Informal Reports PDF

Evangeline G. Lim  explain informational and analytical report functions, organizational strategies, and writing styles; describe typical report formats and understand the significance of effective headings; determine the problem the report is addressing as well as the report’s purpose,...

Evangeline G. Lim  explain informational and analytical report functions, organizational strategies, and writing styles; describe typical report formats and understand the significance of effective headings; determine the problem the report is addressing as well as the report’s purpose, and gather significant secondary and primary information; write short informational reports that describe routine tasks; prepare short analytical reports that solve business problems.  Informational Reports Analytical Reports  Present data without analysis or recommendations Writers collect and organize facts Examples: ⚬ Trip reports (e.g., trade show visits) ⚬ Weekly status updates ⚬ Monthly sales reports ⚬ Government compliance reports  Provide data or findings, analyses, and conclusions May include recommendations if requested Examples: ⚬ Yardstick comparison reports (e.g., evaluating options) ⚬ Feasibility studies (e.g., expansion opportunities) ⚬ Justification reports (e.g., purchasing equipment or changing procedures)  DIRECT STRATEGY INDIRECT STRATEGY When you place the purpose for writing close to The organizational strategy is indirect when the beginning of a report, the organizational the conclusions and recommendations, if strategy is direct. requested, appear at the end of the report. Such reports usually begin with an introduction or description of the problem, followed by facts and explanations. They end with conclusions and recommendations.  Like other business messages, reports can range from informal to formal depending on their purpose, audience, and setting. Research reports from consultants to their clients tend to be more formal. Such reports must project objectivity, authority, and impartiality. However, depending on the industry, a report to a boss describing a trip to a conference is normally informal.  For short informal reports (≤ 8 pages) sent outside an organization. Prepared on office stationery. Includes: ⚬ Date, inside address, salutation, complimentary close. More structured and organized than regular letters. Features meaningful headings for clarity.  Used for informal reports within organizations. Includes Date, To, From, Subject. Longer than regular memos, with headings for organization. Rarely printed; often attached or embedded in e-mails.  Suitable for longer, formal reports. Printed on plain paper without letterhead. Begins with a title. Includes systematically displayed headings and subheadings.  Used for repetitive data (e.g., monthly sales, appraisals, inventories). Standardized formats save time and ensure completeness. Easily customized and shared electronically.  Reports saved as PDFs for: ⚬ Compact file size. ⚬ Preserved formatting and graphics. ⚬ Added links to external websites. Engaging web-based reports may include: ⚬ Interactive charts. ⚬ Multimedia effects like videos.  Visual representations of data or information. Benefits: ⚬ Simplifies complex information. ⚬ Easily understood and shareable. ⚬ Effective for storytelling and consumer engagement. Potential for viral spread on social media.  Combines report content in slideshow format. Can be e-mailed, embedded on the Web, or posted on an intranet. Features: ⚬ More text than traditional slides. ⚬ Visuals like photos, tables, and charts for better engagement.  Descriptive headings help readers: ⚬ Comprehend the report’s structure. ⚬ Identify major ideas quickly. Breaks text into manageable sections. Provides visual "resting points." Talking headings: ⚬ Add detail and spark interest. ⚬ Should align with the overall flow.  Use consistent placement, size, and font for heading levels. Avoid more than three heading levels. Capitalize main words (nouns, verbs, adjectives). Avoid capitalizing short articles, conjunctions, and prepositions (unless at the start or end).  Ensure headings at the same level are grammatically consistent. Example: ⚬ Developing Product Teams / Presenting Plan to Management. ⚬ Development of Product Teams / Presenting Plan to Management. First-level: Bold and left-aligned. Second-level: Bold paragraph headings.  Use at least one heading per page. Prevent headings from separating from their content. Standalone bold headings: No punctuation. Paragraph headings: Follow with a period.  Avoid vague, single-word headings (e.g., "Project"). Use concise yet descriptive titles (e.g., "Company’s Internship Expectations").  