Predictika · Buildings and construction

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

An AI sales agent prepares a quote for escalators and moving walks with a maintenance contract, for a fictional customer. Before it goes out, the agent sends it to Predictika’s validator, which checks it against the product, safety and pricing rules, compares the total price the agent states with the one it computes, and returns a verdict with every reason.

Scope: escalator and moving walk quotes with maintenance, in CHF. See everything this validator covers

This validator models 9300 AE and 9700 heavy-duty escalators and 9500 moving walks in the style of Schindler’s public product literature. It handles any quote made of these products, not just the scenarios shown below.

  • Models and geometry — rise, speed and walk length within each model’s limits, the EN 115-1 limits for 35 degree escalators, and the minimum length of a 12 degree walk
  • Traffic capacity — persons per hour per unit from step width and speed, against the peak flow split across the units
  • Duty class — public transport needs the heavy-duty 9700 with 1000 mm steps; airports on the commercial-duty 9300 need approval
  • Environment — outdoor package eligibility, and heating in a cold climate
  • Energy mode and balustrade — stop-and-go is not allowed in public transport; transit and outdoor units need a stainless steel balustrade
  • Maintenance contract — full maintenance is required in public transport; terms of 1 to 10 years
  • Pricing and authority — discount authority for a salesperson, a manager and large orders
  • Lead time — factory lead time against the delivery requested
  • The stated total — the total price the agent states against the one the validator computes

It does not cover other products, installation, civil works or taxes.

The AI sales agentBuilds the quote from the conversation and says it is ready.
Predictika validatorChecks the quote against the product and contract rules and returns every finding it has.

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) does with the same cases. It is a judgment about effort and reliability, not a claim that nothing can be built.

    
What the validator catchesTypical rules-based CPQPredictika
EN 115-1 limits that depend on two numbersOnly with care
The 35 degree rule depends on both rise and speed, so it needs a combined validation rule per model.		Both numbers are checked against the standard in one rule.
Walk length from the riseOnly with workarounds
The minimum length of an inclined walk is computed from the rise, which price and validation rules rarely compute.		The minimum length is calculated from the rise and compared on every call.
Capacity against peak trafficOnly with workarounds
Capacity depends on width and speed against a peak split across the units, which is a calculation rather than a lookup.		The capacity per unit is calculated and compared with the requirement.
Application drives several choicesOnly with care
Public transport forces the model, step width, balustrade, energy mode and maintenance at once, which becomes many separate rules.		Each consequence is checked from the application, and every violation is reported.
Discount authority by order sizeOnly with care
Approval thresholds usually sit in a separate approval process after the quote is saved.		The salesperson, manager and large-order limits are evaluated with the quote.
The total price the agent statesOnly with workarounds
Comparing a stated total with a computed one needs a separate rule per layout, and price rules rarely run on stated figures.		The stated total is a field in the request and is checked against the computed total.
Every problem returned in one answerOnly with workarounds
Rules tend to fire as the quote is saved, so a rep fixes one error and meets the next.		All findings come back together, whatever order the choices arrived in.

  

  

    
What this validator catches
Click to expand
    
Every rule is checked on every call, in whatever order the choices arrive, and one problem never hides another. Blocking findings stop the quote; approval findings need a person to sign off; everything else is computed.

    
RuleEffectWhat it checks
Rise within the model maximumblockEach model has a maximum rise.
35 degree limits (EN 115-1)blockA 35 degree escalator only up to 6 m rise and 0.5 m/s.
Speed within the model maximumblockEach model has a maximum speed.
High speed outside public transportneeds approval0.75 m/s outside public transport needs a safety and comfort review.
Walk lengthblockWithin the model maximum, and at least the minimum for the rise of a 12 degree walk.
Capacity per unitblockPersons per hour from step width and speed against the peak split across the units.
Heavy duty for public transportblockPublic transport needs the heavy-duty 9700.
Airport dutyneeds approvalAn airport on the commercial-duty 9300 needs approval of the duty cycle.
Step width in public transportblockPublic transport needs 1000 mm steps.
Outdoor packageblockOnly on models that offer it; a cold climate also needs heating.
Energy modeblockStop-and-go is not allowed in public transport.
BalustradeblockPublic transport and outdoor units need stainless steel.
Maintenance contractblockFull maintenance in public transport; a term of 1 to 10 years.
Discount authorityneeds approval or blockAbove 5 percent needs a manager; above the maximum for the order size is blocked.
Lead timeblockFactory lead time must fit the delivery requested.
Stated total priceblockThe total price the agent states must be within CHF 1 of the computed price.

