Start with one retrieval step
A question-answering system first needs relevant, permitted evidence. Establish a straightforward retrieval baseline before adding an agent loop. The enterprise RAG project includes production source-linked retrieval and a separate pre-production assistant. Those delivery facts do not imply that an adaptive loop was necessary or used identically across those systems.
Give another search a purpose
An adaptive workflow can reformulate a question or look for missing evidence. The Self-RAG research studies learned decisions about retrieval and reflection. It supplies research context rather than proof that an arbitrary tool loop improves a business application. Add another step when it resolves a recognizable failure, with a stopping rule and a bounded amount of work.
Separate the failure types
Check whether the right material was ingested, whether retrieval found it, and whether the answer used it faithfully. Data ingestion addresses the upstream processing problem. A fluent answer can conceal missing pages or lost context. A source link is useful only if the linked material supports the claim and is available to the requesting user.
Compare the whole workflow
Review ordinary questions, ambiguous requests, and cases with insufficient evidence. Compare correctness, citation support, latency, and processing cost against the baseline. Keep user feedback separate from a fixed evaluation set so changing usage does not disguise regressions. These are general recommendations: permission enforcement and an honest indication of missing evidence remain necessary at every retrieval depth.
Sources & further reading
Written by Gilles Jacobs.
