Workflow engine + Loop Engine

Runtime flow

| Stage | Role in this pattern | | --- | --- | | Provider | AI agent inside a workflow activity proposes a transition (recommendation + evidence) | | Loop + Guards | Loop Engine evaluates policy before the workflow schedules downstream side effects | | Channel | Human approval activity (Slack, ticketing UI, or in-app) resumes workflow only after governed transition | | Integration | Temporal activity / Salesforce flow step executes durable work after executed status | | Evidence | Loop transition evidence linked to workflow run id / Salesforce record id for audit |

1Workflow (Temporal / Salesforce)
2        │
3        ├─ activity: propose AI decision
4        │       ↓
5        │   Provider
6        │       ↓
7        │   Loop + Guards  ←── Loop Engine (governance)
8        │       ↓
9        │   Channel (human)
10        │       ↓
11        └─ activity: execute approved work  ←── Integration (durable execution)
12                ↓
13            Evidence (both layers)

Temporal composition

Temporal owns: retries, timers, sagas, long-running coordination.

Loop Engine owns: whether a named transition may commit, with which actor, and with what evidence.

Typical sequence:

1. Workflow reaches a decision checkpoint activity.
2. Activity calls Provider adapter → submits transition candidate.
3. engine.transition runs guards; may return pending for human Channel step.
4. On executed, workflow continues to side-effect activities (deploy, CRM update, ticket close).

1"cmt">// @no-typecheck
2"cmt">// After Loop Engine returns executed — Temporal runs durable side effects.
3const decision = await engine.transition({
4  aggregateId: workflowRunId as never,
5  transitionId: "approve_change" as never,
6  actor: resolvedHumanActor,
7  evidence: { workflowId: ctx.workflowId, runId: ctx.runId }
8});
9 
10if (decision.status !== "executed") {
11  throw new ApplicationFailure("Governance blocked", "GOVERNANCE_BLOCKED");
12}
13"cmt">// continue workflow: call external Integration APIs

Salesforce composition

Salesforce Flow / Apex often owns record updates and UI. Loop Engine governs approval transitions that Flow must not bypass:

• Provider step: classify opportunity risk or draft terms (AI agent actor).
• Loop + Guards: credit-policy guards, evidence-required fields.
• Channel: approver in Salesforce approval process or Slack via Cloud connector.
• Integration: Flow updates Opportunity only when loop instance is in approved state.

Same rule: Flow executes; Loop governs commit.

What this teaches

• Governance differentiation — workflows coordinate; loops authorize state changes.
• Deterministic boundaries — activities must check executed vs. blocked/pending.
• Human escalation — workflow waits on Channel, not on model stream end.
• Evidence — audit ties workflow id to loop transition evidence.

What this is not

• Loop Engine as a workflow engine replacement.
• Salesforce or Temporal “plugins” that hide guards behind prompts.
• An implied single npm package that embeds both runtimes — you compose explicitly.

Related

• Loop Engine vs Workflow Engines
• What is a Loop?
• Architecture
• Infrastructure Change Approval — SRE Channel + rollout Integration