Predictika · Hydraulic excavator dealer quotes

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

An AI sales agent prepares a hydraulic excavator quote for a fictional customer, with the total price it expects. Before the quote goes out, the agent sends it to Predictika’s validator, which checks it against bucket, hammer, undercarriage, transport, service agreement, lead time and discount rules, compares the total the agent states with the one it computes, and returns a verdict with every reason.

Scope: Cat 320, 336 and 352 hydraulic excavator dealer quotes: buckets, hammers, undercarriage, transport weight, Cat Grade, customer value agreements, lead time, dealer discount and the stated total. See everything this validator covers

This validator models a Caterpillar-style hydraulic excavator dealer quote, not just the scenarios shown below.

  • Attachments and undercarriage — bucket size against the machine, a severe-duty bucket for rock, a hammer that fits the carrier weight range with auxiliary hydraulics and the falling object guard, and track shoe widths by machine with a wider minimum on soft ground.
  • Technology, service and delivery — Cat Grade 3D that needs a customer value agreement (CVA), a CVA term of 1 to 5 years and at most 15,000 hours, a lead time that grows with Grade 3D and a hammer, and transport weight against the customer haul limit.
  • Price and approval — dealer discount authority (4 percent for a rep, a manager up to 8 percent, or 12 percent for a fleet of 3 or more), the unit, service and freight price build-up, and a check that the total the agent states matches the total the validator computes.

Any excavator quote that touches these rules is in scope — not only the scenarios pictured here. All prices, weights, limits, lead times and discount tiers are estimates for demonstration, not Caterpillar or dealer data. Not covered: other Cat models, other attachments, taxes, trade-ins, financing and real dealer inventory. The validator shows a computed price summary but no line-item table.

The AI sales agentBuilds the excavator quote from the conversation and says it is ready.
Predictika validatorChecks every rule at once and returns the verdict, each finding, and the computed figures.

8 scenarios in 4 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) does with the same cases. It is a judgment about effort and reliability, not a claim that nothing can be built.

    
What the validator caughtTypical rules-based CPQPredictika
Hammer, carrier and prerequisites across several choices at onceOnly with workarounds
Hammer weight range, auxiliary hydraulics and the guard all depend on each other and on the machine, and each combination tends to become a separate rule.		All conditions are evaluated together on every call, whatever order the choices arrive in.
Bucket duty and size by machine and materialOnly with care
Duty and size limits depend on both the machine and the material and have to stay in step with the catalog.		The bucket and machine rows supply the limits, and the same value drives the check and the message.
Undercarriage and transport weightOnly with care
Shoe range, soft-ground flotation and a transport weight that adds three components are doable but spread over several rules.		The weight is computed once and compared with the haul limit, then returned as an approval with the figures.
Customer value agreement terms and hoursOnly with care
Term and total-hour limits are simple alone but interact with Grade 3D and with price.		Term, hours and price come from the same computed figures.
Lead time with add-onsOnly with care
Lead time that grows with Grade 3D and a hammer needs coordinated rules.		The lead time is computed once from the machine and the add-ons and compared with the weeks needed.
The total price 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: findings from its test cases
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Every rule is checked on every call, in any order the choices arrive; one problem never hides another. Blocking findings stop the quote; approval findings need a person to sign off; everything else is computed.

    
1Transport weight 53,450 kg exceeds the 52,000 kg haul limit; an oversize permit or split shipment must be approved.
210 percent discount is above the 4 percent a sales rep can give; sales manager can approve up to 12 percent.
3Transport weight 39,200 kg exceeds the 37,000 kg haul limit; an oversize permit or split shipment must be approved.
47 percent discount is above the 4 percent a sales rep can give; sales manager can approve up to 8 percent.
5HD bucket 2.3 m3 holds 2,300 L but the Cat 320 is rated for buckets up to 1,500 L.
6Rock digging needs a severe-duty (SD) bucket; HD bucket 2.3 m3 is HD duty.
7Cat H190 S fits carriers of 35,000 to 60,000 kg; the Cat 320 weighs 22,500 kg.
8A hydraulic hammer needs an auxiliary hydraulic circuit (Aux_HP or Aux_Combined).
9Hammer work requires the falling object guard (FOGS).
10600 mm shoes are not offered on the Cat 352 (650 to 900 mm).
11Soft ground needs shoes of at least 900 mm on the Cat 352; 600 mm selected.
12Cat Grade 3D needs a CVA with connectivity for design-file and correction services.
13A CVA term must be 1 to 5 years; got 6.
14CVA covers at most 15,000 hours; 6 years x 3,000 h = 18,000 h.
15Lead time is 18 weeks but the customer needs the machine in 10 weeks.
1615 percent exceeds the 12 percent dealer discount limit for a quantity of 3.
17The total price the agent states ($1,105,478.40) differs from the total price the validator computes ($1,381,848.00).

