What MCP does
An AI assistant may need information from your business software to help with a task. Model Context Protocol, usually called MCP, is a standard for connecting AI applications to external tools and data.
The practical purpose is to make relevant information available to an assistant through a defined connection. An example might be retrieving an approved procedure or a job status needed for a draft customer update.
Begin with a specific workflow
Before choosing an integration, describe the work. What does the employee need to accomplish? Which records are relevant? What should the output contain?
Consider a fictional service business preparing a customer update. A possible workflow retrieves the relevant job record, drafts an update using supported information, and presents it to an employee for review. This is a design example, not a reported client result. Testing it on real work would need to establish whether it helps.
Define access separately from capability
The connection needs appropriate authentication and permission checks. An assistant retrieving information should have access only to the records needed for the authorized task.
Reading a record and changing it are different capabilities. If the workflow includes sending a message or updating a system, decide when approval is required and how the action will be recorded. MCP does not by itself determine your business permission rules.
Plan for incomplete information and failures
A job record may be outdated. A field may be blank. A connected system may be unavailable. Decide how the workflow should respond to each situation.
For a first version, a useful response may be to flag the issue and return control to a person. Test those cases before relying on the workflow in daily work. Check the output against the source records and keep examples of errors so the design can be improved.
Consider who will maintain the connection
Someone needs to own updates to the integration and the instructions that use it. Changes in business software, access requirements, or the underlying process can require new testing.
Agree on who receives failure reports and who can pause the workflow. Keep a record of what the connection is intended to do so future changes can be evaluated against that purpose.
Discuss the task you want to improve
Natural State Logic builds custom AI integrations and helps businesses put them to use in practical workflows. I am based in Jonesboro, Arkansas, and start these discussions with the work the team wants to improve.
If you have a recurring task that involves information in multiple systems, tell me about it. Describe the task, the software involved, and where the current process takes too much effort.
Technical reference: Anthropic, Introducing the Model Context Protocol, November 25, 2024.