Analysis Reports

Chapter 6
 Analysis Reports
• Analysis: close examination
• Show the results of research and analysis
• Examine the information provided and
make recommendations
• Common types of analysis reports are
recommendation reports and feasibility
studies
 Report Types
• If the report examines the practicality of
doing something new it’s called a feasibility
study

• If the report evaluates alternative products

or business strategies, it’s called a
recommendation report
 Recommendation Reports

• Analyze data, evaluate alternatives and

recommend a particular purchase, process or
course of action

• May recommend a piece of hardware for

purchase, or an entirely new way of doing
business
 Recommendation Reports

• Concerned with the examination of a problem

and possible solutions

• People have problems that they don’t know

how to solve and so they turn to experts for
help
 Recommendation Reports

• The writer of the report is an expert who:

– analyzes the present business situation
– evaluates possible alternatives
– concludes and recommends the best choice
• The readers gain access to an expert opinion
which allows them to make informed
decisions

• The readers must have faith in the expert

judgment of the writer

• But the readers will also expect that the

report will clearly state the criteria and the
logic used
 Rec. Report Structure
Summary: a quick synopsis of the problem and
recommended solutions
Context / Introduction: current circumstances and
problems
Discussion: a listing and explanations of criteria; the
evaluations of alternatives based on that criteria
Conclusions and Recommendations: a clear
statement of which alternative is best, followed by
suggestions for implementation
 Discussion Structure
• Readers may trust the writer’s expertise but
should be able to understand the expert
analysis
• The writer must explain the criteria used in
the evaluation
• The writer must persuade the readers to
accept the conclusions
 Discussion Section
• Criteria
– Explain criteria (persuasively)
– Rank criteria

• Evaluation
– Lay out each alternative in turn and judge according
to criteria
– Often includes a table or chart at the end of the
analysis for easy visual comparison
 Criteria & Evaluation Subsections

• Define the criteria by which the alternatives

are judged

• Ensure an accurate and comprehensive

evaluation

• If significant criteria are omitted or

prioritized incorrectly, the evaluation will
not be accurate
 Explain the Criteria
• The readers must be able to follow the
analysis and understand the conclusions
derived

• If the readers don’t understand the criteria,

then they may disagree with the evaluation
What criteria would you use to analyze
hard drives?

• Price

• Reliability

• Size

• Speed
 Rank the Criteria
• Some criteria are more important than others
• Rank the criteria, so that the readers
understand which is most important and
which is least
• Ranking criteria is particularly important when
there isn’t one clear ‘winner’ among
alternatives
 How would you rank hard drive
criteria?

1. Price
Ranked by order
2. Size of importance
(decreasing)
3. Speed

4. Reliability
How might a business rank hard drive
criteria?

1. Reliability
Ranked by order
2. Size of importance
(decreasing)
3. Speed

4. Price
 Evaluation Section
• Presents an analysis of each alternative in
turn, each judged according to the criteria

• A look-up table listing alternatives and criteria

provides readers with an overview of the
evaluation process
 Evaluate alternatives based on criteria
• Alternative 1 – Western Digital
• 3 TB
• 7200 RPM
• 2-yr warranty
• $160
• Alternative 2 – Seagate
• 3 TB
• 7200 RPM
• 1-yr warranty
• $140
• Alternative 3 – Western Digital Green
• 3 TB
• 7200 RPM
• 3-yr warranty
• $170
 Comparison Table
• Tables or other simplified data displays
(graphs, charts, etc.) help the reader
understand your reasoning at a glance.
Criteria WD Seagate WD Green

3 TB 3 TB 3 TB 3 TB

Warranty 2 yr 1 yr 3 yr

Speed 7200 7200 7200

Price $160 $140 $170

 Report Structure

• Conclusions and Recommendations

section may precede the Discussion
section when:
– the Discussion section is extremely
large
– the readers inherently trust the writer’s
recommendations
 Recommendation re. New Colour Laser Printer

Summary
As our current networked printer is no longer sufficient, I have evaluated
three color laser printers and have chosen a replacement for the current one.
Of the printers evaluated, the Brother HL-760 is the best choice for us; I
recommend we purchase one by April 8.

Context
Our current networked printer is no longer adequate for our field office. The
current HP Laserjet XL printer is slow, prone to breakdowns, requires costly
maintenance, and the print quality is no longer up to professional standards.
I have considered three laser printers (Brother HL-760; Canon LX-560;
Lexmark ADF) which are readily available, are in our price range, and which
are made by reputable manufacturers who offer excellent warrantees and
service packages for their products. The important criteria for evaluation
are: speed, print quality and cost – in that order. The Discussion section will
show how these printers meet these requirements and includes a table
comparing their features.

Conclusions & Recommendations

Of the three printers compared, the Brother HL-760 will best suit our needs
regarding performance and print quality—at a reasonable cost. I suggest
that we purchase one Brother HL-760 by week’s end (April 8), as we need to
improve the professional quality of our print jobs as quickly as possible.
Discussion

Criteria Used in Evaluation

Speed

The speed of printing is a significant factor because the printer is shared by

eight different users on the network. A faster throughput will ensure
everyone gets their documents when they need them. Printer throughput
is measured in pages per minute (ppm).

Cost

Cost, as always, is an important consideration. However, in this evaluation,

the highest price is $815, which is still a reasonable price for a laser printer.
The prices for the three ranged from $699 to $815, a price range of $116.
 Print Quality

Print quality is important, but all three printers reviewed meet the
professional standard of 600 dots per inch (dpi), the measurement of how
precisely the printer can represent text and graphics on the page.

Evaluation of Printers

The Brother HL-760

The Brother had the fastest throughput at 26 ppm.

The Brother is significantly cheaper than the Canon or the Lexmark. The
estimated ‘street value’ of the Brother is $699, a very good price for the
quality of its output.

The print quality of the Brother isn’t as high as the Canon, but Brother is
capable of printing at 600 dpi—which is sufficient for our publishing needs.
 The Canon LX-560

The Canon had a throughput of 18 ppm, which is respectable; however, a

faster rate is preferred.

The estimated ‘street value’ of the Canon is $795, which means it lies
between the other two printers in price. The Canon is $96 more expensive
than the Brother and $20 cheaper than the Lexmark.

The Canon has the highest print quality of the three; it is capable of
printing at 1260 dpi. However, a print quality of only 600 dpi is sufficient
for our publishing needs.
 The Lexmark ADF

The Lexmark had a throughput of 21 ppm, which is respectable; however,

a faster rate is preferred.

The estimated ‘street value’ of the Lexmark is $815, which makes it the
most expensive of the three printers reviewed.

Like the Brother, the print quality of the Lexmark isn’t as high as the
Canon; but it is sufficient for our publishing needs.
 Printer Speed Print Cost
Quality

Brother HL- 26 ppm 600 dpi $699

760

Canon LX- 18 ppm 1260 dpi $795

560

Lexmark 21 ppm 600 dpi $815

ADF