BUSINESS REPORTS
APARNA RAO
JUNE 2007
WHAT IS A REPORT?
Orderly and logical presentation of
records, data, statistics and other
factual information presented in an
objective manner
Aims to serve a business purpose by
facilitating organized information
allowing readers to get updates and
evaluate/see progress on a project
WHAT IS A REPORT?
‘The term covers everything from a fleeting
image on a computer screen to preprinted
forms to informal letters and memos to
formal 3-volume bound manuscripts.’
Thus, ‘a business report is any actual
objective document that serves a business
purpose’.
- Business Communication Today,
7th ed.- Bovee,Thill & Schatzman
Pearson Education
REPORTS: NEED & IMPORTANCE
According to Michael Dell: ‘We have
to stay on top of our customers’
needs, and we have to monitor and
understand the innovation in
everything from semi conductors to
liquid crystal displays. … information
in its raw form doesn’t present itself
in neat and tidy packages.”
KINDS OF REPORTS
Informational Reports Analytical Reports
Provide a record of Aims at analysis of
previous events, information,
leading to updates drawing
and evaluation of conclusions and
progress (reader’s making
responsibility) recommendations
(writer’s
responsibility)
WHY REPORTS?
Informational Reports Analytical Reports
1. Monitor & control 1. Guide decisions on
operations particular issues
2. Implement policies &
procedures 2. Get products, plans,
3. Comply with legal or or projects accepted
regulatory
requirements
4. Document work
performed for clients
WHY REPORTS?
Compliance Report: based on interpretation
of government regulations
Operational/Policy Decisions: based on
information presented and analyzed in
various reports
Can you think of more?
In short, reliance on reports has increased
because of constraints –time, geographical,
lack of technical expertise
EFFECTIVE BUSINESS REPORTS
Main Elements:
Accuracy – Information, organization,
writing, presenting
Objectivity – Keeping report free of
personal opinion or bias
Timeliness - prepared and submitted
according to goals and deadlines
3 - STEP PROCESS
Planning:
Analyze - situation, define problem,
SOP, select appropriate report type,
draft preliminary outline, develop
work plan
Investigate–primary and secondary
information
Adapt-Establish audience relationship
and choose right channel
3 - STEP PROCESS
Writing:
Organize – Decide on format, length, order
and structure
Compose – Prepare final outline, draft
introduction, body and closing; style control
through level of formality and tone;
establish time perspective and provide
supporting detail; make it reader friendly
3 - STEP PROCESS
Completing:
Revise – content & readability; edit
for conciseness & clarity
Produce – Use effective design
elements, include prefatory and
supplementary parts
Proofread – Review text & visuals for
errors in layout, spellings &
mechanics
WRITING REPORTS
Statement of purpose
Determining the scope of the report
Audience awareness
Gathering information
Analyzing the information
Drawing conclusions
Determining the solution
Organizing the report
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE (SOP)
Question – Should the college library
timings be extended?
Infinitive – To determine whether internet
should be restricted
A well written statement provides a clear
direction to the report writer as well as the
reader
DEFINING THE SCOPE
Clearly define the factors that you are
going to study in your report
e.g.- A report on ‘Attrition Rate’ in a
company; factors to be studied:
i. Salaries/Perks
ii. Perks
iii. Work Load
iv. Performance Evaluation Procedures
AUDIENCE AWARENESS
Readers who have to make
Primary decisions on the basis of the report
Readers affected by the actions
Secondary taken based on the report (may or
may not read the report)
Readers responsible for evaluating
Immediate the report and getting it to the right
people (primary)
GATHER INFORMATION
Type Source Drawback
Secondary Books, Net, reports, Information
news-papers, maybe inaccurate,
journals etc. outdated, or
biased
Primary Questionnaires,surv Process must be
eys,observations,ex monitored for
periments etc. accurate,
unbiased findings
ANALYZE INFORMATION
Aim: Reach objective
inferences from information
gathered.
Separate facts & figures
Explain what they mean
Explain the significance and
implications clearly
DETERMINE SOLUTION
Identify solutions based on
information gathered and conclusions
drawn
Write recommendations
Recommendations could be divided
into long term and immediate actions
to be taken
ORGANIZE REPORT
Draft report outline – Major & supporting
ideas, developing details, eliminating
unnecessary ideas
With this basic structure, prepare report
in memo form, or as formal report
Activity: Differentiate between memo
report and formal report
PARTS OF A REPORT
Introduction – brief overview of contents
Summary – of situation/ problem/
opportunity explored in report
Discussion – Methodology, Findings /
results of research done, criteria/ tools for
analysis
Conclusions – Implications of results/
inferences drawn from findings
Recommendations – Options that you feel
are best and why
REFERENCES
Avoid Plagiarism: Citing others work
without giving credit …
Give credit to all sources of information in
your report
Most popular referencing methods:
1. Harvard
2. APA
3. Vancouver
MORE ON REFERENCE SKILLS
Assignment: Visit
http://english.arts.unsw.edu.au/engl/essa
y_resources/referencing.html
http://www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/Content/LI
BReferenceStyles
http://www.usq.edu.au/plagiarism/infostu
d/avoidplag/referencing/refexplain.htm
lcms01.ust.hk/sbm/wsc/referencing/introd
uction/index.html
ASSIGNMENT
Your individual performance report in
the last quarter – self appraisal
Placement Committee report on final
placements for batch 2007-09
Alumni Committee Report on the
Alumni Night
REFERENCES
1. Bovee, Thill, Schatzman: Business
Communication Today, 7th Ed.,
Pearson Education
2. Raman Meenakshi & Singh
Prakash: Business Communication,
Oxford University Press
THANK
YOU
