Predictika · Payroll and HR quotes

An AI sales agent's payroll package quote, checked before it goes out

An AI sales agent prepares a quote for a small or mid-sized business: the payroll package, customer support level, set-up service, add-ons, number of employees and states, and term. Before it goes out, the agent sends it to Predictika, which checks it against a declarative model and returns a verdict and every reason. The package, add-on, support and set-up names are Paychex's; which package allows what is modeled, not published by the company.

Scope: Paychex payroll and HR packages (Basic, Foundations, Advanced, Complete) with add-ons, support and set-up levels. Names are public; the package rules are modeled, not company-published. No prices. See everything this validator covers

This validator models a package quote, not just the scenarios shown below. The package, support, set-up and add-on names come from the public Paychex package comparison page; which package includes or allows each item is modeled from comparable payroll products and is not Paychex's official rule.

  • Packages — Basic, Foundations, Advanced and Complete. Modeled: Basic is quoted for up to 49 employees and one state.
  • Support and set-up — Online, Enhanced and Premium customer support; Self, Assisted and Managed Set Up; a dedicated payroll specialist. Modeled: Enhanced needs Advanced or Complete, Premium needs Complete, the specialist needs Premium, Assisted is not on Basic and Managed needs Advanced or Complete.
  • Add-ons — Time and Attendance with advanced scheduling, HR Analytics and AI Insights, Talent Management with learning, job costing, general ledger and SUI services, retirement plans. Modeled: which package each needs.
  • Reviews — modeled: 500 or more employees, 10 or more states, a 36 month term and a retirement plan each need a person to confirm.

Any payroll package quote that touches these rules is in scope — not only the scenarios pictured here. Not covered: prices (Paychex does not publish them and none are modeled or shown), HR Pro and HR PEO, insurance and health plans, and the company's real package contents, which are set by its sales team.

The AI sales agentBuilds the package 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.

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
Support and set-up levels that depend on the packageOnly with care
Each package allows different levels, so each combination needs its own rule and any new package adds another set.
The package, support and set-up level arrive in one request and are checked together.
Add-ons that need another add-onOnly with care
Learning needs Talent Management and advanced scheduling needs Time and Attendance, so option-to-option rules must be written and kept in step.
Every add-on is checked against the others on every call.
A specialist that depends on the support levelOnly with care
The specialist is only valid with Premium support, so a rule must read a different line from the one being added.
The specialist and the support level are checked together.
Reviews that depend on size, states and termOnly with workarounds
Several different thresholds each need their own approval rule and routing.
The thresholds are checked on every call and all reviews come back together.
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 Basic package is quoted in this model for up to 49 employees; the quote has 60.
2Terms in this model are 12, 24 or 36 months; the quote has 18 months.
3A 36 month term needs a sales manager to confirm.
4The Basic package is quoted in this model for one state; the quote has 3 states.
5Payroll in 12 states needs a tax registration review.
6In this model phone and email (Enhanced) support comes with the Advanced or Complete package.
7In this model Premium support comes only with the Complete package.
8A dedicated payroll specialist comes with Premium support in this model.
9In this model Assisted Set Up is not offered with the Basic package.
10In this model Managed Set Up comes with the Advanced or Complete package.
11The Talent Management add-on is not offered with the Basic package in this model.
12The learning management add-on is sold with the Talent Management add-on in this model.
13HR Analytics and AI Insights is not offered with the Basic package in this model.
14Advanced scheduling is added to the Time and Attendance add-on; add Time and Attendance or remove scheduling.
15Job costing and labor distribution comes with the Advanced or Complete package in this model.
16The general ledger service comes with the Advanced or Complete package in this model.
17The SUI service is not offered with the Basic package in this model.
18A retirement plan is set up with a separate plan quote and needs a person to confirm.
19A company of 500 employees needs a Paychex sales review before the quote goes out.
20The Basic package is quoted in this model for up to 49 employees; the quote has 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. Basic package with too many extras: Basic quote for 60 employees with Premium support, a payroll specialist and learning management

The agent's request. Please quote the Basic package for 60 employees in 1 state with Premium support, Self Set Up and a 12 month term, with a dedicated payroll specialist, learning management. It is ready to send.

Verdict: Blocked.