  

  

    
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. Hammer, undercarriage and machine choice: A quarry customer asks for a Cat 320 with a 2.3 cubic meter bucket and a hammer for rock on soft ground, with ten problems at once

    
The agent's request. Please quote 1 Cat 320 excavator with a heavy-duty 2.3 cubic meter bucket, 600 millimeter triple grouser shoes, a Cat H190 S hydraulic hammer, Cat Grade 3D, rock digging on soft ground, a haul limit of 60,000 kg, needed in 12 weeks, with a 15 percent dealer discount, for a total price of $406,980.00. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Bucket larger than the machine allows. HD bucket 2.3 m3 holds 2,300 L but the Cat 320 is rated for buckets up to 1,500 L.
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  • Rock needs a severe-duty bucket. Rock digging needs a severe-duty (SD) bucket; HD bucket 2.3 m3 is HD duty.
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  • Hammer does not fit the carrier. Cat H190 S fits carriers of 35,000 to 60,000 kg; the Cat 320 weighs 22,500 kg.
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  • Hammer needs auxiliary hydraulics. A hydraulic hammer needs an auxiliary hydraulic circuit (Aux_HP or Aux_Combined).
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  • Falling object guard required. Hammer work requires the falling object guard (FOGS).
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  • Soft ground needs wider shoes. Soft ground needs shoes of at least 800 mm on the Cat 320; 600 mm selected.
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  • Grade 3D needs a CVA. Cat Grade 3D needs a CVA with connectivity for design-file and correction services.
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  • Lead time longer than the customer needs. Lead time is 14 weeks but the customer needs the machine in 12 weeks.
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  • Discount above the dealer limit. 15 percent exceeds the 8 percent dealer discount limit for a quantity of 1.
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  • Stated total differs from the validator total. The total price the agent states ($406,980.00) differs from the total price the validator computes ($412,230.00).
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2. Hammer, undercarriage and machine choice: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please quote 1 Cat 352 excavator with a severe-duty rock 2.8 cubic meter bucket, 900 millimeter triple grouser shoes, a Cat H190 S hydraulic hammer, high-pressure auxiliary hydraulics, the falling object guard, Cat Grade 3D, a Basic customer value agreement for 2 years at 2,500 hours a year, rock digging on soft ground, a haul limit of 60,000 kg, needed in 24 weeks, with a 4 percent dealer discount, for a total price of $956,066.00. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Price summary. Estimated total $956,066.00 for 1 unit(s). Unit list $939,600.00, net $902,016.00 after 4 percent; equipment $902,016.00; CVA $42,500.00; freight $11,550.00 (55 t each); lead time 22 weeks.
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3. Dealer discount: A fleet of 3 Cat 320 excavators with a 15 percent discount

    
The agent's request. Please quote 3 Cat 320 excavators with general-duty 1.2 cubic meter bucket each, 600 millimeter triple grouser shoes, dirt digging on firm ground, a haul limit of 30,000 kg, needed in 10 weeks, with a 15 percent dealer discount, for a total price of $843,360.00. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Discount above the dealer limit. 15 percent exceeds the 12 percent dealer discount limit for a quantity of 3.
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4. Dealer discount: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please quote 3 Cat 320 excavators with general-duty 1.2 cubic meter bucket each, 600 millimeter triple grouser shoes, dirt digging on firm ground, a haul limit of 30,000 kg, needed in 10 weeks, with a 4 percent dealer discount, for a total price of $950,544.00. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Price summary. Estimated total $950,544.00 for 3 unit(s). Unit list $324,800.00, net $311,808.00 after 4 percent; equipment $935,424.00; CVA $0.00; freight $15,120.00 (24 t each); lead time 8 weeks.
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5. The total price the agent states: A fleet of 2 Cat 336 excavators with a hammer and a service agreement, and a total that is too low

