Predictika · Outdoor building products
An AI sales agent prepares a quote for an outdoor project: Fortress Fe26, Fe26 PLUS, Al13 HOME or Al13 PLUS railing with infill, posts, gates, stair and handrail parts and LED caps, on Fortress Evolution steel deck framing. Before the quote goes out, the agent sends it to Predictika, which checks it against a declarative model of the public Fortress catalog and installation guide and returns a verdict, every reason and the total it computed.
This validator models a quote for a Fortress railing and deck framing project, based on the public Fortress Building Products pages, the Fortress railing product catalog and the Evolution framing installation guide. It handles any quote for these products, not just the scenarios shown. Where a rule is a published Fortress fact it says so; limits and prices that are only assumed or typical are labelled that way.
Any quote for these products that touches these rules is in scope — not only the scenarios pictured here. Not covered: Fortress fencing, deck kits, balusters for wood or composite rails, hinges, locks and latches beyond the gate kit, other handrail brackets, tile trays, services, installation labor, freight and taxes. The customers are fictional.
7 scenarios in 3 groups · each group runs from the agent’s first attempt to the outcome · click one to switch
Illustrative agent statement. The validator receives the structured request below.
Proposing agent: AI sales agent (scripted)
Before sending, the agent must call Recorded run
What this means
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 caught | Typical rules-based CPQ | Predictika |
|---|---|---|
| Infill, color and railing system that depend on each other | Only with workarounds Fe26, Fe26 PLUS, Al13 HOME and Al13 PLUS each take a different set of infills, and cable or glass infill narrows the color list again. That is a pick list per system and a second one per infill, kept by hand. | Infill and color are checked against the system and against each other. |
| Which railing may be used for commercial work | Only with care Al13 HOME is a residential railing and so are most Fe26 infills; Fe26 PLUS, Al13 PLUS and Fe26 cable infill are approved for commercial use, which needs a 42 inch guard. The use of the project has to reach the product choice. | The use of the project is checked against the system, the infill and the guard height. |
| A section length or top rail that exists for one product only | Only with workarounds The 10 ft section is Fe26 traditional panels only, and must carry a drink rail with at least 5 cap rail clips or the 10 ft Colonial Round top rail. Al13 HOME panels must carry a top rail at all. | The section length and the top rail are checked together, per system. |
| Parts that must follow the count of other parts | Only with workarounds One package of 4 brackets per stair panel, a gate kit and a gate upright kit per gate, and at most one LED cap per post. A quantity on one line must follow a quantity on another. | Every part count is checked against the count it depends on. |
| Stair angle limits that differ by infill | Only with workarounds Traditional stair panels go to 40 degrees, cable stair panels cover 31 to 38 degrees. The limit sits on a different field than the one being chosen. | The angle is checked against the infill. |
| Joist, beam and post counts against the deck size | Only with workarounds Enough joists at 12 or 16 inches on center to cover the width, enough posts at the chosen spacing to carry the beam, blocking for spans over 8 ft, and a 24 inch limit on the beam overhang. These are arithmetic on the deck size that most quote setups do not carry. | Joists, posts, spans, blocking and overhang are checked against the deck size. |
| Site conditions that change the framing parts | Only when vigilant Seismic design category D, E or F needs lateral bracing, and salt-water sites need 3 coats of touch-up paint on every cut. Someone has to remember to ask, project by project. | The site is part of the quote, and the parts it requires are checked. |
| Guidance that needs a person, such as a wide gate, a span at its limit, a discount or a very large project | Only with workarounds These are judgment calls, not hard rules. Quote tools tend to either ignore them or block the quote outright. | The quote is not blocked; it goes to a person with the reason listed. |
| A stated total that has to agree with railing, parts and framing | Only with workarounds Per-foot prices for sections, per-piece prices for parts and framing, a discount: the total typed on the quote can drift without anyone noticing. | The total is computed from the choices and compared with the total the quote states. |
| Every problem returned in one answer | Only with workarounds Rules tend to fire as the quote is saved or a step is completed, so a person often fixes one error and meets the next. | All findings come back together, whatever order the choices arrived in. |
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.
