Predictika · Industrial control-system quotes

An AI sales agent's control-system quote, checked before it goes out

An AI sales agent prepares a quote for a control system: controller, chassis, power supply, I/O modules, drives, Studio 5000 and support, in US dollars. Before it goes out, the agent sends it to Predictika, which checks it against a declarative model of the configuration and quoting rules, compares the total the quote states with the computed one, and returns every finding together with the line-item quote. This is an illustrative model built from public product information with estimated prices; it is not Rockwell Automation's internal rule set.

Scope: control-system quotes built from ControlLogix and GuardLogix controllers, 1756 chassis, I/O and communication modules, PowerFlex drives, Studio 5000 and support. See everything this validator covers

This validator models one slice of industrial automation: quotes for a ControlLogix or GuardLogix control system with its chassis, power supply, I/O, network modules, drives, software and support. It handles any quote built from those parts, not only the scenarios shown on this page. It does not cover other product lines, real prices, freight or tax, or multi-currency quoting.

  • Covered: controller and safety — safety level against controller family and safety I/O, nodes and memory against the controller, and Studio 5000 editions.
  • Covered: the control rack — chassis size and slots, the Device Level Ring, and the power supply on the 5.1V rail, the 24V rail and total watts.
  • Covered: drives and commercial terms — drive picked by motor size, account discount, SPA discount and its approvals, support years, tariff, and the total the agent states.
  • Labeled as assumptions — prices come from a catalog of illustrative estimates based on public distributor information, not a price list.
The AI sales agentBuilds the control-system 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.

8 scenarios in 4 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
Safety level against controller and I/OOnly with care
The safety level, the controller family and the safety I/O modules must agree, and rules are usually written for each combination.		The controller family is an attribute, and the safety rules read the level, controller and I/O together and say which one is wrong.
Open choices picked for the customerOnly with workarounds
Leaving the controller, chassis or supply open means a rules-based tool must pick them in a fixed order that the later rules depend on.		The validator picks controller, chassis and supply as parts of the same model, so the quote that comes back is complete.
Backplane power on three limitsOnly with workarounds
The 5.1V rail, the 24V rail and the total watts each have a limit, and a quote can pass the first two and fail the third.		The loads are summed once and compared with all three limits of the chosen supply.
Stacked discounts with a floor and approvalsOnly with workarounds
The price group, the SPA discount and the approver all depend on each other, with a floor on the stack.		The stacked discount, the floor and the approval route are derived together and reported with the reason.
Drive picked for the motorOnly with care
A drive must be at least the motor size, within the family limit, and priced with its network adapter.		The drive is chosen from the catalog by horsepower, and a mismatch comes back as its own finding.
Total the agent statesOnly with workarounds
A validation rule can compare a stated figure with a calculated one only if the stated figure is a field on the quote, which it rarely is.		The stated total travels with the quote and is compared with the computed total on every call; a mismatch is its own block.

  

  

    
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.

    
1A safety level (SIL 2 or SIL 3) needs a GuardLogix 5580 controller, and the safety I/O modules (1756-IB16S, 1756-OBV8S) work only with a GuardLogix controller.
2When the controller is left open, the validator picks the smallest 5580 that covers the EtherNet/IP nodes and the application memory; a chosen controller must cover both.
3A Device Level Ring needs 2-port EtherNet/IP modules, and drives on a ring get a dual-port adapter.
4The modules, the communication module and the spare slots must fit the chassis; the largest chassis has 17 slots.
5The power supply must carry the 5.1V load, the 24V load and the combined wattage; a supply can be within each rail limit and still exceed its total watts.
6The supply input must match the plant supply (AC or DC), and a redundant supply must be a redundant pair.
7Studio 5000 Mini cannot program ControlLogix, GuardLogix needs Studio 5000 Full or Professional, and a quote with no Studio license gets a reminder.
8Drives are picked by motor horsepower: a PowerFlex 525 up to 30 hp and a PowerFlex 755 up to 100 hp, and a drive smaller than the motor is blocked.
9The account price group and the special pricing agreement (SPA) discount stack, and the stacked Logix and drive discounts may not pass the 30 percent floor.
10An SPA above 12 percent needs an approved SPA number from the SPA desk, an SPA above 25 percent is blocked, and each level routes to its approver.
11Prices are built from the catalog: controller, chassis and slot fillers, modules and removable terminal blocks, drives, Studio 5000, TechConnect support with a multi-year discount, and a 1.5 percent tariff on net hardware.
12The total the agent states must match the computed total to within one dollar; otherwise the quote is blocked.

  

  

    
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. Safety level: SIL 2 with a standard controller

    
The agent's request. Please quote a SIL 2 machine-safety panel for Cedar Hollow Packaging: a 1756-L83E ControlLogix controller, one 1756-IB16S safety input module and one 1756-OBV8S safety output module. The quote states a total of $25,962.85. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Safety level needs a GuardLogix controller. SIL2 requires a GuardLogix 5580 controller; 1756-L83E ControlLogix 5580 10 MB is a standard controller.
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  • Safety I/O needs a GuardLogix controller. 1756-IB16S / OBV8S safety I/O works only with a GuardLogix 5580 controller; 1756-L83E ControlLogix 5580 10 MB is a standard controller.
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2. Safety level: SIL 2 with the GuardLogix controller picked

