Basics (Reports Writing)

Basics of Report Writingpart 1

Basics of Report Writingpart 1

Session 11-12

The big pictureThe big picture

“A report describes 1000 situations, like a picture speaks a 1000 words”

Effective business reports solve problemsand answers questions systematically

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What are reports?What are reports?

An orderly and objective communication of factual information that serves a business purpose

Business reports are systematic attempts to answer questions and solve problems. They include the following activities.

PlanningPlanning ResearchResearch OrganizationOrganization PresentationPresentation

What Are Business Reports?

Purpose of Business Reports Purpose of Business Reports

A business report conveys information to assist in decision-making. The report is the means to present this information.

Some reports might present the actual solution to solve a business problem; Other reports might record historical information that will be useful to assist in future decision making. Either way, information is being "reported" that will be useful in making decisions.

In order for the writer to have a clear understanding of why a report is written, a written purpose sentence is essential. However for analytical reports, you should give a problem statement before statement of purpose.

Problem StatementProblem StatementIt defines What your report is going to investigate.

Asking the following questions can help you define your problem statement:

What needs to be determined?Why is this issue important?Who is involved in this situation?Where is the trouble located?How did the situation originate?When did it start?

(Refer to pg 394 Table 12.1)

Statement of PurposeStatement of PurposeIt defines Why you are preparing the report, and helps you keep the report to the point.

This purpose sentence could be written as either a statement or a question. However it is more useful to use an infinitive statement (to plus a verb) for phrasing your purpose of statement.

For example: To determine ways to improve employee morale. (statement) To design a new procedure for the company’s annual inventory. (statement) Should new computers be purchased to replaced the older models? (question) Should the office arrangement be open or modular? (question)

Steps in Writing a Routine Business Report

Steps in Writing a Routine Business Report

Your assignment will be to write a memo report to help solve a business-related problem.

Think of a job you currently have (or have had in the past). Is there something you would change? Have you noticed a procedure or on-going situation that could be improved? Perhaps new equipment is needed or the physical layout is inefficient. Perhaps the work flow needs to be revised or company policy needs to be reevaluated. I'm sure there is something you would like to see improved.

Once you have a topic, you're then ready to start thinking in terms of a report. Don't decide on a solution right now. I want you to go through some steps to come to the RIGHT solution.

In creating your report, follow these steps:

Determine the Scope of the Report Consider Your Audience Gather Your Information Analyze Your Information Determine the Solution Organize Your Report

Determine the scope of the report Determine the scope of the report A common fault of many reports is making the scope of a report too general or too vague. When you choose a subject for

a report, one of the first steps is to narrow the scope to a report length. Your statement of purpose should help you to limit the scope.

The scope of the report is defined by determining the factors which you will study. You need to limit the amount of

information you will gather to the most needed and most important factors.

For example, factors to be studied to determine ways to improve employee morale might include:

SalariesFringe benefitsWork assignmentsWork hoursEvaluation procedures

You could study many other factors relative to improving employee morale. Some may be important, and you may want to consider them later. For any one report, however, a reasonable scope must be clearly defined by determining what factors will be included.

Consider Your Audience Consider Your Audience

Unlike letters and memos, reports usually have a far wider distribution. Many people may be involved in a decision-making process and have need to read the information in the report.

Your job is to make it easy for the reader. In order to make reading your

report easier, think in terms of the reader.

Analyze Your Information Analyze Your Information

The purpose of the analysis is to make sense, objectively, out of the information you have gathered. You will not want personal bias of any kind to enter into the analysis.

Information is compared and contrasted in an effort to try to find new ideas or the best ideas. Separate facts and figures need to be interpreted by explaining what they mean--what significance they have.

Analyze Your Information- For Example:

Analyze Your Information- For Example:

If you were doing a study to determine which computer to buy for your office, you would collect information on;

The type of work you are currently doing in your office and the kinds of work you want to do.

Then you would gather information on computers. This information might include cost, compatibility, speed of operation, machine capacity, machine dependability, maintenance availability, potential for upgrading, and other factors.