| 1 | The selected infill is not offered with the selected railing system; Fe26 takes traditional, Axis, ornamental, V-Series cable, H-Series cable and Pure View glass baluster infill, Fe26 PLUS takes traditional panels, Al13 HOME takes traditional, V-Series cable, Pure View glass baluster and full glass panels, and Al13 PLUS takes traditional, Pure View glass baluster and full glass panels. |
| 2 | The selected color is not offered for this railing system and infill; Fe26 comes in Gloss Black, Black Sand and Antique Bronze (cable infill in Black Sand only, ornamental and glass baluster infill in Gloss Black only), Fe26 PLUS in Gloss Black and Black Sand, Al13 HOME in Black Sand and Matte White, and Al13 PLUS in Gloss Black, Black Sand and White. |
| 3 | This is a commercial application; Al13 HOME and Fe26 with traditional, Axis, ornamental or glass baluster infill are residential railings, so commercial work needs Fe26 PLUS, Al13 PLUS or Fe26 with V-Series or H-Series cable infill. |
| 4 | A commercial railing needs an installed guard height of 42 inches; the quote has 36 inches. |
| 5 | An installed guard height of 39 inches is not offered; this validator quotes guard heights of 36 and 42 inches. |
| 6 | A section length of 12 ft is not offered here; sections are 6 ft and 8 ft, and the 10 ft section is only for Fe26 traditional panels at the 36 inch guard height. |
| 7 | Fe26 10 ft railing must be installed with Universal Brackets and either a drink rail with at least 5 cap rail clips or the 10 ft Colonial Round accent top rail; the quote has neither. |
| 8 | Al13 HOME panels must be installed with an accent top rail or a drink rail attached with cap rail clips; the quote has neither. |
| 9 | The quote has no railing sections; at least one level or stair section is needed. |
| 10 | The stair angle of 43 degrees is outside what the selected infill allows; traditional stair panels go up to 40 degrees and cable stair panels cover 31 to 38 degrees. |
| 11 | Each stair panel needs one package of 4 stair brackets; the quote has brackets for 1 of the 3 stair panels. |
| 12 | Gates are offered with traditional, Axis and cable infill; there is no gate for ornamental, glass baluster or full glass panels. |
| 13 | A gate opening of 52 inches is wider than the 48 inch maximum overall gate width; a standard gate fits a 36 inch opening. |
| 14 | A gate opening of 44 inches is wider than the 40 inches a standard gate covers comfortably; a sales engineer confirms the gate and uprights. |
| 15 | Each gate needs a Gate Kit #2 with a latch and 2 hinges, which are sold separately; the quote has kits for 1 of the 2 gates. |
| 16 | Each gate needs a gate upright kit, which is sold separately from the panels; the quote has upright kits for 0 of the 2 gates. |
| 17 | The quote has 20 LED cap lights for 8 railing posts; each post takes one cap. |
| 18 | Commercial stairs need the ADA round handrail; the quote has handrail for 0 of the 2 stair panels. |
| 19 | Evolution joists come in 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20 ft lengths; 15 ft is not a stock length. |
| 20 | A joist span of 15 ft is above the 14 ft this validator allows at the selected joist spacing (illustrative limit; Fortress publishes its span charts in Intertek CCRR 0313). |
| 21 | The joist span of 14 ft is the maximum allowed at this joist spacing; a framing engineer confirms it against the span chart. |
| 22 | Joist spans over 8 ft need blocking mid-span at every bay, and the quote has none. |
| 23 | 15 joists at 12 inches on center do not cover the 16 ft deck width. |
| 24 | A post spacing of 10 ft is above the 8 ft this validator allows for the selected beam (illustrative limit). |
| 25 | 3 posts at 8 ft spacing do not carry the full 24 ft beam. |
| 26 | The beam overhang beyond the last post is 30 inches; the maximum is 24 inches. |
| 27 | A post height of 9 ft is above what the selected post allows; this validator allows 8 ft for the 3.5 inch post and 20 ft, the stock length, for the 5.5 inch post. |
| 28 | The site is in seismic design category D, E or F, which needs 24 inch lateral bracing; the quote has none. |
| 29 | Cut ends of Evolution framing in a salt-water environment need 3 coats of zinc-based touch-up paint; the quote has 2 coats. |
| 30 | A joist spacing of 8 inches on center is non-standard; it needs F-10 brackets and extra blocking, and a framing engineer confirms it. |
| 31 | The quote states a total of $5,968, but the railing, parts and deck framing give $7,468. |
| 32 | A discount of $600 on a list price of $7,468 is more than 8 percent and needs a manager to approve it. |
| 33 | A discount of $1,200 on a list price of $7,468 is more than the 15 percent limit. |
| 34 | A project total of $106,108 is above $100,000; a sales director approves it. |
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.
The agent's request. Please quote a commercial Al13 HOME aluminum railing project in Gloss Black with 40 level sections and 6 stair sections of 8 ft, traditional infill and a 36 inch guard height on 51 posts with surface mount, for a coastal site in seismic design category D. Add a 36 degree stair angle, 3 packages of stair brackets, 2 gates with a 36 inch opening, 2 Gate Kit #2 and 2 gate upright kits, 40 LED cap lights and 3 ADA round handrail sections. The Evolution deck framing is 60 ft wide with 61 joists of 12 ft at 12 inches on center, a double beam on 7 posts of 5.5 inch, 10 ft apart and 9 ft high, without blocking, without lateral bracing and 3 coats of touch-up paint. The discount is $3,400. The quote states a total of $31,918. It is ready to send.
