Predictika · Made-to-order furniture orders

An AI sales agent's sectional order, checked before it goes out

An AI sales agent prepares an order for a Bennett build-your-own roll-arm sectional, with arm pieces, armless pieces, a square corner, upholstery and cushions. Before it goes out, the agent sends it to Predictika, which checks it against a declarative model of the pieces and assembly rules and returns a verdict, every reason and the net total it computed, at illustrative prices.

Scope: The Ethan Allen Bennett build-your-own roll-arm sectional: arm pieces (two-seat, three-seat, chaise, sleeper), armless pieces, a square corner, upholstery, 21-inch and 30-inch cushions, legs and the promotion tiers. See everything this validator covers

This validator models Bennett sectional orders, not just the scenarios shown below.

  • Pieces and layout — a finished arm piece on both ends, at most one chaise, one sleeper and one square corner, a chaise that cannot combine with a corner, and no more than eight pieces in one sectional.
  • Options — the 30-inch cushion size on two-seat, armless one-seat and corner pieces only, a sleeper that is not offered in leather, and the Design Center finishes and custom firmness that go to a person.
  • Price, discount and total — the promotion tier of 25, 20 or 15 percent by subtotal, an extra discount limit, and the net total the order states against the total computed at illustrative prices.

Any Bennett sectional order that touches these rules is in scope — not only the scenarios pictured here. Several situations are routed to a person: a layout of more than six pieces, a seating run over 210 inches, a Design Center finish, custom cushion firmness and an extra discount of 1 to 5 percent. Not covered: other Ethan Allen collections and the track-arm styles. The piece prices, upholstery grades and assembly rules are modeled for illustration; Ethan Allen shows prices only when the sectional is configured.

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

6 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) 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
Pieces that cannot be combinedOnly with care
A chaise and a corner, two chaises and two sleepers each need an exclusion rule, and the rule list grows with every piece type.		The pieces are fields of one request and every combination is checked together on every call.
Options offered on some pieces onlyOnly with care
The 30-inch cushion and the sleeper in leather each need a rule that looks at the piece types in the layout.		The cushion size, upholstery and pieces are checked together on every call.
A layout that triggers a reviewOnly with care
The piece count and the seating width each need a threshold rule, with an approval band below a hard limit.		The piece count and width are computed in the model and compared with the review and block thresholds.
A promotion tier and an extra discount limitOnly with workarounds
The tier depends on a subtotal that is itself built from pieces and upholstery, so the discount limit needs the computed subtotal.		The subtotal, the tier and the extra discount are computed in the model and checked together.
A stated total that must match the computed totalOnly with workarounds
The total is built from many lines, so a separate rule is needed to recompute it and compare it with the stated figure.		The stated total is a field of the request and is compared with the computed net total on every call.
Every problem returned in one answerOnly with workarounds
Rules tend to fire as the order is saved or a step is completed, 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 order; approval findings need a person to sign off; everything else is computed.

    
1A sectional needs a finished arm piece on both ends; one end has none.
2A sectional can have only one chaise; the quote has a chaise on both ends.
3A chaise and a square corner cannot be used in the same sectional.
4A sectional can have only one sleeper piece; the quote has two.
5The sleeper piece is not offered in leather; choose a fabric.
6A sectional has one square corner; the quote has 2.
7The 30-inch cushion size is offered only on two-seat, armless one-seat and corner pieces; the quote has other piece types.
88 pieces needs a Design Center layout review.
99 pieces is more than the 8 pieces one sectional can have.
10The seating run is 230 inches; a room and delivery check is needed above 210 inches.
117 pieces needs a Design Center layout review.
12Additional wood finishes are available only through a Design Center.
13Custom cushion firmness is set only at a Design Center.
14An extra discount of 3 percent needs design center manager approval.
15An extra discount of 8 percent is above the 5 percent maximum.
16The order states 9,999 USD; the items total 4,320 USD.

