Predictika · Valve order checks

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

An AI sales agent prepares an order for two-piece bronze full-port ball valves: the series, the size, the end connection, the steam and cold working pressures the customer needs, the solder for solder ends and the lead-free or oxygen-service option. Before the order goes out, the agent sends it to Predictika, which checks it against a declarative model of what the valve spec sheets allow and returns a verdict and every reason.

Scope: NIBCO T-585-70 (threaded), S-585-70 (solder) and T-585-70-66-ST (steam, threaded) bronze ball valves: series, size, end connection, steam and cold working pressure, solder melting point and the lead-free and oxygen-service options. See everything this validator covers

This validator models orders for these three valve series, not just the scenarios shown below.

  • Series and ends — the T-585-70 and T-585-70-66-ST have threaded ends and only the S-585-70 has solder ends.
  • Sizes — the T-585-70-66-ST steam valve is listed from 1/2 inch to 2 inch only.
  • Pressure — saturated steam up to 150 psi on the T-585-70 and S-585-70 and up to 250 psi on the T-585-70-66-ST, and cold working pressure up to 600 psi on all three.
  • Solder and options — solders melting above 500 F are not allowed on the S-585-70, and the lead-free and oxygen-service options are not listed for the steam valve, so they go to NIBCO for confirmation.

Any order for these three series that touches these rules is in scope — not only the scenarios pictured here. Not covered: other NIBCO valves and series. Series, sizes, ends, pressure ratings, the solder limit and the options follow the public NIBCO spec sheets T-S-585-70 and T-585-70-66-ST (both revised 7/19/2018). No prices are modeled because none are published.

The AI sales agentBuilds the valve order from the conversation with the customer 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
Click to expand
    
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
Ratings that depend on the seriesOnly with care
The steam rating is 150 psi for two series and 250 psi for the third, so a rule per series is needed and must be kept in step with the spec sheets.		The steam rating is derived from the series and compared with the pressure requested on every call.
Sizes listed for one series onlyOnly with workarounds
A table of series and sizes, edited whenever a size is added or dropped, and easy to miss for a rarely ordered series.		The series and size are checked together in the same pass as every other rule.
End connection tied to the seriesOnly with care
Threaded and solder ends belong to different series, so a rule must tie the end connection to the series in both directions.		Both directions are checked and each finding says which series has which ends.
A solder limit that applies to one seriesOnly with workarounds
The limit only matters when solder ends are chosen, so it is often left to a note on the order.		The solder melting point is checked whenever the solder series is ordered.
Options not listed for one seriesOnly with care
An option listed for two series and missing for the third is easy to sell by mistake, and what it needs is a person, not a refusal.		The option is flagged for NIBCO to confirm instead of being blocked or passed silently.
Every problem returned in one answerOnly with workarounds
Rules tend to fire as the order 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
Click to expand
    
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 T-585-70-66-ST steam-service valve is listed in sizes 1/2 inch to 2 inch only; 1/4 inch and 3/8 inch are not listed.
2The T-585-70 and T-585-70-66-ST valves have threaded NPT ends; only the S-585-70 has solder ends.
3The S-585-70 has solder (copper tube) ends, not threaded ends.
4A saturated steam pressure of 151 psi is above the 150 psi saturated steam rating of the selected valve.
5A non-shock cold working pressure of 601 psi is above the 600 psi rating of these valves.
6A solder with a melting point of 501 F would damage the seat material; the solder ends are designed for solders not exceeding 500 F.
7The lead-free and oxygen-service options are listed on the T-585-70 and S-585-70 spec sheet; the T-585-70-66-ST sheet does not list them, so NIBCO should confirm availability.

  

  

    
Scenarios and results
Click to expand
    
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. Steam valve in a size not listed: Steam valve in a size that is not listed, with the lead-free option

    
The agent's request. Please order 300 NIBCO T-585-70-66-ST ball valves in 3/8 inch with threaded ends, for saturated steam at 200 psi and a cold working pressure of 400 psi, with the lead-free option. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Size not listed for the 316 stainless steel trim steam valve. The T-585-70-66-ST steam-service valve is listed in sizes 1/2 inch to 2 inch only; 1/4 inch and 3/8 inch are not listed.
    • 
      
  • Lead-free or oxygen option not listed for the steam valve. The lead-free and oxygen-service options are listed on the T-585-70 and S-585-70 spec sheet; the T-585-70-66-ST sheet does not list them, so NIBCO should confirm availability.
    • 
    

    
2. Steam valve in a size not listed: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please order 300 NIBCO T-585-70-66-ST ball valves in 1/2 inch with threaded ends, for saturated steam at 200 psi and a cold working pressure of 400 psi, with the lead-free option. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Needs approval.