Then you would compare and contrast (analyze) the different computers to determine how well they can do what you want done, what their potential is, how dependable they are, and so on. Once all the information is gathered, you are ready to determine solutions

Determine the Solution Determine the Solution Based on your analysis, you will be then be ready to offer a solution (or solutions) to the problem you have been studying. Example: Which computer would be the best buy for the word processing center or what

office arrangement would be the best for effective work flow?

Types of ReportTypes of Report

Report Functions Informational reports

(To explain)

Analytical reports(To convince the audience that the conclusions & recommendations developed in the text are valid)

Purpose of Information ReportPurpose of Information Report

Monitoring & Controlling Implement Policies & Procedures Comply with legal or regulatory requirements Document work performed for clients Informational Reports

Providing information to the reader Not persuasive It provides answers to question without offering recommendations

Introduction Identify the report and its purpose. Present a brief overview of the report’s organization, especially for longer reports. When readers are unfamiliar with the topic, briefly fill in the background details.

Body Group facts or findings into three to five roughly equal segments that do not overlap. Organize by time, component, importance, criteria, convention, or some other method. Supply functional or talking heads (at least one per page) to describe each section. Use an informal, conversational writing style unless a formal tone is expected. Use bullets, numbered and lettered lists, headings, underlined items, and white space to

enhance readability.

Writing Informational Reports

Summary/Conclusion When necessary, briefly review the main points and discuss what action will

follow. If relevant, express appreciation or describe your willingness to provide further

information.


Typical informational business reports Periodic reports

Describe production, sales, shipping, service, and other recurring activities.

Trip, convention, conference reports Describe an event, summarize three to five main points, itemize

expenses, and estimate the event’s value.


Typical informational business reports Progress and interim reports

Explain continuing projects, including work completed, work in progress, future activities, and completion date.

Investigative reports Examine problems and supply facts; provide little analysis.


Student Progress Report

DATE: ~~~~~~TO: ~~~~~~FROM: ~~~~~~SUBJECT: ~~~~~~

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Background~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Work Completed~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DATE: ~~~~~~TO: ~~~~~~FROM: ~~~~~~SUBJECT: ~~~~~~

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Background~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Work Completed~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~ Page 2 ~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Work To Be Completed~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~ Page 2 ~~~~~~~~

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Work To Be Completed~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Student Progress Report

Informational ReportsInformational Reports

Tips for writing

Not so casual ( reader do not struggle to find main points)Proper heading / Bullets / Graphical highlighting

Periodic ReportsPeriodic ReportsGenerated after a regular interval Purpose is to keep management informedThese are for monitoring and for making

strategies It contains

Facts and figures Sales volumes Shipment delivered Accounts payable

Format Summarize regular activities Describe irregular events Highlight special needs and problems

Example Sales Report Summary Competitive update Product problems Needs

Situational ReportsSituational Reports

Covering non-recurring events ( Trips/Conferences) It is bit difficult to write Generally prepared in form of MemoHow To Write First ask who has authorized Introduction (Briefing) Conclusion ( Comments)Do not write in chronological order


Trips and conferences

Sent for one day training Begin with identifying event and previewing topics to coverSummarize in bodyConclusion ( what actions would be taken )


Progress and Interim reportsSpecial Project Purpose and nature of ProjectDescribe the work completed In progress workProblems and remediesFuture plans and activities and expected completion date

Investigative ReportsInvestigative Reports

Direct report as informational Intro Body (Facts and finding) Summary completion dateCompliance Reports Following any Law ( from govt authority ) Format Describe the action plan Enclose relevant material S

From here on…From here on…

We discuss Analytical Reports

Justification / Recommendation Reports Direct and Indirect Patterns

Feasibility Reports Yardstick Reports Research Studies

Purpose of Analytical ReportsPurpose of Analytical Reports

Guide decisions on particular issues Get products, plans or projects accepted by others

Introduction Explain why the report is being written. For research studies, include the

significance, scope, limitations, and methodology of the investigation. Preview the report’s organization. For receptive audiences, summarize the conclusions and

recommendations. Findings

Discuss the pros and cons of each alternative. For receptive audiences, consider placing the recommended alternative last.

