A Guide to Business Report Writing

What is Report Writing?

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. You can write reports for business,
psychology, health and safety.

How are reports different form essays?

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 and
what you intend to cover.
The introduction is a good time to include the statement of aims
and objectives; this is when you say what you are planning to do and
how 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 to
Certificate in Administration Group 20 January…
Procedure
This is where you explain how the information was gathered. You also need to say
exactly 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 you
found out as a result of your procedure. You will need to include
the facts and figures that have been collected during your report.
You can use tables, graphs and charts, if you do, you must
remember to describe them e.g. Chart 8 or Appendix 3 shows that
28% 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 you
clearly 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…)

For more information on report writing check out the following books:

Jefferson, Lesley (1999). Administration Procedures for Higher Secretarial

Diplomas. Oxford

Taylor, Shirley (1999). Communication for Business. Harlow

Please see the following pages for examples of report writing.

Copy of a Short Informal Report

To Mrs K Pearson
Office Manager
Note the top of an informal
From Christine Fellows
Personal Assistant report is like a
memorandum
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 re-
using 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.

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