    
The agent's request. Please quote a SIL 2 machine-safety panel for Cedar Hollow Packaging: one 1756-IB16S safety input module and one 1756-OBV8S safety output module, with the controller left to the validator, and Studio 5000 Full. The quote states a total of $25,347.13. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Quote summary. Total $25,347.13: controller $10,825.63; chassis $2,267.53; modules $3,505.00; software $8,500.00; tariff $248.97.
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3. Backplane power: Thirteen analog outputs

    
The agent's request. Please quote a chassis for Lakeshore Water Works with thirteen 1756-OF8 analog output modules; the controller, chassis and power supply are to be picked by the validator. The quote states a total of $63,946.78. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Power supply overloaded. Combined backplane power is 81.58 W; 1756-PA72 AC power supply is limited to 75.0 W across all rails even though each rail is within its own limit.
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4. Backplane power: Eleven analog outputs

    
The agent's request. Please quote a chassis for Lakeshore Water Works with eleven 1756-OF8 analog output modules; the controller, chassis and power supply are to be picked by the validator. The quote states a total of $55,799.69. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Quote summary. Total $55,799.69: controller $9,665.74; chassis $3,022.24; modules $42,287.08; tariff $824.63.
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5. Stated total: Stated total is low

    
The agent's request. Please quote a process skid for Redwood Process Systems on a Device Level Ring: a 1756-EN2TR bridge, 2 x 1756-IB32, 2 x 1756-OB32, 2 x 1756-IF16, a 1756-OF8 and a 1756-IRT8I, spring terminal blocks, 6 other EtherNet/IP devices, an 8 MB application, three PowerFlex drives for 5 hp motors and one for a 12 hp motor, Studio 5000 Standard, TechConnect support for 3 years, on the Preferred account. The quote states a total of $59,373.00. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Stated total does not match. The stated quote total of $59,373.00 does not match the validator total of $62,497.89.
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6. Stated total: Correct total stated

    
The agent's request. Please quote a process skid for Redwood Process Systems on a Device Level Ring: a 1756-EN2TR bridge, 2 x 1756-IB32, 2 x 1756-OB32, 2 x 1756-IF16, a 1756-OF8 and a 1756-IRT8I, spring terminal blocks, 6 other EtherNet/IP devices, an 8 MB application, three PowerFlex drives for 5 hp motors and one for a 12 hp motor, Studio 5000 Standard, TechConnect support for 3 years, on the Preferred account. The quote states a total of $62,497.89. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Quote summary. Total $62,497.89: controller $19,806.63; chassis $3,122.50; modules $24,874.53; drives $8,478.64; software $5,941.81; support $6,840.00; discount less $7,305.33; tariff $739.11.
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7. SPA discount: 15 percent SPA with no SPA number

    
The agent's request. Please quote a small control panel for Pinecrest Machining with one 1756-IB16 input module on the Preferred account, with a 15 percent special pricing agreement (SPA) discount. The quote states a total of $9,692.51. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • SPA number missing. A 15 percent SPA is above 12 percent and needs an approved SPA number from the SPA desk.
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  • Needs SPA desk approval. A 15 percent SPA routes to the SPA desk.
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8. SPA discount: 15 percent SPA with the SPA number

    
The agent's request. Please quote a small control panel for Pinecrest Machining with one 1756-IB16 input module and one 1756-OB16E output module on the Preferred account, with a 15 percent special pricing agreement (SPA) discount under SPA number SPA-2026-0417. The quote states a total of $10,487.94. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Needs approval.

    
    
      
  • Needs SPA desk approval. A 15 percent SPA routes to the SPA desk.
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  • Quote summary. Total $10,487.94: controller $9,665.74; chassis $2,267.53; modules $1,880.84; discount less $3,481.16; tariff $154.99.
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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 a quote for a control system: controller, chassis, power supply, and more. Before it goes out, the agent sends it to Predictika, which checks it against a declarative model of the configuration and quoting rules, compares the total the quote states with the computed one, and returns every finding together with the line-item quote. This is an illustrative model built from public product information with estimated prices; it is not Rockwell Automation's internal rule set.
    2. 
      
  2. I will start with the first request by the agent.
    3. 
      
  3. The agent says. Please quote a SIL 2 machine-safety panel for Cedar Hollow Packaging: a 1756-L83E ControlLogix controller, one 1756-IB16S safety input module and one 1756-OBV8S safety output module. The quote states a total of $25,962.85. The rest of the request is on screen.
    4. 
      
  4. Before it goes out, the agent calls the validator.
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  5. Blocked, with two findings, all in one answer. SIL2 requires a GuardLogix 5580 controller; 1756-L83E ControlLogix 5580 10 MB is a standard controller. 1756-IB16S / OBV8S safety I/O works only with a GuardLogix 5580 controller; 1756-L83E ControlLogix 5580 10 MB is a standard controller.
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  6. The validator returned two 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.
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  7. What this shows: for safety level against controller and I/O, a rules-based CPQ is error-prone for this.
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  8. Now the agent resubmits.
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  9. The corrected request. It changes the controller to left to the validator and the stated total to 25347.13. It sets the studio 5000 to full.
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  10. It calls the validator again.
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  11. This time the validator clears it.
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  12. The validator also returns the line-item quote. It starts with 1756-L81ES GuardLogix 5580 3 MB and 1756-A4 4-slot chassis; the other seven lines are on screen.
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  13. Both earlier findings are cleared, and the validator's total, $25,347.13, matches the quote.
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  14. Two 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.
    15.