Verdict: Blocked.
The agent's request. Please quote a commercial Al13 PLUS aluminum railing project in Gloss Black with 40 level sections and 6 stair sections of 8 ft, traditional infill and a 42 inch guard height on 51 posts with surface mount, for a coastal site in seismic design category D. Add a 36 degree stair angle, 6 packages of stair brackets, 2 gates with a 36 inch opening, 2 Gate Kit #2 and 2 gate upright kits, 40 LED cap lights and 6 ADA round handrail sections. The Evolution deck framing is 60 ft wide with 61 joists of 12 ft at 12 inches on center, a double beam on 7 posts of 5.5 inch, 10 ft apart and 9 ft high, with blocking at every bay, with lateral bracing and 3 coats of touch-up paint. The discount is $3,400. The quote states a total of $54,133. It is ready to send.
Verdict: Allowed.
The agent's request. Please quote a residential Fe26 steel railing project in Gloss Black with 14 level sections and 4 stair sections of 10 ft, V-Series cable infill and a 36 inch guard height on 21 posts with surface mount, for an inland site. Add a 34 degree stair angle, 2 packages of stair brackets, 2 gates with a 36 inch opening, 1 Gate Kit #2 and 2 gate upright kits and 12 LED cap lights. The Evolution deck framing is 32 ft wide with 33 joists of 12 ft at 12 inches on center, a single beam on 5 posts of 3.5 inch, 8 ft apart and 6 ft high, without blocking, without lateral bracing and 2 coats of touch-up paint. The discount is $2,800. The quote states a total of $23,472. It is ready to send.
Verdict: Blocked.
The agent's request. Please quote a residential Fe26 steel railing project in Black Sand with 14 level sections and 4 stair sections of 8 ft, V-Series cable infill and a 36 inch guard height on 21 posts with surface mount, for an inland site. Add a 34 degree stair angle, 4 packages of stair brackets, 2 gates with a 36 inch opening, 2 Gate Kit #2 and 2 gate upright kits and 12 LED cap lights. The Evolution deck framing is 32 ft wide with 33 joists of 12 ft at 12 inches on center, a single beam on 5 posts of 3.5 inch, 8 ft apart and 6 ft high, with blocking at every bay, without lateral bracing and 2 coats of touch-up paint. The discount is $2,800. The quote states a total of $22,930. It is ready to send.
Verdict: Needs approval.
The agent's request. Please quote a residential Fe26 steel railing project in Black Sand with 14 level sections and 4 stair sections of 8 ft, V-Series cable infill and a 36 inch guard height on 21 posts with surface mount, for an inland site. Add a 34 degree stair angle, 4 packages of stair brackets, 2 gates with a 36 inch opening, 2 Gate Kit #2 and 2 gate upright kits and 12 LED cap lights. The Evolution deck framing is 32 ft wide with 33 joists of 12 ft at 12 inches on center, a single beam on 5 posts of 3.5 inch, 8 ft apart and 6 ft high, with blocking at every bay, without lateral bracing and 2 coats of touch-up paint. The discount is $1,800. The quote states a total of $23,930. It is ready to send.
Verdict: Allowed.
The agent's request. Please quote a commercial Fe26 PLUS commercial steel railing project in Antique Bronze with 24 level sections and 2 stair sections of 8 ft, traditional infill and a 36 inch guard height on 29 posts with surface mount, for a coastal site. Add a 34 degree stair angle, 2 packages of stair brackets, 3 gates with a 36 inch opening, 3 Gate Kit #2 and 3 gate upright kits and 40 LED cap lights. The Evolution deck framing is 40 ft wide with 41 joists of 12 ft at 12 inches on center, a double beam on 5 posts of 3.5 inch, 10 ft apart and 10 ft high, with blocking at every bay, without lateral bracing and 3 coats of touch-up paint. The discount is $1,700. The quote states a total of $30,230. It is ready to send.
Verdict: Blocked.
The agent's request. Please quote a commercial Fe26 PLUS commercial steel railing project in Black Sand with 24 level sections and 2 stair sections of 8 ft, traditional infill and a 42 inch guard height on 29 posts with surface mount, for a coastal site. Add a 34 degree stair angle, 2 packages of stair brackets, 3 gates with a 36 inch opening, 3 Gate Kit #2 and 3 gate upright kits, 18 LED cap lights and 2 ADA round handrail sections. The Evolution deck framing is 40 ft wide with 41 joists of 12 ft at 12 inches on center, a double beam on 5 posts of 5.5 inch, 10 ft apart and 9 ft high, with blocking at every bay, without lateral bracing and 3 coats of touch-up paint. The discount is $1,700. The quote states a total of $33,930. It is ready to send.
Verdict: Allowed.
The text of the narrated walkthrough, step by step.