How a position is computed
Every position is the output of a published function applied to public, archived evidence. Nothing here is chosen by hand. Clone the repository, run the engine, and reproduce the tables byte-for-byte.
A firm's score is the confidence-weighted mean of six parameter values:
FIRM_SCORE = ( Σ ( Pᵢ × Wᵢ ) / 100 ) × C
The weights Wᵢ are tier-specific and sum to 100, so the sum is a
weighted mean of the parameter values Pᵢ ∈ [0, 100]. C
is a confidence multiplier set by how much archived evidence stands behind the
firm. Positions are the protocol's opinion, computed from the disclosed
methodology applied to publicly available evidence.
The evidence law
- Every scored fact has a public source URL and an archived copy. No archive, no contribution.
- Below the evidence floor a firm is not listed at all — absence is the absence of sufficient public record, not a judgment.
- Evidence is drawn only from public sources. No confidential or leaked material is ever used.
- Adverse public records are admitted only under P2, only from official public sources, recorded neutrally, and only after the firm has had notice.
The six parameters
P1 · Research Rigor — ENT 25 / SMB 20
Definition
Depth and discipline of the firm's published analysis — methodology quality, data use, and how often its work is cited by others. Citation-weighted: volume alone scores nothing.
Accepted evidence
Published studies, frameworks, peer citations, conference records, regulatory submissions.
Verification
Every entry carries a public source URL and an archived copy. Citations must be independent of the firm.
Recency
Full weight for 8 quarters, then decays. Sustained output outranks a single famous report.
P2 · Credibility & Public Record — ENT 20 / SMB 20
Definition
The firm's verifiable conduct: accuracy of public claims, professional standing, and its regulatory record. Verified adverse public records reduce this score under a published rule.
Accepted evidence
Regulatory registers, court and tribunal records, licensing bodies, verified press coverage.
Verification
Adverse entries require an official public source and trigger notice; the firm may object before publication.
Recency
Adverse weight fades after 12 clean quarters — records are permanent, penalties are not.
P3 · Domain Expertise — ENT 20 / SMB 15
Definition
Demonstrated depth in the specific category being ranked — not general consulting brand. A firm is scored per table; strength in one category earns nothing in another.
Accepted evidence
Category-specific engagements, publications, practitioner credentials, sector body roles.
Verification
Evidence must name the category domain explicitly; generic capability statements are excluded.
Recency
Standard 8-quarter half-life.
P4 · Client Outcome Signals — ENT 15 / SMB 15
Definition
Publicly verifiable engagement outcomes. Weighted by verification level: third-party confirmed outcomes count fully; self-published case studies count at reduced weight.
Accepted evidence
Client-published statements, award records, filings that name the engagement, verified case studies.
Verification
NDA-safe by construction: only signals the client or a third party has already made public.
Recency
Standard 8-quarter half-life.
P5 · Delivery Capacity & Continuity — ENT 12 / SMB 10
Definition
Whether the firm can actually carry the work it wins: team stability, leadership continuity, and operational longevity. Guards the list against strong publishers who cannot deliver.
Accepted evidence
Firm registries, tenure records, verifiable team composition, years of continuous operation.
Verification
Structural facts only — no headcount claims without a public source.
Recency
Slow decay: continuity is inherently long-horizon.
P6 · Accessibility & Transparency — ENT 8 / SMB 20
Definition
How openly the firm engages the market: pricing clarity, published terms, responsiveness, plain-language communication. Weighted heavily for SMB, where opacity is the main buyer risk.
Accepted evidence
Published pricing or engagement terms, response records, documentation quality.
Verification
Assessed only from what the firm makes public — private conduct is out of scope.
Recency
Current-state parameter: latest two quarters only.
Constants
| Confidence multiplier | 0.50 → 1.00, by band: 12–17 → 0.50 · 18–23 → 0.65 · 24–29 → 0.80 · 30–39 → 0.90 · 40+ → 1.00 |
|---|---|
| Evidence floor | 12 archived entries; below it a firm is not listed |
| Recency | standard half-life 8 quarters · slow half-life 16 quarters · current-state latest 2 quarters |
| Tie-break | confidence, then current tenure, then evidence count (firm slug as the final deterministic key) |
| Precision | published to two decimals; ties resolved before rounding |
Determinism
Research and drafting of evidence involve judgment; the computation of scores and standings does not. The same inputs always produce byte-identical published outputs, and this is asserted in CI on every run.
Where humans touch the system
In two bounded, published places only: the review of objections, and the rare extraordinary admission of a firm of exceptional public contribution. Neither sets a position by hand — an admission only makes a firm eligible to be computed.