Predictika · precast concrete utility vaults: size, load rating, lid, depth, trucking, lead time and discounts

An AI sales agent's precast vault quote, checked before it goes out

An AI sales agent prepares a precast concrete utility vault quote for a fictional customer. Before it goes out, the agent sends it to Predictika’s validator, which checks it against the product and contract rules, compares the order total the agent states with the one it computes, and returns a verdict with every reason.

Scope: precast concrete utility vault quotes, 4 x 4 to 10 x 12 ft. See everything this validator covers

This validator models precast concrete utility vault quotes in the style of CRH Oldcastle Infrastructure, for fiber, water meter, transformer, switchgear and stormwater equipment. It handles any quote made of these vaults, equipment, lids and locations, not just the scenarios shown below.

  • Vault and equipment fit — Vault size against the equipment minimum, depth against the base section height, riser sections from the depth (a custom structure beyond 3), and knockout counts against the wall size.
  • Load rating and lid selection — Vault and lid load rating against the install location (landscape H-10, parking lot H-20, roadway HS-20), and hatch lids for equipment that is lifted out for service.
  • Logistics and scheduling — Permit loads when a base section exceeds 40,000 lb, a delivery radius of 250 miles from the plant, and lead time by vault size, with a one-week expedite approval before it blocks.
  • Pricing and the stated total — Unit price from base, risers, lid and knockouts with an HS-20 uplift, freight from truck count and weight, crane charges, volume discount tiers, discount authority by order size, and a check that the order total the agent states matches the total the validator computes.

It does not cover other precast products or building materials, real list prices, engineering sign-off on loads and structures, or tax and multi-currency quoting.

The AI sales agentBuilds the quote from the conversation and says it is ready.
Predictika validatorChecks the quote against the product and contract rules and returns every finding it has.

7 scenarios in 3 groups · each group runs from the agent’s first attempt to the outcome · click one to switch

What the agent proposes

The AI sales agent says

Illustrative agent statement. The validator receives the structured request below.

Proposing agent: AI sales agent (scripted)

Before sending, the agent must call Recorded run

Predictika validator


      

        
        
        
      

      
Waiting for the call.

      
    

  

  
    

    
Where rules-based CPQ gets it wrong
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Our assessment of what a typical rules-based CPQ (product rules, price rules and validation rules, as in Salesforce CPQ or Revenue Cloud) does with the same cases. It is a judgment about effort and reliability, not a claim that nothing can be built.

    
What the validator catchesTypical rules-based CPQPredictika
Load rating chainOnly with workarounds
Location sets the required rating, which both the vault and the lid must meet; that usually becomes a rule for every location and lid combination.		The rating is derived from the location and checked against the vault and the lid together on every call.
Risers and trucks from depth and weightOnly with care
Riser counts and truck counts are ceiling arithmetic on depth and weight, which price and validation rules handle awkwardly.		The counts are computed once and used by the limit checks, freight and permit rules.
Freight and permit chargesOnly with workarounds
Freight and permit loads depend on the configured weight, so a configuration change must refresh several price rules.		Weight, trucks, freight, crane and permit charges come out of one calculation.
Lead time bandsOnly with care
A window that is an approval for one week and a block beyond needs two rules per vault size and location.		The lead time is derived, then compared with approval and block bands.
Discount authority by order sizeOnly with workarounds
Volume tiers, the rep limit and the order-size approval band interact, so rules are written per combination.		The tiers, the requested discount and the authority limit are evaluated together.
The total the agent statesOnly with workarounds
Comparing a stated total with a computed one means a separate rule per quote layout, and price rules rarely run on stated figures.		The stated total is a field in the request and is checked against the computed total.
Every problem returned in one answerOnly with workarounds
Rules tend to fire as the quote is saved, so a rep often fixes one error and meets the next.		All findings come back together, whatever order the choices arrived in.

  

  

    
What this validator catches
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Every rule is checked on every call, in whatever order the choices arrive, and one problem never hides another. Blocking findings stop the quote; approval findings need a person to sign off; everything else is computed.

    
RuleEffectWhat it checks
1blockVault size must meet the equipment minimum (size rank 1 to 5)
2blockVault load rating must meet the location: landscape H-10, parking lot H-20, roadway HS-20
3blockLid load rating must meet the location
4blockEquipment that is lifted out for service needs a hatch lid, not a solid concrete lid
5blockDepth must be at least the base section height
6blockRiser sections come from the depth above the base section; more than 3 needs a custom structure
7blockKnockouts are limited by the vault wall size
8needs approvalA base section over 40,000 lb needs permit loads, USD 1,200 per truck, approved by logistics
9blockDelivery radius is 250 miles from the plant
10approval, then blockLead time depends on vault size and load rating; one week short is an expedite approval, more is a block
11computedUnit price is base, risers, lid and knockouts, with an HS-20 uplift on roadway installations
12computedUnit weight drives the number of trucks, and the trucks drive freight
13computedA crane charge of USD 2,800 applies when the base section is over 20,000 lb and the customer has no crane
14computedVolume discount tier by number of vaults
15approval, then blockDiscount authority: a sales rep up to 3 percent, approval up to a maximum set by order size, a block beyond
16blockThe order total the agent states must match the validator total within USD 1

  

  

    
Scenarios and results
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The recorded result of the validator for each scenario on this page: the request the AI agent sent, the verdict, and every finding, in the order they appear above.

