A clear way forward.
- 01
Establish the baseline
Give the working document a clear identity and revision. Agree which copy is authoritative before multiple assistants begin making suggestions.
- 02
Compare before applying
Check whether the source has changed since the suggestion was prepared. Keep simultaneous edits visible and ask for a decision when they affect the same content.
- 03
Keep a recoverable record
Save the previous version and the reason for the accepted change. Distinguish a working draft from a reviewed or approved revision.
Two good edits, one incompatible result
- The starting point
- One assistant updates a delivery date while another rewrites the project schedule using the old date.
- The shared work
- The review identifies that the schedule proposal used an outdated baseline and asks for a revised schedule before acceptance.
- The intended outcome
- The final plan stays consistent, and both original proposals remain understandable.
History should explain decisions
A list of timestamps is useful for recovery, but it may not explain why an important value changed. Keep the source, responsible party, and rationale alongside material edits. For a spreadsheet, that may mean recording the original and proposed cell value; for a document, the old and new wording.
Version history, backup, and approval solve different problems. Recovery restores earlier work. Comparison shows differences. Approval records acceptance. Choose tools and processes that cover the parts your project actually needs, and test recovery before depending on it.
Before you begin.
Should the newest version always win?
No. The newest edit may be based on stale information or may lack approval. Use an explicit baseline and review conflicts.
Can I recover an overwritten document?
That depends on the document service and its retention settings. Check its native version history or backups promptly. Agent Commons recovery and shared version controls are still planned.
Can an agent resolve every conflict?
It may resolve straightforward differences under agreed rules. Conflicting commitments, uncertain facts, and authorization questions should go back to a responsible person.