analysts don’t need more dashboards—they need intelligent teammates. With SnapLogic AgentCreator, you have the tools to build agents that take action, adapt in real time, and connect directly to your data. The SQL Agent is just one example of what’s possible. 

Now it’s your turn to build.

See what’s possible and watch the SQL Agent in action in our Agent Showcase to learn more.

Jeffrey Wong headshot
Director of Technical Product Marketing at SnapLogic
Category: AI
Agents in Action: SQL Agent

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