Methodology canon

Matching Algorithm — Trade × Locale → Score

Quick read

Your audit produces one number — a compatibility score 0–100 — plus a verdict band and the top 3 risks and levers. The score starts at a baseline of 50, adds points for inputs that generate your trade's element (sheng cycle), subtracts points for inputs that control it (ke cycle), then applies sha drag (capped −80) and a Period 9 modifier (capped +70 lift). Severity tiers move the score in fixed steps from ±2 to ±50.

Verdict bands

Score	Band	What it means
85–100	Strong match	Proceed with confidence; standard remediation not required.
70–84	Good with conditions	Proceed with the named adjustments.
55–69	Workable	Possible but requires deliberate fit-out + remediation.
40–54	Significant friction	Reconsider unless the trade can adapt substantially.
0–39	Avoid	Substantial drag on the trade's qi conditions.

Severity tiers — how much each finding moves the score

Tier	Point swing	Example
T5	±50	Direct ke-control of trade primary by sector dominant element across all 9 inputs
T4	±30	Severity-5 sha (hospital opposite + road dagger); major facing-element mismatch
T3	±15	Single severity-4 sha; moderate sector × trade ke-cycle friction
T2	±7	Severity-3 sha; building-shape ke against trade secondary
T1	±2	Minor severity-2 sha; small entrance / frontage notes

Aggregate caps: total sha drag capped at −80; total lift (sheng + period 9 + favorable inputs) capped at +70. Final score clamped to [0, 100].

Sample finding

Top risk — Ke cycle, T3 (−15). Trade primary Wood (homeware retail) sits in Ubi (Earth-dominant sector). Earth ke-controls Wood across the sheng / ke cycle. The sector itself is mild-severity Earth — not a deal-breaker, but the trade's natural qi is mildly suppressed by the location's baseline character. Lever: lean into the secondary Earth element of the trade (terracotta, ceramics, grounded-tone visual identity) to convert friction into alignment.

How the algorithm works

Step-by-step computation

Trade element vector. From intake: primary element (P), secondary (S), sub-category modifiers per the trade table.
Locale element vectors (×9). Each of the 9 inputs gets: element contribution, direction (generative / draining), and severity tier (T1–T5).
Combine locale vectors using the headline weights (public) + per-trade weight adjustments (proprietary).
Apply sheng cycle. For each locale element, check whether it sheng-generates the trade primary. Wood → Fire → Earth → Metal → Water → Wood.
Apply ke cycle. For each locale element, check whether it ke-controls the trade primary. Wood → Earth → Water → Fire → Metal → Wood.
Apply hua cycle (paired transformations: Metal+Water enhanced Water; Water+Wood enhanced Wood; etc.) Check whether the result supports or drains trade secondary.
Apply sha drag. Sum severity-tier point swings for every sha. Capped at −80 aggregate.
Apply Period 9 modifier. Sector × trade × period interaction. Capped at +70 aggregate lift.
Sum, clamp to [0, 100].
Surface top 3 risks + top 3 levers in plain English. The "why" is what the buyer pays for.

Score = 50 (baseline)
      + sheng (weighted, signed)
      − ke    (weighted, signed)
      + hua   (weighted, signed)
      − sha_drag        (capped at −80)
      + period9_modifier (lift capped at +70)
Clamp to [0, 100].

Sheng / ke / hua — the three cycles

Sheng (productive): Wood → Fire → Earth → Metal → Water → Wood. Direct sheng (locale element directly produces trade primary) = full positive contribution. Two-step sheng (locale produces what produces trade primary) = partial positive.

Ke (controlling): Wood → Earth → Water → Fire → Metal → Wood. Direct ke = full negative. Two-step ke (the controller of your suppressor) = partial positive.

Hua (transformative): paired elements transform into a third — Metal + Water = enhanced Water; Wood + Fire = enhanced Fire; Fire + Earth = enhanced Earth; Earth + Metal = enhanced Metal. Checks whether the result supports trade secondary.

What the score is NOT

Not a guarantee. A 92-scoring unit can still fail commercially if the operator can't deliver. A 55-scoring unit can thrive with deliberate remediation + a strong operator.
Not a recommendation to lease. Zhai stays on the fengshui-suitability side, not the property-agency side.
Not a property valuation. Score is independent of price — "scores 85 but rent is 30% above market" is not the audit's domain.
Not an outcome prediction. Outcomes depend on operator, brand, marketing, ops, timing — fengshui is one input among many.

Worked example (Ubi homeware retail)

Trade: Retail — homeware / furniture (Primary Wood, Secondary Earth).

Facing: SE (Wood-favoring) — facing × Period 9 modifier = +4
Sector: Ubi (Earth) — Earth ke-controls Wood, T3 weight = −15
Sha: light corner sha (T2) from neighbouring building = −7
Entrance: clear visibility, level threshold = +6
Road: gentle flow, level, near major intersection = +4
Building: rectangular concrete (Earth) — Earth ke-controls Wood, container effect muted = −4
Support: solid 4-storey building behind = +4
Frontage: ground-floor, MRT 4 min = +6
Period 9: SE direction favourable but not peak = +0

Score = 50 + sheng(0) − ke(19) + period9(+4) + entry/road/support/frontage(+20) − sha_drag(7) = 48 → "Significant friction" band. Audit narrative: the Ubi Earth sector is the primary drag; either bring Earth secondary forward in the brand identity (ceramic / terracotta accents) or expect uphill qi conditions.

What this means for your audit

The score is the headline, not the deliverable. The deliverable is the named top 3 risks and top 3 levers — the specific things you can act on. A workable score with two clear levers is often more useful than a strong score with no actionable detail. The audit always shows you the math, so you can verify exactly why a finding moved the score the way it did.