Predictika · Multifunction printer option orders

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

An AI sales agent prepares an order for a color multifunction printer with its paper feed, finishing, punch, controller, fax and staple options. Before it goes out, the agent sends it to Predictika, which checks it against a declarative model of the option compatibility rules and returns a verdict, every reason and the figures it computed.

Scope: Option orders for the IM C3000 and IM C3500 color multifunction printers: paper feed, finishers, punch units, controller and network options, fax and staples. See everything this validator covers

This validator models option orders for the IM C3000 and IM C3500, not just the scenarios shown below.

  • Paper feed — the paper feed unit, the LCIT paper feed, the LCIT add-on and Cabinet Type F each exclude or require one another, and the external finishers need a paper feed unit or the cabinet.
  • Finishing and punch — the internal shift tray, internal finisher and internal multi-fold unit exclude one another; the external finishers need a bridge unit or the multi-fold unit; each punch unit needs, and excludes, particular finishers.
  • Controller, fax and staples — the Fiery color controller excludes the wireless, PostScript, memory and IPDS options; IPDS needs the 4GB memory unit; fax memory needs the fax option; each staple cartridge needs the finisher it is made for.

Any IM C3000 or IM C3500 option order that touches these rules is in scope — not only the scenarios pictured here. Not covered: prices (the public configurator shows none, so this validator produces no price build-up or line-item quote), other Ricoh models, Fiery software options, other supplies, and managed print or service contracts. The stated option count is a quote-integrity check added by Predictika, not a Ricoh rule.

The AI sales agentBuilds the option 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
Options that exclude one another across several familiesOnly with care
Each pairing is its own exclusion rule. It works, but with dozens of options the list is long and every new option means more rules to add and keep in step.
Every option is in one request and all exclusions are checked together, whichever order the choices arrive in.
Options that need another option on the same orderOnly with care
Requirement rules per option, some of them satisfied by any one of several items (a bridge unit or the multi-fold unit; a paper feed unit, the LCIT or the cabinet).
Alternatives are checked in one pass with the rest of the order.
A punch unit that depends on which finisher is chosenOnly with workarounds
The right punch unit depends on a choice on a different line, so it needs a cross-line rule that interacts with the finisher rules.
The finisher, punch unit and staples are in one request and each dependency is checked with the others.
The Fiery controller against four other controller optionsOnly with workarounds
One option forbids four others, and one of those needs a fifth; the rules interact and are easy to leave half-done.
The controller options are checked together and each conflict is reported.
Stated option count that must match the orderOnly with care
A stated figure is a free-entry field; a rule can compare it with a computed count, but someone has to write and maintain that comparison.
The stated count travels with the order and is compared with the computed count 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

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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.

1Paper Feed Unit PB3280 and Paper Feed LCIT PB3290 cannot be installed together.
2Cabinet Type F cannot be installed with Paper Feed Unit PB3280, Paper Feed LCIT PB3290 or LCIT RT3040.
3LCIT RT3040 needs Paper Feed Unit PB3280 or Paper Feed LCIT PB3290 on the quote.
4Internal Shift Tray SH3080, Internal Finisher SR3250 and Internal Multi-Fold Unit FD3010 cannot be installed together; the quote has 2 of them.
5Internal Shift Tray SH3080 and Internal Finisher SR3250 cannot be installed with Finisher SR3260, Booklet Finisher SR3270 or Bridge Unit BU3090.
6Internal Shift Tray SH3080 cannot be installed with Punch Unit PU3070 NA or Punch Unit PU3080 NA.
7Finisher SR3260 and Booklet Finisher SR3270 cannot be installed together.
8Bridge Unit BU3090 or Internal Multi-Fold Unit FD3010 must be installed to add Finisher SR3260 or Booklet Finisher SR3270.
9Finisher SR3260 and Booklet Finisher SR3270 need Paper Feed Unit PB3280, Paper Feed LCIT PB3290 or Cabinet Type F on the quote.
10Bridge Unit BU3090 needs Finisher SR3260 or Booklet Finisher SR3270 on the quote.
11Bridge Unit BU3090 cannot be installed with Internal Multi-Fold Unit FD3010.
12Punch Unit PU3070 NA needs Internal Finisher SR3250 on the quote.
13Punch Unit PU3070 NA cannot be installed with Finisher SR3260, Booklet Finisher SR3270 or Internal Multi-Fold Unit FD3010.
14Punch Unit PU3080 NA needs Finisher SR3260 or Booklet Finisher SR3270 on the quote.
15Color Controller E-25C cannot be installed with the IEEE 802.11a/g/n Interface Unit Type M19, PostScript3 Unit Type M37, Memory Unit Type M37 4GB or IPDS Unit Type M37.
16IPDS Unit Type M37 needs Memory Unit Type M37 4GB for color IPDS printing.
17Fax Memory Unit Type M19 64MB needs Fax Option Type M37 on the quote.
18Staple Type T and Staple Refill Type T need Internal Finisher SR3250 or Finisher SR3260 on the quote.
19Staple Type S and Staple Refill Type K need Booklet Finisher SR3270 on the quote.
20The quote states 14 options, but it contains 11.
21The quote states 9 options, but it contains 11.

