Concepts & Reference 🌐

How Your Strategic Health Score Is Calculated

Your Strategic Health Score is a single number from 0 to 100 that summarizes how your organization is performing across every measured area. It's not a guess or a survey — it's computed from the real metrics you submit each month, using a transparent, weighted formula. This guide explains how the math works so you can trust what the number is telling you. 💡 Tip — Who can use this Relevant to all clients. You don't need to do any math yourself — this just explains what's happening behind the score you see. Quick reference | Concept | What it means | |---------|---------------| | Pillar score | A 0–100 score for one area (e.g. Focus, Operations) | | Composite score | The weighted blend of all your pillar scores | | Coverage | How complete the data behind a score is | Pillars, then a composite Your score is built in two layers. First, each pillar in your framework gets its own score from 0 to 100. Then those pillar scores are combined into one composite score using weights — some pillars count more than others toward the total. How a pillar score is computed. Each pillar is driven by specific metrics. For each metric, Fortis Pulse compares your actual value to a benchmark or target: - For "higher is better" metrics (like margin or on-time delivery), your score rises as your actual value approaches or beats the target. - For "lower is better" metrics (like churn or time-to-fill), your score rises as your actual value drops below the threshold. The metric scores are combined into the pillar score using that pillar's weighting. Some pillars (like Focus and Transformation) use specialized recipes that blend multiple inputs — for example, Focus combines how many of your strategic priorities are on track with whether you're hitting revenue targets. How the composite is computed. The pillar scores are blended using your framework's weights, which are set per tier. On higher tiers, the weighting rebalances to put more emphasis on forward-looking pillars like Transformation and Intelligence. The composite only includes pillars that have data — a pillar with no submitted inputs doesn't drag your score down, it's simply excluded from the average. Coverage: partial vs full You'll sometimes see a coverage badge next to a score: - Full — every metric behind the score was submitted. This is the most accurate reading. - Partial data — at least one metric was missing. The score is still calculated, but from fewer inputs, so it's less complete. - No data submitted — nothing was submitted for the period, so there's no score to show. 💡 Tip — Submit complete data for an accurate score The more complete your submission, the more accurate your score. If you see "Partial data," check the Submit Data page for any missed fields — completing them gives you a truer picture. 📝 Note — Health bands are display labels, not separate scores Each pillar shows a band — Excellent (80+), Good (60+), Warn (40+), or Critical (below 40). These are just readable labels for the 0–100 number, not a different scoring system. The composite score uses the raw numbers, not the bands.

Periods & the Monthly Cycle Explained

Almost everything in Fortis Pulse — your scores, flags, advisory commentary, and reports — is organized by period. Understanding how periods work is the key to reading your dashboard correctly and knowing when to submit data. This guide explains what a period is and how the monthly cycle flows. 💡 Tip — Who can use this Relevant to all clients. Quick reference | Concept | What it means | |---------|---------------| | Period | A single month (e.g. "July 2026") | | Cycle | Submit → Review → Publish | | Locking | A submitted period can't be edited by the client | What is a period? A period is simply a calendar month, shown as "Month Year" (for example, "July 2026"). All the data, scores, and commentary you see on your dashboard are for one specific period at a time. The period selector in the header lets you choose which month you're viewing — switch it to compare how things looked in a previous month. The monthly cycle Each period moves through a lifecycle as you and your advisor work through it: 1. Draft — you're entering your data on the Submit Data page but haven't submitted yet. You can save a draft and return to it. 2. Submitted — you've submitted the period's data. It's now locked on your side and moves to your advisory partner for review. 3. Reviewed — your partner has scored the period and is preparing the advisory commentary. 4. Published — your partner has published the scores, flags, and advisory commentary. This is when you can see the full picture for the period on your dashboard. The status badge you see on your client list or dashboard reflects where each period is in this cycle. 📝 Note — Only periods with data appear in the selector The period dropdown lists months you've submitted or reviewed data for. If a month isn't there, it means no data exists for it yet. To make a new month appear, start a submission for it on the Submit Data page. ⚠️ Warning — Submitting locks the period Once you submit a period, you can't edit its data from your side — it's locked and handed to your advisor. If you realize you made a mistake after submitting, contact your partner rather than trying to re-enter it. Plan to submit when your data for the month is final. 💡 Tip — Pulse AI runs on your first submission When you submit data for a brand-new period, Fortis Pulse automatically kicks off a Pulse AI advisor run that drafts scores and commentary for your partner. Depending on your plan, you may see that AI output immediately, or your partner reviews and publishes it first.

What Are Diagnostic Flags?

Diagnostic flags are Fortis Pulse's early-warning system. When one of your submitted metrics falls outside a healthy range, a flag is raised to draw your (and your advisor's) attention to it — before it drags down a score or becomes a bigger problem. This guide explains what flags are, what they mean, and how to read them. 💡 Tip — Who can use this Relevant to all clients. Flags appear on your Executive Overview and on the Flags & Actions page. Quick reference | Concept | What it means | |---------|---------------| | Flag | A metric that crossed a threshold | | Severity | How far off — amber (watch) or red (act) | | Status | Active, Acknowledged, or Dismissed | How flags work Each metric in your framework has defined healthy ranges — a target and thresholds. When you submit data for a period, Fortis Pulse compares your actual values against those thresholds. If a value crosses a threshold, a flag is raised automatically. A flag tells you four things: - Which metric is off (for example, Gross Profit Margin or Voluntary Attrition Rate). - The severity — amber means it's worth watching; red means it needs attention now. - The actual value versus the target, so you can see how far off it is. - The pillar it belongs to, so you know which area of the business is affected. Your advisory partner can add a written comment to any flag explaining what it means and what to do about it. Flag status Each flag has a status that tracks whether it's been dealt with: - Active — the metric is still off and the flag is current. - Acknowledged — the flag has been seen and accepted (you or your partner marked it). - Dismissed — the flag was reviewed and intentionally set aside (for example, a known, accepted situation). 📝 Note — Flags come from your data Flags only appear for metrics you've submitted. No data means no flags — but it also means no early warning. Submitting complete data each period is what keeps your flags accurate and timely. 💡 Tip — Red flags trigger a Critical Alert On higher tiers, any red flag active in a period raises a Critical Alert banner at the top of your Executive Overview, so urgent issues can't be missed. Tap through to the Flags & Actions page to see the detail and your advisor's recommended actions. ⚠️ Warning — Don't confuse flag severity with your subscription tier "Amber" and "red" describe how far a metric is from healthy — they have nothing to do with your subscription plan (Trial, Access, Partner, Executive). Those are separate concepts.

