Predictika · Workplace docking

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

An AI sales agent prepares an order of Kensington SD4800P USB-C triple video docks for a set of desks: the laptops, the DisplayPort version they provide, the number and resolution of the displays, the dock's 2-lane or 4-lane switch setting, the network and USB speed each desk needs, and the total it states. Before it goes out, the agent sends it to Predictika, which checks it against a declarative model of what the SD4800P product sheet, manual and product page say and returns a verdict, every reason, a line-item quote and the figures it computed. The customer is fictional.

Scope: Kensington SD4800P USB-C 10Gbps Scalable (Triple) Video Dock only: host requirements, displays and resolutions by switch mode and DisplayPort version, USB and Ethernet speed, power delivery, list price. See everything this validator covers

This validator models orders of one product, the Kensington SD4800P dock (SKU K38249NA), based on its public product sheet, user manual and kensington.com product page, not just the scenarios shown below.

  • Host requirements — a Windows laptop (the dock is listed for Windows 7 or above; Mac and Chrome OS do not support the multi-stream transport its multiple displays use) with a USB-C port that supports Power Delivery and DisplayPort Alt Mode, and a laptop that needs no more than the dock's 60 W of Power Delivery.
  • Displays and resolution — 1 to 3 external displays, with the resolution each can run set by the number of displays, the switch on the bottom of the dock (default 2-lane mode or 4-lane Video Boost mode) and whether the laptop provides DisplayPort 1.2 (HBR2) or 1.3 and 1.4 (HBR3), as printed in the manual's resolution tables.
  • USB and Ethernet speed — Video Boost mode reduces USB to 480 Mbps (USB 2.0) and Ethernet to 100 Mbps, so an order that needs gigabit Ethernet or USB 3 speeds cannot use it.
  • Price and approvals — the list price shown on the product page times the number of docks, compared with the total the quote states; orders of 15 or more docks, a USB-C Microsoft device, and three displays with the laptop lid open go to a person.

Any order of SD4800P docks that touches these rules is in scope — not only the scenarios pictured here. Not covered: other Kensington docks, accessories sold separately (the VESA mounting plate and keyed lock), taxes and shipping, bulk or reseller pricing (not published), Samsung DeX and phone hosts, and real-world display behavior beyond the manual's tables.

The AI sales agentBuilds the dock 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.

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) 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
Display count and resolution that depend on the switch mode and the laptop's DisplayPort versionOnly with workarounds
The manual's tables give a different set of resolutions for each combination of displays, switch mode and DisplayPort version. A rules-based CPQ needs a compatibility table or a rule per combination, and the answer depends on three choices made on different screens.		The three choices and the resolution arrive in one request and are matched against the manual's tables on every call.
A switch setting that trades video for network and USB speedOnly with care
The 4-lane mode that allows more resolution cuts Ethernet to 100 Mbps and USB to 480 Mbps. A rule can compare it with what each desk needs, but only if the need is captured as a field.		The mode and the network and USB needs are compared together on every call.
Total the quote statesOnly with care
The stated total is a free-entry field; a rule has to recompute the list price times the docks and compare.		The stated total is a field in the request, compared with the computed one 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 person 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.

    
1The SD4800P is listed for Windows 7 or above; Mac and Chrome OS do not support the multi-stream transport (MST) that its multiple displays use.
2The host laptop must have a USB-C port that supports Power Delivery and DisplayPort Alt Mode.
3The quote has 0 docks; at least 1 is needed.
4The quote connects 4 external displays; the dock drives 1 to 3.
5The quote connects 0 external displays; the dock drives 1 to 3.
6The manual lists no setup that runs the selected display resolution on that many displays with the selected switch mode and host DisplayPort version.
7The laptop needs 61 W of charging; the dock supplies up to 60 W of Power Delivery.
8The 4-lane Video Boost mode reduces USB to 480 Mbps (USB 2.0) and Ethernet to 100 Mbps; the quote needs gigabit Ethernet or USB 3 speeds.
9The product sheet says the laptop display should be closed when three external monitors are used; a person should confirm the laptop will be used closed.
10Kensington notes a general USB-C docking compatibility issue with USB-C based Microsoft devices (inconsistent charging and video output); a person should confirm the device.
11Kensington asks that orders of 15 units or more go through its bulk-order contact form; a person should confirm the order terms.
12The quote states a total of $2,499.89; the list price gives $2,499.90.
13The quote states a total of $2,499.91; the list price gives $2,499.90.
14The laptop needs 90 W of charging; the dock supplies up to 60 W of Power Delivery.
15The quote states a total of $4,000.00; the list price gives $4,999.80.

