Business Report Writing.

What is Report Writing?

Business report writing is used by professionals to write business research, forecasting and business related issues.

The purpose of a report is to inform someone about a particular subject. Reports are made up of facts and arguments on a specific subject. Reports allow information to be presented in an ordered way.

Reports present findings and make recommendations rather than a critique of a subject.

There are three types of report- extended formal report, short formal report and informal report.

Extended Formal Report

Companies and governments use extended formal reports when reports are going to be seen by the public.

The structure of an Extended Formal Report is as follows:

• Title Page

• Contents

• Synopsis

• Terms of reference

• Procedure

• Detailed findings

• Conclusions

• Recommendations

• Appendices

• Bibliography

Short Formal Report

A Short Formal Report is for internal use in companies.

The structure of a Short Formal Report is as follows:

• Title Page

• Terms of reference

• Procedure

• Findings

• Conclusions

• Recommendations

• Appendices

Informal Report

Informal reports are used for internal use, particularly within departments and for dealing with routine issues. Memorandum format is often used for these reports.

The structure for an Informal Report is as follows:

• Introduction

• Main Section- findings

• Final Section- conclusions and recommendations

Title Page

A title page is the front page of the report. The title page should include the author’s name and the date.

Contents Page

The contents page is a list of the sections in the report with the related page numbers.

Introduction

The introduction is where you give the reader of the task set andwhat you intend to cover.The introduction is a good time to include the statement of aimsand objectives; this is when you say what you are planning to do andhow you are going to do it.

The Terms of Reference

This is an introductory part of the report and should clearly say:

• Who the report is for e.g. OCR Certificate in Administration Group

• What the report is about e.g. Following office procedures

• When the report needs to being presented by e.g . to be presented toCertificate in Administration Group 20 January…

Procedure

This is where you explain how the information was gathered. You also need to sayexactly where you got your information from, and how you got the information. This is where you would also include your methodology if relevant.

Findings

This section of the report should contain the information that youfound out as a result of your procedure. You will need to includethe facts and figures that have been collected during your report.You can use tables, graphs and charts, if you do, you mustremember to describe them e.g. Chart 8 or Appendix 3 shows that28% of offices do not meet safety requirements.

Conclusions

The conclusion is made up of the main findings. This is where you show what you think of the information you have found. Make sure that youclearly show how you came to your conclusions, and that they are based on your findings. Everything in this section is based on the findings and you should not introduce new points at this time.

Recommendations

This is where you must say how the problem can be solved. This must be based on the findings of the report. You can have short term and long-term recommendations; you need to be aware of the implication of your recommendations (financial etc).

Appendices

An appendix is the additional information you refer to in the report and wish to conclude as evidence or demonstration of the full findings.Graphs, tables etc, should be within the findings section if they need to be looked at whilst reading the report. The appendices should only include information that may possibly be referred to out of interest or is needed as evidence.

Things to remember when writing your report:

Language and Style

• Your writing must be clear and precise in meaning.

• The style of writing should be factual and objective.

• The language must be formal. Do not use slang.

• Do not use ‘I’, ‘you’ or ‘me’ in a formal report. Use third person language such as- ‘The personnel committee requested a report on…’

Layout/ Headings

• The main parts of your report should have headings.

• Important points inside these main areas should carry sub-headings.

• If you want to draw attention to a specific word or section, underline that

word or heading.

• Numbers can be used to help list points of importance in order.

• You can use letters to distinguish between different parts of the report (e.g. section 3ii or Section A part 3b, etc…)

Example Report

Terms of Reference

Margaret Anderson, Director of Personnel has requested this report on employee benefits satisfaction. The report was to be submitted to her by 28 June.

Procedure

A representative selection of 15% of all employees were interviewed in the period between April 1st and April 15th concerning:

1.               Overall satisfaction with our current benefits package

2.               Problems encountered when dealing with the personnel department

3.               Suggestions for the improvement of communication policies

4.               Problems encountered when dealing with our HMO

Findings

1.               Employees were generally satisfied with the current benefits package.

2.               Some problems were encountered when requesting vacation due to what is perceived as long approval waiting periods.

3.               Older employees repeatedly had problems with HMO prescription drugs procedures.

4.               Employees between the ages of 22 and 30 report few problems with HMO.

5.               Most employees complain about the lack of dental insurance in our benefits package.

6.               The most common suggestion for improvement was for the ability to process benefits requests online.

Conclusions

1.               Older employees, those over 50, are having serious problems with our HMO's ability to provide prescription drugs.

2.               Our benefits request system needs to be revised as most complaints concerning in-house processing.

3.               Improvements need to take place in personnel department response time.

4.               Information technology improvements should be considered as employees become more technologically savvy.

