How your Score ARENA Express is calculated.

This page describes, with full methodological transparency, how the engine turns your eleven answers into a preliminary report. Auditor tone: no shortcuts, no promises, no padding.

The model · ARENA 414

ARENA 414 is the proprietary methodology BARRO uses in its signed audits. It measures nine industrial growth phases grouped into three zones with canonical weights:

F5 carries the highest unit weight (0.14) as it is the conversion gateway. The nine weights sum to 1.00 with no hidden compensations.

Global score and bands

Your eleven scoring answers map to one or more phases. Each answer produces a 0–100 dimensional score. Each phase score is the average of its active answers. The global score is computed as Σ(weight_i × F_i) and then a bottleneck adjustment is applied following Theory of Constraints: the worst phase drags the system.

The 0–100 number is categorized into seven canonical bands: critical · very weak · fragile · in transition · competent · solid · dominant. The band does not compete with the dictum; the dictum is what signs the reading.

Sector and revenue band calibration

Four of the eleven questions (cycle days, win rate, recurring revenue %, referral rate) are compared against operational thresholds for your sector. ARENA 414 codifies twelve industrial sectors plus a default. The revenue band calibrates the annual impact estimation.

Qualitative cohort

Your score is qualitatively positioned against the patterns documented in BARRO's study of 379 industrial companies audited 2020–2026. The quantitative cohort with dynamic percentiles is being aggregated: for now you receive a qualitative fit ("your score sits below the typical observed range") rather than an exact percentile. The corresponding caveat is reported in the "About this report" block.

Main leak · structural root vs worst math phase

The engine identifies the main leak by applying the ARENA structural pattern first: if the detected archetype has a known canonical root (for example, "Sales ahead of Operations" has its root in F6), that root is selected as the leak. Otherwise, the leak is the phase with the worst weighted system contribution.

When structural root and worst math phase differ, the report shows both: the main leak (root) in a highlighted block and, below, a subordinate methodological tension note citing the phase with the worst weight. The math phase can be a symptom, not the cause. The Full ARENA Audit contrasts this with operational evidence.

Healthy system · margin, not leak

If your global score is ≥ 65 and the minimum phase is ≥ 58, the engine reports "largest growth margin", not "main leak". The impact block is narrated as estimated opportunity cost instead of cost of the leak. Numbers do not change; the editorial reading does. Healthy systems are not diagnosed as broken.

€ impact estimation

Every monetary estimate carries its external source cited (Brixon Group, McKinsey, BCG, KPMG, PwC, Gartner). We apply the source's percentage to your declared revenue band. We do not invent numbers.

Archetype detection

ARENA 414 documents twenty structural archetypes. The Express engine has deterministic rules that map your score profile to one of the twenty. If no archetype fits with high confidence, it is reported as mixed pattern with a medium- or mixed-confidence caveat.

Cap and correction rules

• F1 capped by auditor rule (70/100): spontaneous recall requires interviews with prospects and external influencers. Cannot be honestly self-reported without a documented system. The engine caps the upper bound and reports the caveat f1_capped.

• F5 optimism correction (×0.85): self-reported sales-cycle and win-rate figures tend to be 50 % more optimistic than CRM-verified ones. The engine applies a corrective factor and reports the caveat optimism_correction_applied.

Systematic methodological caveats

Every report carries caveats that the engine activates automatically. They appear in the "About this report" block of the dictum without alarm or hiding. Some are always reported (self-reported, estimation basis); others only when they apply (self-acknowledged uncertainty, sectorial dispersion, structural root ≠ worst math phase, healthy system…).

What this score does NOT measure

The Score ARENA Express deliberately does not measure:

• The 45 detailed sub-dimensions (only aggregates at the 9-phase level).
• Triangulation with external prospects, ex-clients and influencers.
• Pre-signature operational validation (F5 internal sub-dimension).
• Contradictions between declared and operational evidence.
• The auditor-signed 90-day roadmap with owners and dates.

Versioning

Every report stores the engine version that produced it, enabling reproducibility and future auditability. Current version: engine v1.0.0 · questionnaire v2.0.0 STABLE. STABLE state means the questionnaire is closed after methodological validation with six representative cases; any future change will require full new validation before promotion.

BARRO · Public documentation · May 2026