  

  

    
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. Three displays at 1080p: Twelve desks with three 1080p displays each, on DisplayPort 1.2 laptops

    
The agent's request. Please quote 12 Kensington SD4800P docks for 12 desks. Each desk has a Windows laptop with a USB-C port that supports Power Delivery and DisplayPort Alt Mode, providing DisplayPort 1.2 (HBR2) and needing 45 W of charging, driving 3 displays at 1920 by 1080 at 60 Hz with the dock switch set to default 2-lane mode. Gigabit Ethernet is required and USB 3 speeds are not required. The laptop will be used with its lid closed. The quote states a total of $2,999.88. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Resolution not supported in this mode. The manual lists no setup that runs the selected display resolution on that many displays with the selected switch mode and host DisplayPort version.
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2. Three displays at 1080p: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please quote 12 Kensington SD4800P docks for 12 desks. Each desk has a Windows laptop with a USB-C port that supports Power Delivery and DisplayPort Alt Mode, providing DisplayPort 1.2 (HBR2) and needing 45 W of charging, driving 3 displays at 1600 by 900 at 60 Hz with the dock switch set to default 2-lane mode. Gigabit Ethernet is required and USB 3 speeds are not required. The laptop will be used with its lid closed. The quote states a total of $2,999.88. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Order summary. 12 docks at the list price, estimated total of $2,999.88; 3 displays per dock.
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3. Video Boost mode and gigabit networking: Eight desks with two 4K displays in Video Boost mode, gigabit Ethernet required

    
The agent's request. Please quote 8 Kensington SD4800P docks for 8 desks. Each desk has a Windows laptop with a USB-C port that supports Power Delivery and DisplayPort Alt Mode, providing DisplayPort 1.2 (HBR2) and needing 45 W of charging, driving 2 displays at 3840 by 2160 (4K) at 30 Hz with the dock switch set to 4-lane Video Boost mode. Gigabit Ethernet is required and USB 3 speeds are not required. The laptop will be used with its lid closed. The quote states a total of $1,999.92. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Video Boost mode reduces USB and Ethernet speed. The 4-lane Video Boost mode reduces USB to 480 Mbps (USB 2.0) and Ethernet to 100 Mbps; the quote needs gigabit Ethernet or USB 3 speeds.
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4. Video Boost mode and gigabit networking: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please quote 8 Kensington SD4800P docks for 8 desks. Each desk has a Windows laptop with a USB-C port that supports Power Delivery and DisplayPort Alt Mode, providing DisplayPort 1.2 (HBR2) and needing 45 W of charging, driving 2 displays at 3840 by 2160 (4K) at 30 Hz with the dock switch set to default 2-lane mode. Gigabit Ethernet is required and USB 3 speeds are not required. The laptop will be used with its lid closed. The quote states a total of $1,999.92. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Resolution not supported in this mode. The manual lists no setup that runs the selected display resolution on that many displays with the selected switch mode and host DisplayPort version.
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5. Video Boost mode and gigabit networking: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please quote 8 Kensington SD4800P docks for 8 desks. Each desk has a Windows laptop with a USB-C port that supports Power Delivery and DisplayPort Alt Mode, providing DisplayPort 1.2 (HBR2) and needing 45 W of charging, driving 2 displays at 1920 by 1080 at 60 Hz with the dock switch set to default 2-lane mode. Gigabit Ethernet is required and USB 3 speeds are not required. The laptop will be used with its lid closed. The quote states a total of $1,999.92. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Order summary. 8 docks at the list price, estimated total of $1,999.92; 2 displays per dock.
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6. Laptop charging: Fourteen desks with laptops that charge at 90 W