  

  

    
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. Transit entrance: Metro entrance, two 9300 units

    
The agent's request. The quote for the Seeblick metro station entrance is ready: two Schindler 9300 AE escalators, 6 m rise, 800 mm steps, stop-and-go energy saving, stainless steel balustrade and full maintenance for 10 years. Total price CHF 459,000.00. Ready to release.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Heavy-duty model required. Public transport duty needs a heavy-duty 9700 unit; Schindler 9300 AE 30 deg is a commercial-duty unit.
    • 
      
  • Step width too narrow. Public transport units need 1000 mm steps; 800 mm quoted.
    • 
      
  • Energy mode not allowed. Stop-and-go energy mode is not permitted on public transport units; use slow-speed standby.
    • 
    

    
2. Transit entrance: Same entrance on the 9700

    
The agent's request. I switched to the Schindler 9700 heavy-duty escalator with 1000 mm steps and slow-speed standby. Everything else is unchanged. Total price CHF 667,600.00. Ready to release.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
3. Discount authority: 15 percent discount

    
The agent's request. The pair of Schindler 9300 AE escalators for the Alpenhof Shopping Centre is ready, with a 15 percent discount to win the order. Total price CHF 277,050.00.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Discount above the maximum. 15 percent discount exceeds the 12 percent that can be approved.
    • 
    

    
4. Discount authority: 10 percent discount

    
The agent's request. I lowered the discount to 10 percent. Total price CHF 290,700.00.

    
Verdict: Needs approval.

    
    
      
  • Discount needs manager approval. 10 percent discount is above the 5 percent rep authority; approvable up to 12 percent.
    • 
    

    
5. Discount authority: 5 percent discount

    
The agent's request. I set the discount to 5 percent, within my authority. Total price CHF 304,350.00.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
6. Stated total: Hypermarket moving walks

    
The agent's request. The quote for two Schindler 9500 moving walks for the Seeblick hypermarket is ready: 12 degree, 4.5 m rise, 30 m long, with three years of basic maintenance. Total price CHF 298,000.00.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Stated total does not match. The quoted total of 298000.0 CHF does not match the 325000.0 CHF the validator computed.
    • 
    

    
7. Stated total: Same quote, total corrected

    
The agent's request. I corrected the total to include the three-year maintenance contract: CHF 325,000.00.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

  

  

    
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 a quote for escalators and moving walks with a maintenance contract, for a fictional customer. Before it goes out, the agent sends it to Predictika’s validator, which checks it against the product, safety and pricing rules, compares the total price the agent states with the one it computes, and returns a verdict with every reason.
    2. 
      
  2. I will start with the first request by the agent.
    3. 
      
  3. The agent says. The quote for the Seeblick metro station entrance is ready: two Schindler 9300 AE escalators, 6 m rise, 800 mm steps. Total price CHF 459,000.00. 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. Public transport duty needs a heavy-duty 9700 unit; Schindler 9300 AE 30 deg is a commercial-duty unit. Public transport units need 1000 mm steps; 800 mm quoted. Stop-and-go energy mode is not permitted on public transport units; use slow-speed standby.
    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 application drives several choices, a rules-based CPQ is error-prone for this.
    8. 
      
  8. Now the agent resubmits.
    9. 
      
  9. The corrected request. It changes the model to Schindler 9700 heavy duty 30 deg, the step to 1,000 mm, the energy to Eco Slow and the stated total as to 667,600 CHF.
    10. 
      
  10. It calls the validator again.
    11. 
      
  11. This time the validator clears it.
    12. 
      
  12. The validator also returns the line-item quote. It starts with Schindler 9700 heavy duty 30 deg and Rise 6.0 m at CHF 11,000 per m; the other three lines are on screen.
    13. 
      
  13. All three earlier findings are cleared.
    14. 
      
  14. 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.
    15.