When to use a general-purpose AI tool, when to buy a packaged agent and when to have a custom agent built.
The short answer
Use general-purpose AI for broad productivity, packaged agents for standard functions, and custom agents for workflows that define your business or touch your specific systems.
Key takeaways
ChatGPT, Claude or Copilot: cheap, flexible, great for drafting and research. Weak at your specific data and formats.
Fast to start for standard jobs like generic support or scheduling. Limited when your process differs.
Built around your workflow, connected to your systems, measured against your goals. This is the layer Switch builds, usually starting with the most obvious pain point.
Scoped to one high-value workflow, it often pays back faster than a broad platform licence.
Yes if you have AI engineering capacity; many companies prefer a partner for the first agents.
How this guide was made
Written and reviewed by our editors against vendor documentation, public regulation texts and practitioner interviews. We update guides when products or rules change. Tools mentioned may have a commercial relationship with this site; this never decides what we recommend.
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