Pattern: Multi-Agent Coordination

Pattern: Multi-Agent Coordination

Category: Orchestration Source: Internal usage (factory role system), FOR-0012 Status: Active

When to Use

When multiple agents with different specializations need to collaborate on a shared goal, sharing resources, communicating state, and coordinating their actions. Distinct from orchestrator-workers in that coordination may be peer-to-peer rather than centrally directed.

How It Works

  • Multiple specialized agents are defined, each with clear responsibilities and tools
  • A coordination protocol governs how agents communicate (shared memory, message passing, or a coordinator agent)
  • Shared resources (memory stores, artifact repositories, version control) are accessible to all agents
  • Agents may operate in parallel or sequentially depending on task dependencies
  • A coordinator or consensus mechanism resolves conflicts between agents
  • Each agent's output is visible to others through shared state

Example

Building a digital talent for a client involves multiple factory workers: Camille (intake) gathers requirements, Ada (patterns) selects agentic patterns, Pablo (production line) assembles the employee, Quinn (QA) validates, and Diego (deployment) packages it. They coordinate through shared artifacts in the repo, each reading the outputs of previous roles and contributing their own.

Tradeoffs

Pro Con
Deep specialization — each agent focuses on what it does best Complex setup: roles, boundaries, communication protocols
Parallel processing where tasks are independent Shared state can create conflicts or race conditions
Fault isolation — one agent failing does not necessarily break others Debugging multi-agent issues is harder than single-agent
Mirrors real team structures Coordination overhead grows with agent count

Factory Usage

  • The entire factory operates as a multi-agent coordination system: 15+ specialized roles with defined interactions, shared artifacts in the repo, and clear boundaries documented in each role.md.
  • Cross-team decisions coordinated by the CEO through focus groups and decision processes.