    
The agent's request. Please quote 14 Kensington SD4800P docks for 14 desks. Each desk has a Windows laptop with a USB-C port that supports Power Delivery and DisplayPort Alt Mode, providing DisplayPort 1.3 or 1.4 (HBR3) and needing 90 W of charging, driving 2 displays at 1920 by 1080 at 60 Hz with the dock switch set to default 2-lane mode. Gigabit Ethernet is not required and USB 3 speeds are required. The laptop will be used with its lid closed. The quote states a total of $3,499.86. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Laptop needs more than 60 W charging. The laptop needs 90 W of charging; the dock supplies up to 60 W of Power Delivery.
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7. Laptop charging: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please quote 14 Kensington SD4800P docks for 14 desks. Each desk has a Windows laptop with a USB-C port that supports Power Delivery and DisplayPort Alt Mode, providing DisplayPort 1.3 or 1.4 (HBR3) and needing 60 W of charging, driving 2 displays at 1920 by 1080 at 60 Hz with the dock switch set to default 2-lane mode. Gigabit Ethernet is not required and USB 3 speeds are required. The laptop will be used with its lid closed. The quote states a total of $3,499.86. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Order summary. 14 docks at the list price, estimated total of $3,499.86; 2 displays per dock.
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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 of Kensington SD4800P USB-C triple video docks for a set of desks: the laptops, the DisplayPort version they provide, the number and resolution of the displays, and more. Before it goes out, the agent sends it to Predictika, which checks it against a declarative model of what the SD4800P product sheet, manual and product page say and returns a verdict, every reason, a line-item quote and the figures it computed. The customer is fictional.
    2. 
      
  2. I will start with the first request by the agent.
    3. 
      
  3. The agent says. Please quote 8 Kensington SD4800P docks for 8 desks. Each desk has a Windows laptop with a USB-C port that supports Power Delivery and DisplayPort Alt Mode, providing DisplayPort 1.2 (HBR2) and needing 45 W of charging. The rest of the request is on screen. The quote states a total of $1,999.92.
    4. 
      
  4. Before it goes out, the agent calls the validator.
    5. 
      
  5. Blocked, with one finding, all in one answer. The 4-lane Video Boost mode reduces USB to 480 Mbps (USB 2.0) and Ethernet to 100 Mbps; the quote needs gigabit Ethernet or USB 3 speeds.
    6. 
      
  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.
    7. 
      
  7. What this shows: for a switch setting that trades video for network and USB speed, a rules-based CPQ is error-prone for this.
    8. 
      
  8. Now the agent resubmits.
    9. 
      
  9. The corrected request. It changes the dock switch mode to default 2-lane mode.
    10. 
      
  10. It calls the validator again.
    11. 
      
  11. Still blocked, with one finding, all in one answer. The manual lists no setup that runs the selected display resolution on that many displays with the selected switch mode and host DisplayPort version.
    12. 
      
  12. One finding cleared, but the change brings a different blocking finding: resolution not supported in this mode.
    13. 
      
  13. The agent resubmits once more.
    14. 
      
  14. The revised request. It changes the display resolution to 1920 by 1080 at 60 Hz.
    15. 
      
  15. It calls the validator once more.
    16. 
      
  16. This time the validator clears it.
    17. 
      
  17. The validator also returns the line-item quote, on screen.
    18. 
      
  18. The earlier finding is cleared, and the validator's total, $1,999.92, matches the quote.
    19. 
      
  19. One problem caught in one call, fixed in two passes, and a clean $1,999.92 quote. That is the value of Predictika's validator: catching mistakes before they reach the customer. Now you can try the other scenarios yourself.
    20.