  • Basic package size limit. The Basic package is quoted in this model for up to 49 employees; the quote has 60.
  • Premium support needs Complete. In this model Premium support comes only with the Complete package.
  • Learning needs Talent Management. The learning management add-on is sold with the Talent Management add-on in this model.

2. Basic package with too many extras: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

The agent's request. Please quote the Complete package for 60 employees in 1 state with Premium support, Self Set Up and a 12 month term, with a dedicated payroll specialist, Talent Management, learning management. It is ready to send.

Verdict: Allowed.

  • Order summary. 60 employee(s) in 1 state(s), 2 add-on(s) selected.

3. Advanced package with many states and a long term: Advanced quote for 300 employees in 12 states with advanced scheduling and a 36 month term

The agent's request. Please quote the Advanced package for 300 employees in 12 states with Enhanced support, Managed Set Up and a 36 month term, with advanced scheduling, job costing. It is ready to send.

Verdict: Blocked.

  • Advanced scheduling needs Time and Attendance. Advanced scheduling is added to the Time and Attendance add-on; add Time and Attendance or remove scheduling.
  • Many states need tax review. Payroll in 12 states needs a tax registration review.
  • Three-year term needs confirmation. A 36 month term needs a sales manager to confirm.

4. Advanced package with many states and a long term: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

The agent's request. Please quote the Advanced package for 300 employees in 12 states with Enhanced support, Managed Set Up and a 36 month term, with Time and Attendance, advanced scheduling, job costing. It is ready to send.

Verdict: Needs approval.

  • Many states need tax review. Payroll in 12 states needs a tax registration review.
  • Three-year term needs confirmation. A 36 month term needs a sales manager to confirm.
  • Order summary. 300 employee(s) in 12 state(s), 3 add-on(s) selected.

5. Advanced package with many states and a long term: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

The agent's request. Please quote the Advanced package for 300 employees in 5 states with Enhanced support, Managed Set Up and a 24 month term, with Time and Attendance, advanced scheduling, job costing. It is ready to send.

Verdict: Allowed.

  • Order summary. 300 employee(s) in 5 state(s), 3 add-on(s) selected.

6. Set-up and ledger on Foundations: Foundations quote with Managed Set Up, the general ledger service and the SUI service

The agent's request. Please quote the Foundations package for 40 employees in 1 state with Online support, Managed Set Up and a 12 month term, with the general ledger service, the SUI service. It is ready to send.

Verdict: Blocked.

  • Managed set-up needs Advanced or Complete. In this model Managed Set Up comes with the Advanced or Complete package.
  • General ledger service needs Advanced or Complete. The general ledger service comes with the Advanced or Complete package in this model.

7. Set-up and ledger on Foundations: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

The agent's request. Please quote the Advanced package for 40 employees in 1 state with Online support, Managed Set Up and a 12 month term, with the general ledger service, the SUI service. It is ready to send.

Verdict: Allowed.

  • Order summary. 40 employee(s) in 1 state(s), 2 add-on(s) selected.

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 quote for a small or mid-sized business: the payroll package, customer support level, set-up service, and more. Before it goes out, the agent sends it to Predictika, which checks it against a declarative model and returns a verdict and every reason. The package, add-on, support and set-up names are Paychex's; which package allows what is modeled, not published by the company.
  2. I will start with the first request by the agent.
  3. The agent says. Please quote the Basic package for 60 employees in 1 state with Premium support, Self Set Up and a 12 month term, with a dedicated payroll specialist, learning management. It is ready to send.
  4. Before it goes out, the agent calls the validator.
  5. Blocked, with three findings, all in one answer. The Basic package is quoted in this model for up to 49 employees; the quote has 60. In this model Premium support comes only with the Complete package. The learning management add-on is sold with the Talent Management add-on in this model.
  6. The validator returned three 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.
  7. What this shows: for support and set-up levels that depend on the package, a rules-based CPQ is error-prone for this.
  8. Now the agent resubmits.
  9. The corrected request. It changes the package to complete and the add-ons to a dedicated payroll specialist, Talent Management, learning management.
  10. It calls the validator again.
  11. This time the validator clears it.
  12. All three earlier findings are cleared.
  13. Three problems caught in one call, fixed in one pass, 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.