How To Create Business Reports

BUSINESS REPORTS

Report             Latin                “reportare”

                                                To carry back

Re – back + portare – to carry

• Description of an event carried back to someone who was not present on the scene

• Scientists, engineers, executives, administrators make the use of reports

Reports include           careful investigation

                                    Sound thinking

                                    Logical organization

                                    Clear writing

REPORT WRITING & ITS IMPORTANCE

• C. A. Brown says “A report is a communication from someone who has some information to someone who wants to use that information”.
• “a basic management tool used in decision making”.
• “Usually an answer to a question or a demand from some other person for information”.
• A report is a formal communication written for a specific purpose; it includes a description of procedures followed for collection and analysis of data, their significance, the conclusions drawn from them, and recommendations, if required.

ORGANIZATION OF A REPORT

1. Letter Form
2. Memorandum Form
3. Letter – Text Combination Form

IMPORTANCE

• Help to perform his functions of planning and evaluating men and material resources efficiently
• To improve working process of production, distribution, comparison
• To get better understanding
• To develop the power of Description, Organization, Judgement, Communication

TYPES

Oral

Written            Informal                      Formal

                                                            Informational              Interpretive     Routine

STRUCTURE OF REPORTS

FRONT MATTER

1. Cover
2. Frontispiece
3. Title Page
4. Copyright Notice
5. Forwarding Letter
6. Preface
7. Acknowledgements
8. Table of Contents
9. List of Illustrations
10. Abstract and Summary

MAIN BODY

11. Introduction
12. Discussion or Description
13. Conclusions
14. Recommendations

BACK MATTER

15. Appendices
16. List of References
17. Bibliography
18. Glossary
19. Index

FRONT MATTER

COVER

Protects the manuscript

Neat appearance

Name of the Company

Address

Title of the report

Its number

Date

Classification (Secret, Top Secret etc.)

FRONTISPIECE

Window Display

Ignites Curiosity

TITLE PAGE

Cover + subtitle

Name of the author

Name of the authority for whom the report was written

Contract, project or job number

Approvals

Distribution List

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

If published

Inside of title page

© 2002 Raj

All rights reserved. No part of this report may be reproduced in any from or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher

FORWARDING LETTER

To establish rapport with reader

Mention title, purpose, contents, repeat important points

PREFACE

Introduce Report

Preview

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thanks to the persons and organization

Indicate the permission is taken

TABLE OF CONTENTS

More than 10 pages

Gives overall view

Helps to locate particular topic/ sub topic

Put page no carefully

Lay out

11/2” margin on left    1” on right, bottom, top

‘TABLE OF CONTENTS Centre, capital, underscore

Leave two/ three space then 1^st heading

Leave two spaces between heading & one between sub-headings

Heading four spaces

Sub heading eight spaces

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

If more tables and figures

Gives information

ABSTRACT AND SUMMARY

Extract or synopsis

ABSTRACT              

What the report is about

Its coverage

Shorter than summary

Length 2 to 5 % of original

SUMMARY

Gives substance of the report

Report in a nutshell

Includes          method of analysis

                        Findings

                        Conclusions

                        Recommendations

Length 5 to 10 % of original

MAIN BODY

INTRODLUCTION

Starting point

Historical/ Technical Background

Limitations

Methods of collecting data

Sources

Definitions, symbols

DISCUSSION OR DESCRIPTION

Present data in organized form

Significance

Analysis

Results

CONCLUSIONS

Remarks at the end

To close / end

Logical inferences, judgements

Match with what has gone before

RECOMMENDATIONS

Suggest future course of action

Help in decisions taking

More – grouped them

Mention if asked

BACK MATTER

APPENDICES

Support the body

Safely omit – no loss

Materials Included

Questionnaires

Statistical data

Samples

Definitions, symbols

Worked out example

LIST OF REFERENCES

Works quoted

List in alphabetical order

Few – mention in footnotes at bottom

E.g.

Alan Warner, A short Guide to English Style, Oxford University Press, London, ELBS Edition, 1964, pp, 40-42

BIBLIOGRAPHY

List of the works consulted before or during

List of works for further study

E.g.

Palmer, Frank, Grammar, Second Edition, Middlesex, England, Penguin Books Limited, 1972

GLOSSARY

List of technical words & their explanations

If few explain in footnotes

Omit – depends on reader

INDEX

Quick guide for topic and sub topic

Alphabetical Order

Topic are with page no

REPORT IN LETTER FORM

·        Heading or Title

·        Date

·        Address

·        Salutation

·        The Body

·        Complementary Close

·        Signature

THE BODY OF THE LETTER

1.                 Introduction         A  Reference

B  Subject of Study

C  State Problem

2.                 Findings

3.                 Recommendations

4.                  

Write in                     FIRST PERSON (I)

                                           OR

                                           WE

EXAMPLE

                                      Title

                            

                                                                             Date

Address

Salutation

Subject

(The Body)

Complementary Close

Sign

REPORTS

1.                  Write a report giving your opinion about the medium of instruction – English or regional language in the engineering colleges of Gujarat. Address your report to the dean, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Saurashtra University, Rajkot.

2.                  Fire broke out in “Morbi Furniture Factory”, Morbi. Write a report stating causes and consequences and actions taken by you in the capacity of Production Engineer. Address your report to the Board of Directors of the factory.

3.                  As a manager of Nagpur Cement Co. Ltd., Gandhi Road, Nagpur. Draft a report on a serious accident that took place in your factory. The report along with other details should state conditions under which the accident took place and measures taken to prevent repetitions of such accidents. Address your report to the directors of the company.

4.                  You are a management trainee in Atmiya InfoTech Pvt. Ltd., Yogidham, Rajkot, dealing with marketing of software. There has been a slight change in the market as a result of which you need to suggest some innovative marketing strategies to the director of the company.

5.                  Write a report to the editor of a news paper, complaining of the bad quality and inadequate supply of Municipal Water in your town.

6.                  You have been asked by a manufacturing company to report on the advisability of locating one of their plants in Rajkot. Selecting any line of business with which you are familiar. Draft a report.