Tier & Feature Comparison

Fortis Pulse offers several subscription tiers, each unlocking more features as you move up. This guide explains the tiers at a high level and what each one adds, so you can understand what's included in your plan and what you'd gain by upgrading. 💡 Tip — Who can use this Relevant to all clients. Check your current tier under Settings → Usage & Billing. Quick reference | Tier | Best for | Highlights | |------|----------|------------| | Trial | Trying Fortis Pulse | Free, time-limited, core dashboard | | Access | Getting started | + Document sharing | | Partner | Regular advisory | + Pillar deep-dive, decision velocity, quarterly reports | | Executive | Full program | + Board-ready reports, benchmarks, full history | The tiers Fortis Pulse tiers are cumulative — each one includes everything in the tier below it, plus more. Trial — A free, time-limited introduction. You get the core dashboard, score tracking, and a limited number of Pulse AI interactions. It's designed to let you experience the platform before committing. After the trial period ends, access expires unless you move to a paid plan. Access — The entry paid plan. Adds the document sharing workspace so you and your advisor can exchange files securely, plus a higher included AI quota. Partner — For clients in an active advisory engagement. Adds the Pulse AI pillar deep-dive, decision velocity tracking, the "what changed" period-over-period comparison, quarterly reports, and a larger AI quota. Executive — The complete program. Adds board-ready reports, benchmark comparisons against industry standards, scenario tracking, multi-partner commentary, a critical-alert banner, full history (beyond the default recent months), and year-over-year views, plus the largest AI quota. 📝 Note — Pulse AI is also available as a metered option There's also a Pulse AI tier that's free and purely metered — you pay per token for AI features rather than a monthly subscription. AI interactions across all plans draw from either your included quota or your token balance. 💡 Tip — See your tier and upgrade anytime Your current tier shows in the header next to your organization name, with full details under Settings → Usage & Billing. If a feature you want isn't in your plan, you'll see an upgrade prompt when you reach it — and you can upgrade from that same billing page. ⚠️ Warning — Firm-sponsored plans are different If your advisory firm sponsors your account, your tier is managed by the firm. You'll see a "Plan Managed by Your Firm" notice instead of upgrade options — contact your firm to change your plan.

Workspaces vs Organizations

Fortis Pulse has two related but distinct concepts — organizations and workspaces — and understanding the difference helps things make sense. This guide explains both. 💡 Tip — Who can use this A conceptual reference for everyone. Quick reference | Concept | What it is | |---------|------------| | Organization | The client company (the account) | | Workspace | A single advisory engagement | The two concepts Organization — the client company itself. An organization has one name, one tier, one billing setup, and one set of users. It's the "who." Workspace — a single advisory engagement between that organization and an advisory team. The workspace is where the period data, scores, documents, sessions, and advisory commentary live. It's the "engagement." Most organizations have one workspace — one ongoing engagement with their advisory team. But an organization can have multiple workspaces if they have separate engagements (for example, a strategy engagement and a separate operations engagement with different partners). 📝 Note — Most data is workspace-scoped Scores, flags, advisory commentary, documents, and sessions belong to a workspace, not directly to the organization. Notifications and billing stay organization-scoped (they're about people and money, not specific engagements). 💡 Tip — Switching workspaces If your organization has multiple engagements, a workspace switcher lets you choose which one you're viewing. Most clients have just one and won't see a switcher — it only appears for multi-engagement organizations.

Health Bands vs Subscription Tiers (Don't Confuse Them)

Two different things in Fortis Pulse both use words that sound like levels — health bands and subscription tiers. They're unrelated, and mixing them up causes confusion. This guide makes the distinction clear. 💡 Tip — Who can use this A quick clarification for all clients. The two concepts Health bands describe how healthy a score is. They're labels for the 0–100 pillar and composite scores: - Excellent — 80 and above - Good — 60 to 79 - Warn — 40 to 59 - Critical — below 40 A pillar showing "Critical" means that area of your business scored low this period — it's a performance signal, not a plan limitation. Subscription tiers describe your plan. They're Trial, Access, Partner, and Executive, and they determine which features you can access. Your tier shows in the header next to your organization name. Why they're easy to mix up Both use tiered-sounding words, and both appear near your scores. But they answer completely different questions: - A health band answers: "How well is this area of the business doing?" - A subscription tier answers: "Which features am I paying for?" 📝 Note — They don't affect each other Being on the Executive tier doesn't make your scores higher, and having a "Critical" health band doesn't mean your subscription is at risk. They're independent. A Trial client can have Excellent scores, and an Executive client can have Critical ones — the score reflects your data, the tier reflects your plan.