Predictika · Industrial connection orders

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

An AI sales agent prepares an order for a strip of push-in feed-through terminal blocks with plug-in bridges and an end cover. Before it goes out, the agent sends it to Predictika, which checks it against a declarative model of the data published on Phoenix Contact's product pages and returns a verdict, every reason and the figures it computed.

Scope: PT 2,5, PT 4, PT 6 and PT 10 push-in feed-through terminal strips with FBS plug-in bridges and end covers: conductor size, current, bridge fit and size, and end cover. See everything this validator covers

This validator models strips built from the PT 2,5, PT 4, PT 6 and PT 10 feed-through terminal blocks, not just the scenarios shown below.

  • Ratings — each terminal block has a nominal current (PT 2,5: 24 A; PT 4: 32 A; PT 6: 41 A; PT 10: 57 A) and a conductor range (0.14 to 4, 0.2 to 6, 0.5 to 10 and 0.5 to 16 mm²); the circuit current must stay within the block rating and within the rating of the plug-in bridge.
  • Bridges and end covers — the FBS plug-in bridge series is made for one block width (-5 for PT 2,5, -6 for PT 4, -8 for PT 6, -10 for PT 10) and the end cover is made for one block (D-ST 2,5, D-ST 4, D-PT 6, D-PT 10). A bridge cannot span more positions than the strip has, and a bridge size that is not listed on the block's product page goes to a person.
  • Stated figures — the bridged positions the quote states are compared with the bridge quantity times the bridge size.

Any order for these terminal blocks and their plug-in bridges and end covers is in scope — not only the scenarios pictured here. Not covered: prices (Phoenix Contact does not publish them on its product pages, so this validator produces no price build-up or line-item quote), other terminal block families, test plugs, marking, partition plates, rails and tools, and approvals or certifications. Assumptions: the bridge series is matched to the block by the width suffix shown on the product pages, the PT 10 bridge rating is the 57 A shown on the PT 10 page, and the bridge sizes listed on each block's page are the sizes treated as published.

The AI sales agentBuilds the terminal strip 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.

8 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
Bridges and end covers that fit only one block widthOnly with care
A compatibility rule per block family. It works, but each new family or accessory is another set of rules to keep in step with the catalog.		The block, bridge and end cover are in one request and every pairing is checked together.
Current limited by both the block and the bridgeOnly with workarounds
The same current has to be compared with a rating on the block line and a different rating on the bridge line, so it needs a cross-line rule that interacts with the rest.		Current, block rating and bridge rating are in one request and compared together.
Bridge sizes that depend on the block and the strip lengthOnly with workarounds
The allowed sizes depend on the family, and the size must also fit the number of blocks, so the rules reference each other.		Family, size and strip length are checked in the same call, whichever order the choices arrive in.
Stated bridged positions that must equal the quantitiesOnly with care
A stated figure is a free-entry field; a rule can compare it with a computed total, but someone has to write and maintain that comparison.		The stated figure travels with the order and is compared with the computed figure on every call.
Every problem returned in one answerOnly with workarounds
Rules tend to fire as the order 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
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 order; approval findings need a person to sign off; everything else is computed.

    
1The strip has 0 terminal blocks; at least 1 is needed.
2A conductor of 0.19 mm² is outside the terminal block range of 0.2 to 6 mm².
3The circuit carries 33 A; the terminal block is rated for 32 A.
4The circuit carries 58 A through a plug-in bridge rated for 57 A.
5The plug-in bridge series is made for a different terminal block width than the one on this quote.
6A 10-position plug-in bridge is not among the sizes listed on the terminal block product page for this bridge series; a person should confirm that it is orderable.
7A 10-position bridge cannot span a strip of only 8 terminal blocks.
8The bridge series and the bridge quantity on this quote do not agree.
9The end cover on this quote is made for a different terminal block than the one on this quote.
10The quote states 50 bridged positions; the bridges on it bridge 40.

  

  

    
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. Bridge and end cover: PT 2,5 strip with a PT 4 bridge, a PT 4 end cover and a large conductor

    
The agent's request. Please quote a strip of 30 PT 2,5 push-in terminal blocks for 4.5 mm² conductors carrying 20 A per circuit, with 6 FBS 5-6 plug-in bridges and a D-ST 4 end cover. The quote states 30 bridged positions. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Conductor size outside the block range. A conductor of 450 hundredths of a square millimetre is outside the terminal block range of 14 to 400 hundredths.
    • 
      
  • Bridge made for a different terminal block. The plug-in bridge series is made for a different terminal block width than the one on this quote.
    • 
      
  • End cover made for a different block. The end cover on this quote is made for a different terminal block than the one on this quote.
    • 
    

    
2. Bridge and end cover: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please quote a strip of 30 PT 2,5 push-in terminal blocks for 4.5 mm² conductors carrying 20 A per circuit, with 6 FBS 5-5 plug-in bridges and a D-ST 2,5 end cover. The quote states 30 bridged positions. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Conductor size outside the block range. A conductor of 450 hundredths of a square millimetre is outside the terminal block range of 14 to 400 hundredths.
    • 
    