Establish criteria to evaluate alternatives. In “yardstick” studies create criteria to use in measuring each alternative consistently.

Writing Analytical Reports

Findings Support the findings with evidence: facts, statistics, expert opinion,

survey data, and other proof. Use headings, enumerations, lists, tables, and graphics to focus

attention.

Conclusions/Recommendations Develop reasonable conclusions that answer the research question.

Justify the conclusions with highlights from the findings. Make recommendations, if asked. Use action verbs. Explain needed

action.


Typical analytical business reports Justification/recommendation reports

Make recommendations to management; provide data to solve problems and make decisions.

Feasibility reports Analyze problems and predict whether alternatives will be practical or

advisable. Yardstick reports

Establish criteria and evaluate alternatives by measuring against the yardstick criteria.


Analytical Report-1Analytical Report-1

Analytical Reports Emphasize On Reasoning Conclusion

Example: Product Engineers at Pepsi Cola persuading their management to launch “Mineral Water Bottles”

Direct Reports Concludes and provides recommendation early in the report Generally taken up by more experienced and valued writers Pattern can also be applied for topics that are more commonly understood


Justification/Recommendation Reports Different hierarchy levels are required to prepare such reports More frequently written Larger organizations use

Forms with conventional headings Topics / Audience / Writers Credibility determines the report pattern


Direct Pattern Non-sensitive topics Recommendations agreeable to readers

Pattern Problem identified at the beginning Announcement of recommendation, solution, with action verbs Discuss “Pros” and “Cons”, Costs, etc Conclusion with summary specifying actions to be taken

Example: Pepsi Sells Mineral Water


Phase I: Pre-Writing Analyze the purpose Anticipate the audience and response Adapt to direct and straight forward presentation

Phase II: Writing Research to collect appropriate data Organize the data that leads to the desired conclusion, by discussing overall effects Compose the report for presentation

Phase III: Revising Revise to ensure each supporting argument is highlighted Proofread to ensure good quality of presentation Evaluate critically if the user would except the argument


Indirect Pattern Make general reference to “The Problem” Use statistical data, analytics, authoritative quotes to highlight the issue Discuss alternative solutions, the most promising comes last Evaluate proposed solution by giving “Pros” and “Cons” Summarize recommendations and actions Invite authorization to proceed

Example: “Drive to Stop – Smocking”


Feasibility Report-1Feasibility Report-1

Analyzes whether a proposal or plan will work Presents

Decisions Back ground Information Benefits Problems Costs Schedule

Feasibility Report-2Feasibility Report-2

Announce decision early Description and back ground of the problem Benefits of the proposal Estimated cost to execute Time frame for execution

Example: General motors setting up “Chevy Assembly Plantin Pakistan”

Yardstick Report-1Yardstick Report-1

Problem with Two-More Solutions Establishes criteria for comparison between alternatives Advantage is to compare the alternatives with the same criteria

Yardstick Report-2Yardstick Report-2

Describe the problem / need Explain possible solution / alternative approaches Establish criteria for alternative’s evaluation Discuss each alternative in terms of the criteria Draw conclusion and recommendations

Example: McDonnell’s choice of outplacement of services

Research Report-1Research Report-1

Examines problems, collects data to solve the problem and reaches results from growing out of the findings

Leads the reader through all steps to reach the conclusion

Research Report-2Research Report-2 Identify the purpose of the report

Significance, scope, limitation, and methodology Preview the organization of the report Summarize conclusion and recommendations Finding

Discuss pros and cons Establish criteria for evaluation Provide reasonable evidence for findings Organize findings for logic and readability

Conclusion / Recommendations Draw conclusion Make recommendation

Report Formats

Letter format (outside the organization) Memo format (with in the organization) Manuscript format (longer formal reports) Printed forms (repititive data ,monthly etc)

Basics (Reports Writing)

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