Predictika · Structured cabling project quotes

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

An AI sales agent prepares a Graybar-style structured cabling quote: copper or fiber cable and jacks from Panduit, CommScope or Leviton, for a stated application, with a manufacturer warranty and a project discount. Before it goes out, the agent sends it to Predictika, which checks it against a declarative model of the cabling rules and returns a verdict, every reason and the net total it computed.

Scope: Panduit, CommScope and Leviton copper and fiber cable and connectivity for gigabit, 10G copper, 90 W PoE and 40G backbone links. See everything this validator covers

This validator models structured cabling quotes of this kind, not just the scenarios shown below.

  • Cable and connectivity match — cable and jacks or adapters must be the same media and, for copper, the same category, and the longest link must be within the cable's length limit.
  • Application support — 10GBASE-T needs copper within the cable's 10G distance (10G on Cat6 within 55 m needs sign-off), a 40G backbone needs fiber (OM4 to 150 m), 90 W PoE needs Cat6A rated for bundled PoE, and an air-handling space needs plenum-rated cable.
  • Warranty and discount authority — the manufacturer warranty needs cable and connectivity from one manufacturer and a certified installer; a project discount above 3 percent needs approval and above 6 percent is not allowed.
  • Pricing and stated total — cable footage with slack, connectivity, warranty fees and the contractor tier discount, and the net total the quote states against the total computed.

Any structured cabling quote that touches these rules is in scope — not only the scenarios pictured here. Every price, limit, tier and threshold is an estimate built from public information, not Graybar or manufacturer data. Not covered: other manufacturers, labor, racks and patch panels, and negotiated pricing. The validator shows computed totals but no line-item table.

The AI sales agentBuilds the cabling 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.

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
Cable, jacks and application that must agreeOnly with care
Media, category, length limit and application support are separate product rules that each have to be written and kept in step as parts are added.		Cable, connectivity, application and length are in one request and every rule is checked together on every call.
A choice that fixes one hold and changes anotherOnly with workarounds
Changing the cable or the jacks changes the manufacturer, the plenum rating, the footage and the price, and the rules that watch them fire one at a time.		Every rule is checked on every call, so one change is seen against all the others.
A warranty that depends on manufacturer and installerOnly with care
The warranty program needs a rule across two product lines and the installer status, written for each manufacturer.		Cable manufacturer, jacks manufacturer and installer status are fields of one request.
A stated total that must match the computed totalOnly with workarounds
The total comes from footage, jacks, warranty fees, tier and discount, so a separate rule has 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 quote 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 quote; approval findings need a person to sign off; everything else is computed.

    
110GBASE-T on Cat6 within 55 m needs alien-crosstalk mitigation sign-off (TSB-155).
25 percent project discount is above the 3 percent rep authority.
3Panduit TX6A Cat6A CMP and Panduit Mini-Com Cat6 jack are different categories; the channel is only rated to the lower one.
4CommScope 2,091B Cat6A CMR and CommScope LC MM adapter are different media (copper, multimode or singlemode).
5Leviton Cat6 CMR supports 10GBASE-T only to 55 m; link is 80 m.
6A 40G backbone needs fiber; OM4 multimode is limited to 150 m for 40GBASE-SR4.
790 W Type 4 PoE needs Cat6A copper rated for bundled PoE; Panduit TX6,000 Cat6 CMP is not.
8115 m link exceeds the 100 m limit of CommScope 2,091B Cat6A CMR.
9CommScope 2,091B Cat6A CMR is not plenum (CMP) rated for an air-handling space.
10The manufacturer warranty requires cable and connectivity from the same manufacturer.
11The manufacturer warranty requires a certified installer.
1210 percent project discount exceeds the 6 percent maximum beyond tier.
13The quoted net total of USD 16,302.04 does not match the USD 18,113.38 the validator computed.
14The quoted net total of USD 13,805.14 does not match the USD 13,147.75 the validator computed.

  

  

    
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. Cable, run, warranty and discount: A 400-link 10G quote with Cat6A cable and Cat6 jacks, a 115 m run in a plenum space, a mixed-manufacturer warranty and a 10 percent discount