    
3. Bridge and end cover: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please quote a strip of 30 PT 2,5 push-in terminal blocks for 4 mm² conductors carrying 20 A per circuit, with 6 FBS 5-5 plug-in bridges and a D-ST 2,5 end cover. The quote states 30 bridged positions. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Order summary. 30 terminal blocks rated 24 A; 30 positions bridged.
    • 
    

    
4. Conductor and current: PT 6 strip with a large conductor and a high current

    
The agent's request. Please quote a strip of 60 PT 6 push-in terminal blocks for 12 mm² conductors carrying 45 A per circuit, with 6 FBS 10-8 plug-in bridges and a D-PT 6 end cover. The quote states 60 bridged positions. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Conductor size outside the block range. A conductor of 1,200 hundredths of a square millimetre is outside the terminal block range of 50 to 1,000 hundredths.
    • 
      
  • Current above the block rating. The circuit carries 45 A; the terminal block is rated for 41 A.
    • 
      
  • Current above the bridge rating. The circuit carries 45 A through a plug-in bridge rated for 41 A.
    • 
    

    
5. Conductor and current: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please quote a strip of 60 PT 6 push-in terminal blocks for 10 mm² conductors carrying 41 A per circuit, with 6 FBS 10-8 plug-in bridges and a D-PT 6 end cover. The quote states 60 bridged positions. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Order summary. 60 terminal blocks rated 41 A; 60 positions bridged.
    • 
    

    
6. Bridge size and strip length: PT 10 strip with a bridge longer than the strip and a wrong stated figure

    
The agent's request. Please quote a strip of 8 PT 10 push-in terminal blocks for 10 mm² conductors carrying 50 A per circuit, with 3 FBS 10-10 plug-in bridges and a D-PT 10 end cover. The quote states 24 bridged positions. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Bridge longer than the strip. A 10-position bridge cannot span a strip of only 8 terminal blocks.
    • 
      
  • Stated bridged positions do not match. The quote states 24 bridged positions; the bridges on it bridge 30.
    • 
      
  • Bridge size to confirm. A 10-position plug-in bridge is not among the sizes listed on the terminal block product page for this bridge series; a person should confirm that it is orderable.
    • 
    

    
7. Bridge size and strip length: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please quote a strip of 24 PT 10 push-in terminal blocks for 10 mm² conductors carrying 50 A per circuit, with 3 FBS 10-10 plug-in bridges and a D-PT 10 end cover. The quote states 30 bridged positions. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Needs approval.

    
    
      
  • Bridge size to confirm. A 10-position plug-in bridge is not among the sizes listed on the terminal block product page for this bridge series; a person should confirm that it is orderable.
    • 
      
  • Order summary. 24 terminal blocks rated 57 A; 30 positions bridged.
    • 
    

    
8. Bridge size and strip length: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please quote a strip of 24 PT 10 push-in terminal blocks for 10 mm² conductors carrying 50 A per circuit, with 6 FBS 5-10 plug-in bridges and a D-PT 10 end cover. The quote states 30 bridged positions. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Order summary. 24 terminal blocks rated 57 A; 30 positions bridged.
    • 
    

  

  

    
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 a strip of push-in feed-through terminal blocks with plug-in bridges and an end cover. Before it goes out, the agent sends it to Predictika, which checks it against a declarative model of the data published on Phoenix Contact's product pages and returns a verdict, every reason and the figures it computed.
    2. 
      
  2. I will start with the first request by the agent.
    3. 
      
  3. The agent says. Please quote a strip of 30 PT 2,5 push-in terminal blocks for 4.5 mm² conductors carrying 20 A per circuit. The quote states 30 bridged positions. The rest of the request is on screen.
    4. 
      
  4. Before it goes out, the agent calls the validator.
    5. 
      
  5. Blocked, with three findings, all in one answer. A conductor of 450 hundredths of a square millimetre is outside the terminal block range of 14 to 400 hundredths. The plug-in bridge series is made for a different terminal block width than the one on this quote. The end cover on this quote is made for a different terminal block than the one on this quote.
    6. 
      
  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. 
      
  7. What this shows: for bridges and end covers that fit only one block width, a rules-based CPQ is error-prone for this.
    8. 
      
  8. Now the agent resubmits.
    9. 
      
  9. The corrected request. It changes the plug-in bridges to FBS 5-5 and the end cover to D-ST 2,5.
    10. 
      
  10. It calls the validator again.
    11. 
      
  11. Still blocked, with one finding, all in one answer. A conductor of 450 hundredths of a square millimetre is outside the terminal block range of 14 to 400 hundredths.
    12. 
      
  12. Two findings cleared; still blocked on conductor size outside the block range.
    13. 
      
  13. The agent resubmits once more.
    14. 
      
  14. The revised request. It changes the conductor cross section to 4 mm².
    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. Three 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.
    19.