> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.planeconnection.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Understanding Your SmartScore Report
> How to read and interpret your SmartScore report -- composite scores, pillar breakdowns, reason codes, confidence assessments, trend indicators, and the dispute process.
This guide explains every section of your SmartScore report so you can
understand what your score means, what drives it, and what to do if
something looks wrong.
**Who should read this:** Accountable executives, directors of operations, safety managers, and
anyone reviewing a SmartScore report before sharing it with an insurer or broker.
## The Composite Score (250--1000)
Your composite score is a single number on a 250--1000 scale that
summarizes your organization's operational safety posture. Higher is
better.
| Band | Score Range | Interpretation |
| --------------------- | ----------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| **Excellent** | 850--1000 | Consistently strong performance across all pillars |
| **Good** | 700--849 | Solid performance with minor areas for improvement |
| **Adequate** | 550--699 | Meets baseline standards with notable gaps |
| **Below Average** | 400--549 | Significant areas requiring attention |
| **Needs Improvement** | 250--399 | Material deficiencies across multiple pillars |
The 250--1000 scale is used for the Insurer SmartScore. The Internal SmartScore for pilot-level
scoring uses a separate 0--100 scale. These are different products -- see [SmartScore
Methodology](/en/reference/smartscore-methodology) for details.
## Pillar Scores
The composite score is built from four weighted pillars. Each pillar
receives its own score on the same 250--1000 scale.
### Organizational Foundation
Measures the structural elements that support safe operations:
years in operation, fleet size and composition, organizational
stability, and external certifications (IS-BAO stage, ARGUS rating).
### Operational Excellence
Measures day-to-day operational quality: maintenance compliance rates,
dispatch quality, flight following coverage, MEL usage patterns,
and route complexity management.
### Safety Risk Management
Measures the maturity of the operator's safety risk management
processes: reporting rate threshold, training completion rates,
duty/rest compliance, and the presence of systematic safety processes.
### Human Capital & Resilience
Measures crew qualifications, experience depth, training investment,
and organizational capacity: ATP percentage, average flight hours,
recurrent training rates, simulator hours, and crew currency.
Each pillar contributes to the composite score with proprietary weighting. A low score in one
pillar does not necessarily result in a low composite score if other pillars are strong. Focus
improvement efforts on your weakest pillar for the greatest overall impact.
## Stoplight Indicators
The report uses green, yellow, and red indicators for each pillar
and for key sub-metrics:
| Color | Meaning | Action |
| ---------- | ------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------- |
| **Green** | Meets or exceeds industry benchmarks | Maintain current performance |
| **Yellow** | Below benchmark but within acceptable range | Monitor and plan improvements |
| **Red** | Below acceptable threshold | Requires immediate attention |
Stoplight indicators appear in the executive summary section of the
PDF report and provide a quick visual assessment before diving into
the numbers.
## Reason Codes
Reason codes are the most actionable part of your report. Modeled
after FICO credit score factors, they explain the top factors
influencing your score -- both positively and negatively.
### Positive Reason Codes (Top 5)
These highlight your strongest areas. Examples:
* "Fleet maintenance compliance rate exceeds 98%"
* "All pilots hold ATP certificates"
* "Recurrent training completion rate at 100%"
* "IS-BAO Stage 3 certification active"
* "Zero duty time violations in trailing 12 months"
### Negative Reason Codes (Top 5)
These highlight areas pulling your score down. Examples:
* "Three overdue maintenance items in trailing 90 days"
* "Flight following coverage below 90%"
* "Average crew experience below peer group median"
* "Recurrent training completion rate below 85%"
* "No external safety audit certification on file"
Negative reason codes are your improvement roadmap. Address the top negative factor first -- it
will have the largest positive impact on your score at the next quarterly update.
## Confidence Assessment
The confidence assessment tells you (and the insurer) how complete
the data behind your score is. It does **not** affect your score value --
a score with 40% data completeness is not penalized relative to a score
with 90% completeness. Instead, completeness affects the confidence
interval around your score.
| Completeness | Confidence Label | What It Means |
| ------------ | ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
| 80--100% | **High confidence** | Narrow confidence interval; score is well-supported |
| 60--79% | **Moderate confidence** | Reasonable confidence; some data gaps |
| 40--59% | **Limited confidence** | Wider confidence interval; additional data recommended |
| Below 40% | **Low confidence** | Very wide interval; score should be interpreted with caution |
To improve confidence, ensure all relevant data categories in
PlaneConnection are populated: fleet records, crew qualifications,
training records, maintenance items, and dispatch data.
## Trend Direction
The trend indicator shows how your composite score has changed over
the trailing 12 months:
* **Improving** (upward arrow) -- score has increased by more than 25
points
* **Stable** (horizontal arrow) -- score within +/- 25 points
* **Declining** (downward arrow) -- score has decreased by more than 25
points
Insurers pay attention to trend direction. A moderately scored operator
with an improving trend may be viewed more favorably than a
higher-scored operator with a declining trend.
## Score Freshness
Every report includes a freshness indicator based on when the score
was generated:
| Age | Status | Insurer Guidance |
| ------------ | ----------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| 0--30 days | **Current** | Acceptable for all underwriting decisions |
| 31--90 days | **Valid** | Acceptable; recommended refresh for large policies |
| 91--180 days | **Stale** | Warning; refresh before use |
| 180+ days | **Expired** | Must not be used; require a new report |
If your report is approaching staleness, generate a fresh one before
sharing it with your insurer.
## What to Do If Your Score Seems Wrong
If you believe your Insurer SmartScore contains errors or does not
accurately reflect your operation, you can file a dispute:
### Review your data
Before filing a dispute, verify that your operational data in
PlaneConnection is accurate and up to date. Common causes of
unexpectedly low scores include missing training records, incomplete
crew qualification data, or maintenance items that have been completed
but not closed in the system.
### File a dispute
Navigate to **Safety > SmartScore > Dispute** and specify which
data inputs or score components you believe are incorrect. Provide
supporting documentation where possible.
### Investigation
PlaneConnection acknowledges disputes within 3 business days and
conducts a 30-day investigation. The scoring team reviews your inputs,
recalculates with any corrections you provide, and documents findings.
### Resolution
If an error is confirmed, your score is corrected. If the score was
already shared with an insurer, the corrected score is automatically
transmitted to that insurer. You receive a detailed explanation of the
outcome regardless of whether the score changes.
### Appeal
If you disagree with the resolution, you can escalate to an
independent actuarial reviewer (external, paid by PlaneConnection).
## Related
Step-by-step guide to generating and sharing your score.
Technical reference for scoring methodology and pillar weights.
Background on the two-score architecture and design principles.
Common questions about scores, sharing, and disputes.