    
The agent's request. Please quote 400 links of CommScope 2091B Cat6A CMR with Panduit Mini-Com Cat6 jack for 10G copper, the longest link 115 m, in a plenum space, with the manufacturer warranty, Tier 2 contractor tier, with a 10 percent project discount, for a net total of USD 104,561.07. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Cable and jacks are different categories. CommScope 2,091B Cat6A CMR and Panduit Mini-Com Cat6 jack are different categories; the channel is only rated to the lower one.
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  • Link is longer than the cable allows. 115 m link exceeds the 100 m limit of CommScope 2,091B Cat6A CMR.
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  • Link is longer than the 10G distance. CommScope 2,091B Cat6A CMR supports 10GBASE-T only to 100 m; link is 115 m.
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  • Cable is not plenum rated. CommScope 2,091B Cat6A CMR is not plenum (CMP) rated for an air-handling space.
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  • Warranty needs one manufacturer. The manufacturer warranty requires cable and connectivity from the same manufacturer.
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  • Warranty needs a certified installer. The manufacturer warranty requires a certified installer.
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  • Discount above the limit. 10 percent project discount exceeds the 6 percent maximum beyond tier.
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  • Stated net total does not match. The quoted net total of USD 104,561.07 does not match the USD 92,859.76 the validator computed.
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2. Cable, run, warranty and discount: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please quote 400 links of Panduit TX6A Cat6A CMP with Panduit Mini-Com Cat6A jack for 10G copper, the longest link 90 m, in a plenum space, with the manufacturer warranty and a certified installer, Tier 2 contractor tier, with a 3 percent project discount, for a net total of USD 92,941.69. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Price summary. Estimated net total USD 92,941.69 after 18 percent total discount; USD 113,343.53 before discount; 129,927.6 ft of Panduit TX6A Cat6A CMP USD 101,343.53; connectivity USD 11,200.0 for 400 links; warranty fees USD 800.0.
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3. 40G backbone: A 40G backbone quoted on copper cable with fiber adapters

    
The agent's request. Please quote 24 links of CommScope 2091B Cat6A CMR with CommScope LC MM adapter for a 40G backbone, the longest link 300 m, Tier 2 contractor tier, for a net total of USD 16,358.98. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Cable and jacks are different media. CommScope 2,091B Cat6A CMR and CommScope LC MM adapter are different media (copper, multimode or singlemode).
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  • Link is longer than the cable allows. 300 m link exceeds the 100 m limit of CommScope 2,091B Cat6A CMR.
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  • 40G backbone needs fiber. A 40G backbone needs fiber; OM4 multimode is limited to 150 m for 40GBASE-SR4.
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4. 40G backbone: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please quote 24 links of CommScope OM4 12-fiber plenum with CommScope LC MM adapter for a 40G backbone, the longest link 120 m, Tier 2 contractor tier, for a net total of USD 23,868.81. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Price summary. Estimated net total USD 23,868.81 after 15 percent total discount; USD 28,080.95 before discount; 10,394.21 ft of CommScope OM4 12-fiber plenum USD 27,024.95; connectivity USD 1,056.0 for 24 links; warranty fees USD 0.0.
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5. 10G on Cat6 and discount: A 10G quote on Cat6 at 45 m with a 5 percent discount

    
The agent's request. Please quote 120 links of Panduit TX6000 Cat6 CMP with Panduit Mini-Com Cat6 jack for 10G copper, the longest link 45 m, Tier 2 contractor tier, with a 5 percent project discount, for a net total of USD 8,180.35. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Needs approval.

    
    
      
  • 10G on Cat6 needs sign-off. 10GBASE-T on Cat6 within 55 m needs alien-crosstalk mitigation sign-off (TSB-155).
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  • Discount above rep authority. 5 percent project discount is above the 3 percent rep authority.
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  • Price summary. Estimated net total USD 8,180.35 after 20 percent total discount; USD 10,225.44 before discount; 19,489.14 ft of Panduit TX6,000 Cat6 CMP USD 8,185.44; connectivity USD 2,040.0 for 120 links; warranty fees USD 0.0.
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6. 10G on Cat6 and discount: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please quote 120 links of Panduit TX6A Cat6A CMP with Panduit Mini-Com Cat6A jack for 10G copper, the longest link 45 m, Tier 2 contractor tier, with a 3 percent project discount, for a net total of USD 15,220.45. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Price summary. Estimated net total USD 15,220.45 after 18 percent total discount; USD 18,561.53 before discount; 19,489.14 ft of Panduit TX6A Cat6A CMP USD 15,201.53; connectivity USD 3,360.0 for 120 links; warranty fees USD 0.0.
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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 Graybar-style structured cabling quote: copper or fiber cable and jacks from Panduit, CommScope or Leviton, for a stated application. Before it goes out, the agent sends it to Predictika, which checks it against a declarative model of the cabling rules and returns a verdict, every reason and the net total it computed.
    2. 
      
  2. I will start with the first request by the agent.
    3. 
      
  3. The agent says. Please quote 400 links of CommScope 2091B Cat6A CMR with Panduit Mini-Com Cat6 jack for 10G copper, the longest link 115 m. 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.
    5. 
      
  5. Blocked, with eight findings, all in one answer. CommScope 2,091B Cat6A CMR and Panduit Mini-Com Cat6 jack are different categories; the channel is only rated to the lower one. 115 m link exceeds the 100 m limit of CommScope 2,091B Cat6A CMR. CommScope 2,091B Cat6A CMR supports 10GBASE-T only to 100 m; link is 115 m. The other five are on screen.
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  6. The validator returned eight 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 a warranty that depends on manufacturer and installer, 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 cable to Panduit TX6A Cat6A CMP, the connectivity to Panduit Mini-Com Cat6A jack, the longest link to 90 m, the certified installer to yes, the project discount to 3 percent and the net total stated on the quote to $92,941.69.
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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 eight earlier findings are cleared.
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  13. Eight problems caught in one call, fixed in one pass, and a clean $92,941.69 quote. That is the value of Predictika's validator: catching mistakes before they reach the customer.
    14.