Recommendations

1.               Meet with HMO representatives to discuss the serious nature of complaints concerning prescription drug benefits for older employees.

2.               Give priority to vacation request response time as employees need faster approval in order to be able to plan their vacations.

3.               Take no special actions for the benefits package of younger employees.

4.               Discuss the possibility of adding an online benefits requests system to our company Intranet.

Copy of a Short Informal Report

To Mrs K Pearson

Office Manager

From Christine Fellows

Personal Assistant

Ref CF/AB

Date 12 August 2000

REPORT ON THE PREVENTION OF WASTEFUL USE OF STATIONERY AND REPROGRAPHIC SERVICES

1.0 INTRODUCTION

On Tuesday 28 July you asked me to investigate the current wasteful use of stationery in the department and to suggest ways in which it might be more economically used in the future. My report was to be submitted to you by Friday 14 August 2000.

2.0 FINDINGS

2.1 Stationery Use Investigated

The range of the departmental stationery investigated comprised: headed letter and memoranda notepaper, fanfold, tractor-fed printer paper, cut-sheet printer and photocopying paper, fax paper and the range of envelopes in use.

2.2 Stationery Associated with Correspondence/Internal Mail

The suspected increase in wasteful practices was confirmed upon investigation. I spoke to

executive staff who confirmed that, despite our extensive use of WP drafting, a significant proportion of ostensible final copies were being returned because of errors still present. Observation and discussion with secretarial staff confirmed that clerical and executive staff in particular are using printed stationery and unused envelopes on occasion as message pads. Regarding envelopes, white ones are being used where manilla would serve, and much more confidential internal mail is being sent in sealed envelopes. No member of staff appears to be reusing envelopes. Also, despite the introduction of the LAN, staff are still distributing paper-based memoranda and attached copy files when multiple distribution could be achieved through the network with commensurate cost-saving on photocopying.

2.3 Photocopying Practices

The departmental copier is in need of servicing and staff are wasting extensive amounts of copy paper as a result of a fault which creases paper. Furthermore, departmental staff continue to use our three single-sheet copiers for batch copying instead of the much cheaper departmental and company systems copiers, despite regular requests not to do so.

2.4 Increase in Stationery Costs

I analysed the cost of departmental stationery, comparing this year’s second quarter with the first, and this year’s consumption to date against last year’s. The stationery bill for the second quarter of this year is 30% higher than for the first quarter (Jan-

March: £621.50; April-June: £807.95). Allowing for increase in price, the department’s stationery bill for this year to date against an equivalent period last year is some 18% higher - £1731.01 compared with £1419.42 last year. This increase does not appear to be justified by an equivalent increase in the output of the department. Moreover, the rate of increase is rising.

3.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The investigation I have made do justify the concern expressed about excessive waste of office stationery and reprographic services and its impact on departmental running costs.

The increase in careless use of stationery is not confined to one section but is to be found, in different forms throughout the department. If action is not taken immediately the department is unlikely to keep within its administration budget.

I should therefore like to recommend the following information for your consideration:

3.4 A meeting with senior secretarial staff should be called to discuss the gravity of the problem and to obtain their co-operation in improving both managerial and secretarial performance. A refresher course could be mounted by the training department.

3.2 Control of stationery issues should be tightened; sections should be required to account quarterly for stationery if this proves practical in principle.

3.3 Consideration should be given to centralising all reprographic work carried out in the department so as to ensure that cost-effective approaches are optimized.

3.4 Departmental policy on LAN emailing procedures and message routing should be revised and all staff notified.

Quote:

Underline any language you think is particularly common in report writing.

What do you note about the language in general?

Why are figures useful in a report?

What one word is important in the numbered recommendations?

Structure of a Short Formal Report

This type of report is divided into 5 sections

1.0 TERMS OF REFERENCE

2.0 PROCEDURES

2.1

2.2

3.0 FINDINGS

3.1 Main Section Heading

3.2 Main Section Heading

4.0 CONCLUSION

5.0 RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 First main recommendation

5.2 Second “ “ “

Look at the model copy to help you understand the report’s sections. Take note of the language used and the difference between this and an informal report.

1.0 TERMS OF REFERENCE

This section includes – Who asked you to write the report

What you should include

When it should be submitted

Do not use ‘I’, ‘you’ or ‘me’ in a formal report. Use third person language such as –

‘The personnel committee requested a report on…’

2.0 PROCEDURE

Here the writer outlines the means by which he collected the information.

