How To Write a Business Report - Weebly



How to Write a Business Report

Reports consist of the following elements:

|Order in Report |Order Written |Executive reads |

|Executive Summary |6 |Always |

|Contents |7 |N/A |

|Introduction |1 (Unless academic Report) |Sometimes |

|Findings (Main Body) |3 |If interested in research |

|Conclusions |4 |If surprised… |

|Recommendations |5 |Nearly always |

|Bibliography / sources |2 Write as you research |If report shows area that needs|

| | |further investigation |

|Appendices |Anytime you find extra info. |Rarely |

1 Executive Summary

The executive summary should include a summary of all of the key points, the idea is that an executive can read the summary and if it appears logical and inline with expectations the recommendations can be followed without the need to read further.  This is in fact the most important part of the report and should be written last. The executive summary should include a summary of all parts of the report including recommendations. 

Writing Order: Written after the rest of the report (But before the contents page)

Email Tip:  If you are sending the report via email, include the executive summary in the main part of your Email, so that a busy executive doesn’t have to read an attachment to read the main points.

2 Contents

The Contents of the report should be consistently laid out throughout the report and you should include both page numbers and title numbers.  In this example we look at the transport requirements for sales people:

3 Introduction / Terms of Reference

The introduction should say why the report is being written.  Reports are nearly always written to solve a business problem. Reports maybe commissioned because there is a crisis or they maybe routine.   Nearly all reports in some way answer the age-old business problem, how can we increase profits?

Writing Order: Often written first, but maybe refined at anytime. (In Business studies courses this could be done later, because the exact business problem may not be given by the lecturer.)

4 Findings / Main Body

Sometimes reports don’t say Findings, but it is normally assumed that the main part of your report will be the information you have found.  

This information is not always read by executives, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t important, because without thorough research and analysis the author will not be able to come to effective conclusions and create recommendations.  Also if anything in the executive summary surprises the executive, then they will turn directly to the relevant part of the recommendations. 

Writing Order: This is normally written after the 1st draft of the introduction.

5 Conclusions

The conclusions should summarize the Findings section, do not include diagrams or graphs in this area. This area should be short, clearly follow the order of the findings and lead naturally into the recommendations. 

You should never include new information in the conclusion!

Writing Order: Written after the Findings

6 Recommendations

All reports should include recommendations or at least suggestions. It is important to make sure that there is at least an indicator of what the Return on Investment would be.  It is always best if this can be directly linked, but may not always be possible.

Make sure that your recommendations clearly follow what is said in the conclusions

Tip: if you don’t have any ideas suggest a brainstorming meeting and invite the relevant people.

Writing Order: After the Conclusions

(Source: Abela, James. (2006) )

How to Teach on How to Write a Report

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Ameerah Cetawayo

Ameerah Cetawayo has been a business writer since 2005, contributing to the "Bowling Green Daily News" and "The Daily Gazette." She has also been a television news producer, talk show host and radio anchor/reporter. Cetawayo has a Bachelor of Arts in mass communication from Western Kentucky University and a Master of Business Administration from the College of Saint Rose.

By Ameerah Cetawayo, eHow Contributor

[pic]Teach students the basics of business writing.

The language of business is different from academic writing. Learning how to write report-style means being detailed and concise in a way that aids business managers to make decisions. Teaching this important skill requires you to explain what report writing is all about and provide exercises so students and professionals can practice and receive the feedback they need.

Things You'll Need

• Word processor

• Business books or exposure in the corporate world

• Examples of business documents

• Classroom or meeting area

1 Explain the definition of report writing and its importance. According to the website Money Instructor, content and presentation in business writing is a direct reflection on the company as well as the writer. Explain that having error-free business writing is an essential part of branding and the company's image. Teaching this concept also means explaining how business writing is an integral part of certain business disciplines, such as marketing, finance, accounting, management and general commerce. Report writing is also a skill that is transferable to other disciplines, including science and communications.

2 Give examples of business report writing. Report writing is known as "transactional writing" in that the intent is to communicate facts that either summarize or analyze a situation or topic and to present an argument based on supporting evidence. Examples of this can be found through case studies, white papers, annual reports and some PowerPoint presentations about certain issues.

3 Explain the reporting process cycle, which is to define and understand, to analyze, to summarize and then to engage. According to the book "Writing in Commerce," published by the University of Newcastle, writers should ask themselves what the purpose of the report is, and whether it exists "to inform, to make a proposal, or to solve a problem." After the writer defines the audience, he can follow a general outline for the report itself.

4 Demonstrate the process by providing a template that explains each section of what a report should contain. The template should include information on the title page, table of contents, introduction, main section, summarizing of points and recommendations. Each section of the report should deal with only one topic.

5 Assign practice exercises using report examples from companies and organizations. For example, assign students to take several annual reports and look for similarities in the style or presentation of the information. You can also give a fact sheet of information and have students come up with a report based on the information provided. Another way to have students practice report-style writing is to give them a series of arguments and facts and have them put together a formal report advocating for opposing views with supporting evidence.

6 Give constructive feedback. You can meet with students one-on-one, or have students do a peer review of reports in class.

Read more: How to Teach on How to Write a Report |

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