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