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. Booklet finisher order: A booklet finisher order with punch, staples, fax and network options

The agent's request. Please quote an IM C3500 with Booklet Finisher SR3270, Punch Unit PU3080 NA, IEEE 802.11a/g/n Interface Unit Type M19, PostScript3 Unit Type M37, Memory Unit Type M37 4GB, Fax Option Type M37, Fax Memory Unit Type M19 64MB, Staple Type T and Staple Refill Type T. The quote states 9 options in total. It is ready to send.

Verdict: Blocked.

  • External finisher needs a bridge or multi-fold unit. Bridge Unit BU3090 or Internal Multi-Fold Unit FD3010 must be installed to add Finisher SR3260 or Booklet Finisher SR3270.
  • External finisher needs a paper feed unit or cabinet. Finisher SR3260 and Booklet Finisher SR3270 need Paper Feed Unit PB3280, Paper Feed LCIT PB3290 or Cabinet Type F on the quote.
  • Staples for SR3250 or SR3260 without that finisher. Staple Type T and Staple Refill Type T need Internal Finisher SR3250 or Finisher SR3260 on the quote.

2. Booklet finisher order: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

The agent's request. Please quote an IM C3500 with Paper Feed LCIT PB3290, Booklet Finisher SR3270, Bridge Unit BU3090, Punch Unit PU3080 NA, IEEE 802.11a/g/n Interface Unit Type M19, PostScript3 Unit Type M37, Memory Unit Type M37 4GB, Fax Option Type M37, Fax Memory Unit Type M19 64MB, Staple Type S and Staple Refill Type K. The quote states 11 options in total. It is ready to send.

Verdict: Allowed.

  • Order summary. 11 options are selected on the quote.

3. Internal finishing and punch: An IM C3000 order with a shift tray, an internal finisher and two punch units

The agent's request. Please quote an IM C3000 with Paper Feed Unit PB3280, Internal Shift Tray SH3080, Internal Finisher SR3250, Punch Unit PU3070 NA, Punch Unit PU3080 NA, Fax Option Type M37, Staple Type T and Staple Refill Type T. The quote states 8 options in total. It is ready to send.

Verdict: Blocked.

  • Internal output options conflict. Internal Shift Tray SH3080, Internal Finisher SR3250 and Internal Multi-Fold Unit FD3010 cannot be installed together; the quote has 2 of them.
  • Internal shift tray with a punch unit. Internal Shift Tray SH3080 cannot be installed with Punch Unit PU3070 NA or Punch Unit PU3080 NA.
  • Punch unit PU3080 needs an external finisher. Punch Unit PU3080 NA needs Finisher SR3260 or Booklet Finisher SR3270 on the quote.
  • Punch unit PU3080 with the internal finisher. Punch Unit PU3080 NA cannot be installed with Internal Finisher SR3250.

4. Internal finishing and punch: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

The agent's request. Please quote an IM C3000 with Paper Feed Unit PB3280, Internal Finisher SR3250, Punch Unit PU3070 NA, Punch Unit PU3080 NA, Fax Option Type M37, Staple Type T and Staple Refill Type T. The quote states 7 options in total. It is ready to send.