    
1. Stormwater vaults under a road: 4 stormwater vaults, 2 weeks

    
The agent's request. 4 stormwater filter vaults, 8 x 10 ft, for installation under a roadway, 9 ft deep, with ductile iron hatch lids and 6 knockouts each. Delivery to a site 120 miles from the plant in 2 weeks. Order total USD 84,180. Ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Lead time too short. This order needs about 6 weeks; the requested 2 weeks is more than a week short, beyond an expedite.
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2. Stormwater vaults under a road: 4 stormwater vaults, 7 weeks

    
The agent's request. 4 stormwater filter vaults, 8 x 10 ft, for installation under a roadway, 9 ft deep, with ductile iron hatch lids and 6 knockouts each. Delivery to a site 120 miles from the plant in 7 weeks. Order total USD 84,180. Ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
3. Transformer vaults in a parking lot: 4 transformer vaults, 3 ft deep

    
The agent's request. 4 pad-mount transformer vaults, 6 x 8 ft, in a parking lot, 3 ft deep with ductile iron hatch lids and 7 knockouts each. Delivery to a site 80 miles from the plant in 4 weeks. Order total USD 42,640. Ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Depth shallower than the base section. 3 ft depth is shallower than the 5 ft base section of the 6 x 8 ft vault.
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  • Knockout count. 7 knockouts exceed the limit of 6 that the 6 x 8 ft vault walls can take.
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4. Transformer vaults in a parking lot: 4 transformer vaults, 7 ft deep

    
The agent's request. 4 pad-mount transformer vaults, 6 x 8 ft, in a parking lot, 7 ft deep with ductile iron hatch lids and 4 knockouts each. Delivery to a site 80 miles from the plant in 4 weeks. Order total USD 46,440. Ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
5. The total the agent states: 12 water meter vaults, stated total

    
The agent's request. 12 water meter vaults, 4 x 6 ft, in a parking lot, 6 ft deep with solid concrete lids and 3 knockouts each. Delivery to a site 60 miles from the plant in 3 weeks. Order total USD 52,866. Ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Stated total differs from the validator total. The order total the agent states (USD 52866.0) differs from the total the validator computes (USD 58740.0).
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6. The total the agent states: Stated total corrected

    
The agent's request. 12 water meter vaults, 4 x 6 ft, in a parking lot, 6 ft deep with solid concrete lids and 3 knockouts each. Delivery to a site 60 miles from the plant in 3 weeks. Order total USD 58,740. Ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
7. Review by a person: 2 switchgear vaults, 10 x 12 ft

    
The agent's request. 2 primary switchgear vaults, 10 x 12 ft, in a parking lot, 6 ft deep with ductile iron hatch lids and 4 knockouts each. The customer supplies the crane. Delivery to a site 50 miles from the plant in 5 weeks. Order total USD 41,100. Ready to send.

    
Verdict: Needs approval.

    
    
      
  • Permit loads. The 10 x 12 ft vault base section weighs 48000 lb, over the 40000 lb legal piece limit; permit loads (USD 1200 per truck) must be approved by logistics.
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Narration transcript
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The text of the narrated walkthrough, step by step.

    
    
      
  1. Welcome to a demo of Predictika's Validator. An AI sales agent prepares a precast concrete utility vault quote for a fictional customer. Before it goes out, the agent sends it to Predictika’s validator, which checks it against the product and contract rules, compares the order total the agent states with the one it computes, and returns a verdict with every reason.
    2. 
      
  2. I will start with the first request by the agent.
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  3. The agent says. 4 stormwater filter vaults, 8 x 10 ft, for installation under a roadway, 9 ft deep, with ductile iron hatch lids and 6 knockouts each. Delivery to a site 120 miles from the plant in 2 weeks. The rest of the request is on screen. Order total USD 84,180.
    4. 
      
  4. Before it goes out, the agent calls the validator.
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  5. Blocked, with one finding, all in one answer. This order needs about 6 weeks; the requested 2 weeks is more than a week short, beyond an expedite.
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  6. The validator returned one blocking finding in one answer. A check that reads one field at a time would pass most of this; it shows only when the choices in the quote are checked against each other.
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  7. What this shows: for lead time bands, a rules-based CPQ is error-prone for this.
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  8. Now the agent resubmits.
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  9. The corrected request. It changes the requested to 7 weeks.
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  10. It calls the validator again.
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  11. This time the validator clears it.
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  12. The validator also returns the line-item quote. It starts with 8 x 10 ft vault base section and Riser sections; the other five lines are on screen.
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  13. The earlier finding is cleared, and the validator's total, USD 84,180, matches the quote.
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  14. One problem caught in one call, fixed in one pass, and a clean $84,180 quote. That is the value of Predictika's validator: catching mistakes before they reach the customer.
    15.