Business reports aim to: Simple informal reports might not ⚬ Compile data. require much research or data analysis; ⚬ Answer questions. however, complex reports might require ⚬ Solve problems. extensive research and data analysis. Key steps: Whatever the case, analyzing the ⚬ Define the purpose clearly. problem the report will address and the ⚬ Understand your audience. purpose of the report will keep it on ￭ How will they react to the target and determine how much data conclusions or recommendations and research is needed. ⚬ Gather relevant data systematically. The first step in writing a report is analyzing or determining the problem the report will address. Preparing a written problem statement helps clarify the task. Problem Analysis: Identify the issue the report will address. Write a problem statement to clarify tasks. Scenario: Suppose a pharmaceutical company wants to investigate the problem of high transportation costs for its sales representatives. Some sales reps visit clients using company-leased cars; others drive their own cars and are reimbursed for expenses. The leasing agreements for 12 cars expire in three months. The company wants to investigate the transportation choices and report the findings before the leases are renewed. The following problem statement helps clarify the reason for the report: Problem Statment: The leases on all company cars will expire in three months. The company must decide whether to renew them or develop a new policy regarding transportation for sales reps. Expenses and reimbursement paperwork for employee- owned cars is excessive. A statement of purpose further defines the report’s purpose and scope. To begin, develop questions that help clarify the purpose: Should the company compare the costs for buying and leasing cars? Should the company gather current data on reimbursement costs for those driving personal cars? Will the report writers evaluate the data and recommend a course of action? Should the sales reps’ reactions be considered? Then write a statement of purpose that answers the questions. Statement of purpose: To recommend a plan that provides sales reps with cars to be used in their calls. The report will compare costs for three plans: outright ownership, leasing, and compensation for employee-owned cars. Data will include the sales reps’ reactions to each plan. Statement of purpose Written purpose statement limits the scope and provides a standard that keeps the project on target. Use action verbs to clarify intent: ⚬ Examples: Analyze, Compare, Justify, Recommend, Evaluate. Some reports require only a simple statement of purpose Examples of Simple Purpose Statements: ⚬ Investigate expanded teller hours. ⚬ Select a manager among candidates. ⚬ Describe the accounts supervisor position.  A good report is based on accurate and verifiable facts. Two main categories of data: ⚬ Primary data: Firsthand experience and observation. ⚬ Secondary data: Information recorded by others. Typical sources include: ⚬ Company records, printed material, electronic resources, observation, surveys, and interviews. Many business reports begin with an analysis of company records and files. From these records you can observe past performance and methods used to solve previous problems. You can collect pertinent facts that will help determine a course of action. Although some print resources are also available online, libraries should not be overlooked as an excellent source for many types of print resources. Some information in libraries is available only in print. Print sources include books, newspapers, and periodicals, such as magazines and journals. An extensive source of current and historical information is available on the Web. From a computer or mobile device you can access storehouses of information provided by government sites, news media, periodicals, nonprofits, and businesses. Business researchers are also using Facebook comments, Twitter feeds, forum messages, and blog posts to gather information. In the absence of secondary sources, a primary source of data for many problems comes from personal observation and experience. For example, if you were writing a report on the need for a comprehensive policy on the use of social media, you might observe employees to see whether they are checking their social networks during the workday or sharing potentially damaging company information on their blogs, on Facebook, and on other social networks. Observation might yield incomplete results, but it is nonetheless a valid form of data collection. When a report requires current user or customer feedback, you can collect the data efficiently and economically by using surveys and questionnaires. This is another primary source of information. For example, if you were part of a committee investigating the success of an employee carpooling program, you might gather data by distributing a questionnaire to the employees themselves. Talking with individuals directly concerned with the problem produces excellent firsthand information if published sources are not available. For example, if you would like to find ways to improve the hiring process of your company, you may want to interview your company’s Human Resources director or several of the department hiring managers for the most accurate and relevant information. Interviews allow you to gather data from experts in their fields.  Describe periodic, recurring activities as well as situational, nonrecurring events. May also include summaries of longer publications Neutral or receptive audience. Aim to inform, not persuade. Generally deliver nonsensitive data and are therefore written directly  Document the events they attended and what they learned. Show that money was well spent in funding the travel. Inform management about business trends, procedures, legal requirements, or other information that would affect their operations and products. Select the most relevant material and organize it coherently. Generally, it is best not to use chronological sequencing Focus on three to five topics in which your reader will be interested Here is a general outline for trip, conference, and convention reports: Begin by identifying the event (name, date, and location) and previewing the topics