Verdict: Blocked.

  • Punch unit PU3080 needs an external finisher. Punch Unit PU3080 NA needs Finisher SR3260 or Booklet Finisher SR3270 on the quote.
  • Punch unit PU3080 with the internal finisher. Punch Unit PU3080 NA cannot be installed with Internal Finisher SR3250.

5. Internal finishing and punch: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

The agent's request. Please quote an IM C3000 with Paper Feed Unit PB3280, Internal Finisher SR3250, Punch Unit PU3070 NA, Fax Option Type M37, Staple Type T and Staple Refill Type T. The quote states 6 options in total. It is ready to send.

Verdict: Allowed.

  • Order summary. 6 options are selected on the quote.

6. Fiery controller and option count: A Fiery controller order with network options and a stated option count that is off

The agent's request. Please quote an IM C3500 with Cabinet Type F, Color Controller E-25C, IEEE 802.11a/g/n Interface Unit Type M19, PostScript3 Unit Type M37, IPDS Unit Type M37, Fax Option Type M37 and Fax Memory Unit Type M19 64MB. The quote states 9 options in total. It is ready to send.

Verdict: Blocked.

  • Fiery controller with other controller options. Color Controller E-25C cannot be installed with the IEEE 802.11a/g/n Interface Unit Type M19, PostScript3 Unit Type M37, Memory Unit Type M37 4GB or IPDS Unit Type M37.
  • IPDS unit needs 4GB memory. IPDS Unit Type M37 needs Memory Unit Type M37 4GB for color IPDS printing.
  • Stated option count differs from the quote. The quote states 9 options, but it contains 7.

7. Fiery controller and option count: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

The agent's request. Please quote an IM C3500 with Cabinet Type F, Finisher SR3260, Bridge Unit BU3090, Punch Unit PU3080 NA, Color Controller E-25C, Fax Option Type M37 and Fax Memory Unit Type M19 64MB. The quote states 7 options in total. It is ready to send.

Verdict: Allowed.

  • Order summary. 7 options are selected on the quote.

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 for a color multifunction printer with its paper feed, finishing, punch, controller, fax and staple options. Before it goes out, the agent sends it to Predictika, which checks it against a declarative model of the option compatibility rules and returns a verdict, every reason and the figures it computed.
  2. I will start with the first request by the agent.
  3. The agent says. Please quote an IM C3000 with Paper Feed Unit PB3280, Internal Shift Tray SH3080, Internal Finisher SR3250, Punch Unit PU3070 NA. The quote states 8 options in total. The rest of the request is on screen.
  4. Before it goes out, the agent calls the validator.
  5. Blocked, with four findings, all in one answer. Internal Shift Tray SH3080, Internal Finisher SR3250 and Internal Multi-Fold Unit FD3010 cannot be installed together; the quote has 2 of them. Internal Shift Tray SH3080 cannot be installed with Punch Unit PU3070 NA or Punch Unit PU3080 NA. Punch Unit PU3080 NA needs Finisher SR3260 or Booklet Finisher SR3270 on the quote. The other one is on screen.
  6. The validator returned four 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 a punch unit that depends on which finisher is chosen, a rules-based CPQ can do this only with workarounds.
  8. Now the agent resubmits.
  9. The corrected request. It changes the output and finishing to Internal Finisher SR3250 and the stated options in total to 7.
  10. It calls the validator again.
  11. Still blocked, with two findings, all in one answer. Punch Unit PU3080 NA needs Finisher SR3260 or Booklet Finisher SR3270 on the quote. Punch Unit PU3080 NA cannot be installed with Internal Finisher SR3250.
  12. Two findings cleared. Still blocking: punch unit PU3080 needs an external finisher and punch unit PU3080 with the internal finisher.
  13. The agent resubmits once more.
  14. The revised request. It changes the punch units to Punch Unit PU3070 NA and the stated options in total to 6.
  15. It calls the validator once more.
  16. This time the validator clears it.
  17. Both earlier findings are cleared, and the validator's figure matches the quote.
  18. Four 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.