3.0 FINDINGS

In this section the information that has been collected is presented – in logical order, usually with the most important point first. Sub-headings are used as shown above to divide the information into logical and easily manageable sections. Facts and figures and graphs and charts are often used in this section. If you use tables, graphs and charts you must remember to describe them.

4.0 CONCLUSIONS

This is a summary of the main findings. This must be based on the findings and you should not introduce new points at this time.

5.0 RECOMMENDATIONS

Here the writer has to identify the means by which the problem can be

resolved. The recommendations must be based on the finding

Example of a Short Informal Report

To Mrs K Pearson

Office Manager

From Christine Fellows

Personal Assistant

Ref CF/AB

Date 12 August 2000

REPORT ON THE PREVENTION OF WASTEFUL USE OF STATIONERY AND REPROGRAPHIC

SERVICES

1.0 INTRODUCTION

On Tuesday 28 July you asked me to investigate the current wasteful use of stationery in the department and to suggest ways in which it might be more economically used in the future. My report was to be submitted to you by Friday 14 August 2000.

2.0 FINDINGS

2.1 Stationery Use Investigated

The range of the departmental stationery investigated comprised: headed letter and memoranda notepaper, fanfold, tractor-fed printer paper, cut-sheet printer and photocopying paper, fax paper and the range of envelopes in use.

2.2 Stationery Associated with Correspondence/Internal Mail

The suspected increase in wasteful practices was confirmed upon investigation. I spoke to

executive staff who confirmed that, despite our extensive use of WP drafting, a significant proportion of ostensible final copies were being returned because of errors still present. Observation and discussion with secretarial staff confirmed that clerical and executive staff in particular are using printed stationery and unused envelopes on occasion as message pads. Regarding envelopes, white ones are being used where manilla would serve, and much more confidential internal mail is being sent in sealed envelopes. No member of staff appears to be reusing envelopes. Also, despite the introduction of the LAN, staff are still distributing paper-based memoranda and attached copy files when multiple distribution could be achieved through the network with commensurate cost-saving on photocopying.

2.3 Photocopying Practices

The departmental copier is in need of servicing and staff are wasting extensive amounts of copy paper as a result of a fault which creases paper.

Furthermore, departmental staff continue to use our three single-sheet copiers for batch copying instead of the much cheaper departmental and company systems copiers, despite regular requests not to do so.

2.4 Increase in Stationery Costs

I analysed the cost of departmental stationery, comparing this year’s second quarter with the first, and this year’s consumption to date against last year’s.

The stationery bill for the second quarter of this year is 30% higher than for the first quarter (Jan- March: £621.50; April-June: £807.95). Allowing for increase in price, the department’s stationery bill for this year to date against an equivalent period last year is some 18% higher - £1731.01 compared with £1419.42 last year. This increase does not appear to be justified by an equivalent increase in the output of the department. Moreover, the rate of increase is rising.

3.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The investigation I have made do justify the concern expressed about excessive waste of office stationery and reprographic services and its impact on departmental running costs.

The increase in careless use of stationery is not confined to one section but is to be found, in different forms throughout the department. If action is not taken immediately the department is unlikely to keep within its administration budget. I should therefore like to recommend the following information for your consideration:

3.4 A meeting with senior secretarial staff should be called to discuss the gravity of the problem and to obtain their co-operation in improving both managerial and secretarial performance. A refresher course could be mounted by the training department.

3.2 Control of stationery issues should be tightened; sections should be required to account quarterly for stationery if this proves practical in principle.

3.3 Consideration should be given to centralising all reprographic work carried out in the department so as to ensure that cost-effective approaches are optimized.

3.4 Departmental policy on LAN emailing procedures and message routing should be revised and all staff notified.

Exercises:

1. Underline any language you think is particularly common in report writing.

2. What do you note about the language in general?

3. Why are figures useful in a report?

4. What one word is important in the numbered recommendations?

WHAT IS A MEMORANDUM

•Memorandum is the Latin word for “something to be remembered”

•Memorandum is the Latin word for “something to be remembered”

•

•Memos are brief in-house correspondence sent up and down the corporate ladder

•

•They can be on paper or sent through e-mail

*Memos are written messages sent among people working in the same company.

*Memos can be written for a number of reasons :

þInform staff about decisions/actions/events.

þRequest information / action /events.

þRemind staff of action needed/procedures/changes in policy.

þProvide information on work related topics.

CONTENT

vMemos generally deal with only one subject.

v

vFor two unrelated subjects, write two different memos.

CONSTRUCTING MEMOS

What is the Reason for Writing?

Who is your Audience?

Can be low-tech, high-tech or multiple

Better to provide a parenthetical definition with terms.

What response do you expect from your Audience?