    
    
      
  • Lead-free or oxygen option not listed for the steam valve. The lead-free and oxygen-service options are listed on the T-585-70 and S-585-70 spec sheet; the T-585-70-66-ST sheet does not list them, so NIBCO should confirm availability.
    • 
      
  • Order summary. 300 valve(s) ordered, steam rating 250 psi, cold working pressure requested 400 psi.
    • 
    

    
3. Steam valve in a size not listed: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please order 300 NIBCO T-585-70-66-ST ball valves in 1/2 inch with threaded ends, for saturated steam at 200 psi and a cold working pressure of 400 psi. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Order summary. 300 valve(s) ordered, steam rating 250 psi, cold working pressure requested 400 psi.
    • 
    

    
4. Solder valves with a hot solder: Solder valves with a solder that melts at a high temperature

    
The agent's request. Please order 240 NIBCO S-585-70 ball valves in 1-1/2 inch with solder ends, for saturated steam at 125 psi and a cold working pressure of 400 psi, using a solder that melts at 600 F. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Solder melting point above 500 F. A solder with a melting point of 600 F would damage the seat material; the solder ends are designed for solders not exceeding 500 F.
    • 
    

    
5. Solder valves with a hot solder: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please order 240 NIBCO S-585-70 ball valves in 1-1/2 inch with solder ends, for saturated steam at 125 psi and a cold working pressure of 400 psi, using a solder that melts at 450 F. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Order summary. 240 valve(s) ordered, steam rating 150 psi, cold working pressure requested 400 psi.
    • 
    

    
6. Threaded valves for 200 psi steam: Threaded valves for 200 psi steam

    
The agent's request. Please order 150 NIBCO T-585-70 ball valves in 1 inch with threaded ends, for saturated steam at 200 psi and a cold working pressure of 500 psi. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Steam pressure above the saturated steam rating. A saturated steam pressure of 200 psi is above the 150 psi saturated steam rating of the selected valve.
    • 
    

    
7. Threaded valves for 200 psi steam: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please order 150 NIBCO T-585-70-66-ST ball valves in 1 inch with threaded ends, for saturated steam at 200 psi and a cold working pressure of 500 psi. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Order summary. 150 valve(s) ordered, steam rating 250 psi, cold working pressure requested 500 psi.
    • 
    

  

  

    
Narration transcript
Click to expand
    
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 two-piece bronze full-port ball valves: the series, the size, the end connection, and more. Before the order goes out, the agent sends it to Predictika, which checks it against a declarative model of what the valve spec sheets allow and returns a verdict and every reason.
    2. 
      
  2. I will start with the first request by the agent.
    3. 
      
  3. The agent says. Please order 300 NIBCO T-585-70-66-ST ball valves in 3/8 inch with threaded ends, for saturated steam at 200 psi and a cold working pressure of 400 psi. It is ready to send. The rest of the request is on screen.
    4. 
      
  4. Before it goes out, the agent calls the validator.
    5. 
      
  5. Blocked, with one finding and one approval, all in one answer. The T-585-70-66-ST steam-service valve is listed in sizes 1/2 inch to 2 inch only; 1/4 inch and 3/8 inch are not listed.
    6. 
      
  6. The validator returned one blocking finding and one approval 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 sizes listed for one series only, a rules-based CPQ can do this only with workarounds.
    8. 
      
  8. Now the agent resubmits.
    9. 
      
  9. The corrected request. It changes the size to 1/2 inch.
    10. 
      
  10. It calls the validator again.
    11. 
      
  11. Not blocked, but held for a person.
    12. 
      
  12. The one blocking finding is cleared; one approval remains for a person: lead-free or oxygen option not listed for the steam valve.
    13. 
      
  13. The agent resubmits once more.
    14. 
      
  14. The revised request. It removes the lead-free option.
    15. 
      
  15. It calls the validator once more.
    16. 
      
  16. This time the validator clears it.
    17. 
      
  17. The earlier finding is cleared.
    18. 
      
  18. Two problems caught in one call, fixed in two passes, and a clean quote. That is the value of Predictika's validator: catching mistakes before they reach the customer. Now you can try the other scenarios yourself.
    19.