    
The agent's request. Please quote 2 Cat 336 excavators with severe-duty rock 2.1 cubic meter bucket each, 700 millimeter triple grouser shoes, a Cat H180 GC S hydraulic hammer, combined auxiliary hydraulics, the falling object guard, Cat Payload, a Premier customer value agreement for 3 years at 2,000 hours a year, rock digging on firm ground, a haul limit of 45,000 kg, needed in 16 weeks, with a 4 percent dealer discount, for a total price of $1,105,478.40. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Stated total differs from the validator total. The total price the agent states ($1,105,478.40) differs from the total price the validator computes ($1,381,848.00).
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6. The total price the agent states: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please quote 2 Cat 336 excavators with severe-duty rock 2.1 cubic meter bucket each, 700 millimeter triple grouser shoes, a Cat H180 GC S hydraulic hammer, combined auxiliary hydraulics, the falling object guard, Cat Payload, a Premier customer value agreement for 3 years at 2,000 hours a year, rock digging on firm ground, a haul limit of 45,000 kg, needed in 16 weeks, with a 4 percent dealer discount, for a total price of $1,381,848.00. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Price summary. Estimated total $1,381,848.00 for 2 unit(s). Unit list $647,900.00, net $621,984.00 after 4 percent; equipment $1,243,968.00; CVA $121,500.00; freight $16,380.00 (39 t each); lead time 14 weeks.
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7. Transport weight: A Cat 352 with a 52,000 kg haul limit

    
The agent's request. Please quote 1 Cat 352 excavator with a heavy-duty 3.1 cubic meter bucket, 700 millimeter triple grouser shoes, dirt digging on firm ground, a haul limit of 52,000 kg, needed in 20 weeks, for a total price of $786,040.00. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Needs approval.

    
    
      
  • Transport weight above the haul limit. Transport weight 53,450 kg exceeds the 52,000 kg haul limit; an oversize permit or split shipment must be approved.
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  • Price summary. Estimated total $786,040.00 for 1 unit(s). Unit list $774,700.00, net $774,700.00, no discount; equipment $774,700.00; CVA $0.00; freight $11,340.00 (54 t each); lead time 16 weeks.
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8. Transport weight: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please quote 1 Cat 352 excavator with a heavy-duty 3.1 cubic meter bucket, 700 millimeter triple grouser shoes, dirt digging on firm ground, a haul limit of 60,000 kg, needed in 20 weeks, for a total price of $786,040.00. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Price summary. Estimated total $786,040.00 for 1 unit(s). Unit list $774,700.00, net $774,700.00, no discount; equipment $774,700.00; CVA $0.00; freight $11,340.00 (54 t each); lead time 16 weeks.
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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 hydraulic excavator quote for a fictional customer, with the total price it expects. Before the quote goes out, the agent sends it to Predictika’s validator, which checks it against bucket, hammer, undercarriage, transport, service agreement, lead time and discount rules, compares the total the agent states with the one it computes, and returns a verdict with every reason.
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  2. I will start with the first request by the agent.
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  3. The agent says. Please quote 1 Cat 320 excavator with a heavy-duty 2.3 cubic meter bucket, 600 millimeter triple grouser shoes, a Cat H190 S hydraulic hammer. It is ready to send. The rest of the request is on screen.
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  4. Before it goes out, the agent calls the validator.
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  5. Blocked, with ten findings, all in one answer. HD bucket 2.3 m3 holds 2,300 L but the Cat 320 is rated for buckets up to 1,500 L. Rock digging needs a severe-duty (SD) bucket; HD bucket 2.3 m3 is HD duty. Cat H190 S fits carriers of 35,000 to 60,000 kg; the Cat 320 weighs 22,500 kg. The other seven are on screen.
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  6. The validator returned ten blocking findings 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 and against the stated total.
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  7. What this shows: for bucket duty and size by machine and material, 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 machine to Cat 352, the bucket to severe-duty rock 2.8 cubic meter bucket, the shoes to 900 mm, the needed in to 24 weeks and the total price stated on the quote to $956,066. Six more changes are on screen.
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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. All ten earlier findings are cleared.
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  13. Ten problems caught in one call, fixed in one pass, and a clean $956,066 quote. That is the value of Predictika's validator: catching mistakes before they reach the customer.
    14.