that were discussed. In the body, summarize the main topics that might benefit others in the organization. Use headings and bullets to add readability. Close by expressing appreciation, mentioning the value of the trip or event, and offering to share the information. Itemize your expenses, if requested, on a separate sheet. Continuing projects often require progress, or interim, reports to give status updates on the project. These reports may be external or internal. Follow this pattern when writing a progress report: Specify the purpose and nature of the project in the opening. Provide background information if it gives the reader a better perspective. Describe the work completed so far. Explain the work currently in progress, including names, activities, methods used, and locations. Describe current and anticipated problems. If possible, include possible remedies. Discuss future plans and completion dates in the closing. Minutes summarize the proceedings of meetings. Most businesses post team meeting minutes to intranet sites soon after the meeting ends. The notes are then accessible to everyone who attended or who missed the meeting. Companies often use in-house templates for recording meeting minutes. If you are assigned to take minutes, you will want to follow this general pattern: Begin with the name of the group, as well as the date, time, and place of the meeting. Identify the names of attendees and absentees. State whether the previous minutes were approved or revised. Record briefly the discussions of old business, new business, announcements, and committee reports. Include the precise wording of motions; record the votes and actions taken. Conclude with the name of the person recording the minutes. Formal minutes may require a signature. A summary compresses the main points from a book, report, article, website, meeting, or convention. A summary saves time by reducing a report or article by 85 to 95 percent. Employees are sometimes asked to write summaries that condense technical reports, periodical articles, or books so that a reader can skim the main ideas quickly. Students may be asked to write summaries of articles or chapters to sharpen their writing skills and confirm their knowledge of reading assignments.A n executive summary summarizes a long report, proposal, or business plan. It covers what management needs to know about the full report, using headings and brief paragraphs. Guidelines for writing summaries: State the main idea or purpose as well as the source of the document being summarized. Why was it written? If summarizing a report, highlight the research methods, findings, conclusions, and recommendations. Omit illustrations, examples, and references. Organize for readability by including headings and bulleted or enumerated lists. If requested to do so, include your reaction or overall evaluation of the document. Both managers and employees must occasionally write reports that justify or recommend actions, such as buying equipment, changing a procedure, hiring an employee, consolidating departments, or investing funds. For nonsensitive topics and recommendations that will be agreeable to readers, you can organize directly according to the following sequence: Identify the problem or need briefly. Announce the recommendation, solution, or action concisely and with action verbs. Explain more fully the benefits of the recommendation or steps necessary to solve the problem. Include a discussion of pros, cons, and costs. Conclude with a summary specifying the recommendation and necessary action. When a reader may oppose a recommendation or when circumstances suggest caution, do not rush to reveal your recommendation. Consider using the following sequence for an indirect approach to your recommendations: Refer to the problem in general terms, not to your recommendation, in the subject line. Describe the problem or need your recommendation addresses. Use specific examples, supporting statistics, and authoritative quotes to lend credibility to the seriousness of the problem. Discuss alternative solutions, beginning with the least likely to succeed. Present the most promising alternative (your recommendation) last. Show how the advantages of your recommendation outweigh its disadvantages. Summarize your recommendation. If appropriate, specify the action it requires. Ask for authorization to proceed if necessary. Feasibility reports examine the practicality and advisability of following a course of action. They answer this question: Will this plan or proposal work? Feasibility reports typically are internal reports written to advise on matters such as consolidating departments, offering a wellness program to employees, or hiring an outside firm to handle a company’s accounting or social media presence. These reports may also be written by consultants called in to investigate a problem. The focus of these reports is on the decision: rejecting or proceeding with the proposed option. Because your role is not to persuade the reader to accept the decision, you will want to present the decision immediately. In writing feasibility reports, consider these suggestions: Announce your decision immediately. Provide a description of the background and problem necessitating the proposal. Discuss the benefits of the proposal. Describe the problems that may result. Calculate the costs associated with the proposal, if appropriate. Show the time frame necessary for implementing the proposal.