  

  

    
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. Combinations and options: An order for a sleeper and chaise sectional in leather with a square corner and 30-inch cushions

    
The agent's request. Please prepare a Bennett roll-arm sectional order with a sleeper piece on the right end and a chaise on the left end, 1 square corner, in leather with 30-inch cushions on Raisin legs, with an extra discount of 8 percent, for a net total of $6,984. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Chaise and corner do not combine. A chaise and a square corner cannot be used in the same sectional.
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  • 30-inch cushion piece set. The 30-inch cushion size is offered only on two-seat, armless one-seat and corner pieces; the quote has other piece types.
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  • Sleeper not in leather. The sleeper piece is not offered in leather; choose a fabric.
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  • Extra discount above 5 percent. An extra discount of 8 percent is above the 5 percent maximum.
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2. Combinations and options: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please prepare a Bennett roll-arm sectional order with a sleeper piece on the right end and a chaise on the left end, 1 armless two-seat piece, in Fabric C with 21-inch cushions on Raisin legs, for a net total of $5,680. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Layout summary. 3 pieces, 138 inches of seating.
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3. Layout size and stated total: An order for a large sectional with a corner, many armless pieces and a stated total

    
The agent's request. Please prepare a Bennett roll-arm sectional order with no arm piece on the right end and a two-seat roll-arm piece on the left end, 5 armless one-seat pieces, 3 armless two-seat pieces, 2 square corners, in Fabric B with 21-inch cushions on Raisin legs, for a net total of $9,575. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Both ends need an arm piece. A sectional needs a finished arm piece on both ends; one end has none.
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  • One square corner. A sectional has one square corner; the quote has 2.
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  • Too many pieces. 11 pieces is more than the 8 pieces one sectional can have.
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  • Stated total does not match. The order states 9,575 USD; the items total 10,575 USD.
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  • Long sectional room check. The seating run is 341 inches; a room and delivery check is needed above 210 inches.
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4. Layout size and stated total: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please prepare a Bennett roll-arm sectional order with a two-seat roll-arm piece on the right end and a two-seat roll-arm piece on the left end, 2 armless one-seat pieces, 1 armless two-seat piece, 1 square corner, in Fabric B with 21-inch cushions on Raisin legs, for a net total of $6,640. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Layout summary. 6 pieces, 205 inches of seating.
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5. Sleepers, extra discount and stated total: An order for a sectional with two sleepers and an extra discount

    
The agent's request. Please prepare a Bennett roll-arm sectional order with a sleeper piece on the right end and a sleeper piece on the left end, 1 armless two-seat piece, in Fabric B with 21-inch cushions on Raisin legs, with an extra discount of 8 percent, for a net total of $9,999. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • One sleeper per sectional. A sectional can have only one sleeper piece; the quote has two.
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  • Extra discount above 5 percent. An extra discount of 8 percent is above the 5 percent maximum.
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  • Stated total does not match. The order states 9,999 USD; the items total 5,544 USD.
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6. Sleepers, extra discount and stated total: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please prepare a Bennett roll-arm sectional order with a sleeper piece on the right end and a two-seat roll-arm piece on the left end, 1 armless two-seat piece, in Fabric B with 21-inch cushions on Raisin legs, for a net total of $5,040. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Layout summary. 3 pieces, 161 inches of seating.
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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 an order for a Bennett build-your-own roll-arm sectional, with arm pieces, armless pieces, a square corner, upholstery and cushions. Before it goes out, the agent sends it to Predictika, which checks it against a declarative model of the pieces and assembly rules and returns a verdict, every reason and the net total it computed, at illustrative prices.
    2. 
      
  2. I will start with the first request by the agent.
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  3. The agent says. Please prepare a Bennett roll-arm sectional order. 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 four findings, all in one answer. A chaise and a square corner cannot be used in the same sectional. The 30-inch cushion size is offered only on two-seat, armless one-seat and corner pieces; the quote has other piece types. The sleeper piece is not offered in leather; choose a fabric. The other one is on screen.
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  6. The validator returned four 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 order are checked against each other.
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  7. What this shows: for a promotion tier and an extra discount limit, a rules-based CPQ can do this only with workarounds.
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  8. Now the agent resubmits.
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  9. The corrected request. It changes the armless two-seat pieces to 1, the square corners to 0, the upholstery to Fabric C, the cushion size to 21-inch, the extra discount to 0 percent and the net total stated on the order to $5,680.
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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 four earlier findings are cleared.
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  13. Four problems caught in one call, fixed in one pass, and a clean $5,680 order. That is the value of Predictika's validator: catching mistakes before they reach the customer. Now you can try the other scenarios yourself.
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