INTRODUCTION TO REPORT WRITING AND PLANNNING THE PROJECT/REPORT

2. INTRODUCTION TO REPORT WRITING AND PLANNNING THE PROJECT/REPORT

3. Overview.. INTRODUCTION • Definition of business report • Importance of writing a business report • Purpose of the business report 4. Types of business report 5. Criteria of an effective report 6. The report writing process Jean Khanh

4. Overview.. PLANNING THE PROJECT/REPORT 1.Position 2.Problem 3.Possibilities 4.Proposals Valli Roland

5. Introduction Definition of a business report A business report is an orderly and objectivecommunication of factual information that serves some business purpose • Orderly Logical and coherent Done in unbiased manner • Objective

6. WHY IS A REPORT IMPORTANT? Introduction • Means of communications among members in an organization • Report are sometimes source of information that become part of new report • Usually go up to organizational hierarchy who use them to make decisions

7. PURPOSES OF A BUSINESS REPORT Introduction 2 general purposes Inform Persuade

8. Informational Introduction • Monitoring and controlling daily operation. • Kept as historical data for future decision making. • Comply with legal or regulatory requirements.

9. Persuasive persuasive Introduction • To implement new policy, system. • Request for purchasing. • To market the product.

10. WHAT IS AN EFFECTIVE REPORT? Introduction • Proper use of English Eg: choosing words that are more expressive • Informative or factual • Confident Eg: no vague or unsure terms. • Descriptive and logical • Accurate and convincing • Complete • Meet the reader’s needs

11. TYPES OF REPORT Introduction Types of Reports Time Function Form • Progress • Periodic • Special • Memorandum • Letter • Manuscript • Informational • Analytical

12. TYPES OF REPORT: Function Introduction Reports categorized by FUNCTION

13. TYPES OF REPORT: Time Introduction Reports categorized by TIME

14. TYPES OF REPORT: Form Introduction Reports categorized by FORM • Letter • Memo • Manuscript

16. TYPES OF REPORT: Other types Introduction Other types of reports

17. Of RePoRT WriTinG The Reader is the most important person. Keep the report as short as possible Organize for the convenience of the report user. All references should be correct in all details. The writing should be accurate, concise and unobtrusive. The right diagrams with the right labels should be in the right place for the reader. Summaries give the whole picture in miniature. Reports should be checked for technical errors, typing errors and inconsistency. The report should look as good as it is. The Reader really is the most important person.

18. Process Planning the report Designing the research tools Collecting and analyzing the data Organizing the information Writing the report Editing/Proofreading the report

19. For example… Planning the Report The Vice president of Softex Company requested a report from the sales manager to explain declining sales in year 2000.

20. Planning the Report Planning Position 1 Proposals Problem 4 2 3 Possibilities

21. Planning the Report Position • Reader • Background information • Scope • Limitations

22. Position – Reader • 1. Primary reader • Authorises the report • Vice President of Softex Company • 2. Secondary reader • Others who may read the report • CEO of the Softex Company

23. Position – Background information Background information that readers need. • Who authorized the report • Vice president of Softex Company • What factors determined the need for the report • Depleting sales in the year 2000 • Other important information about the company • Softex company’s missions • Product information

24. Position – Scope • Defines the boundaries of investigation. • Sales figures since the start of sales of Softex Company. • Past marketing strategies employed • Indicates size & complexity of report. • Explicitly states which issues will be covered and which issues you will not cover.

25. Position – Limitations • Factors that hinder or limit the quality of your findings of the report. • Inadequate time/resources • Lack of access to sources of data

26. Planning the Report Problem • Problem Statement • Purpose Statement

27. Problem- Problem Statement • Defined by the person authorizing the report. • Vice president of Softex company • Defines what you are investigating. • What caused sales figures to decline in the year 2000? • What steps should be taken to increase sales?

28. Problem- Purpose Statement • Defines the objective of the report • Phrased with an infinitive phrase • “The purpose of the report is to analyze the decline in sales in 2000 and to suggest ways to increase sales in 2002”

29. QUIZ!! QUIZ!! The Vice president of Singapore Tourism Board requested a report from the General manager to explain declining tourist arrivals in the year 2000.

30. The Vice president of Singapore Tourism Board requested a report from the General manager to explain declining tourist arrivals in the year 2000. Problem statement? • Why is the number of tourist arrivals in Singapore increasing? b) Why is the number of tourist arrivals in Singapore declining? c) Why is the vice president still single?

31. The Vice president of Singapore Tourism Board requested a report from the General manager to explain declining tourist arrivals in the year 2000. Statement of purpose? • To analyze various sectors in the tourist industry and to recommend solutions that will best meet our company’s current and future needs. • To evaluate the impact of declining tourist arrivals.

32. Possibilities – Problem Factoring • What do we do next? • Problem factoring: Identify areas relevant to problem “The depleting sales may be due to a lack of marketing efforts, wrong marketing strategies…”

33. Possibilities – ‘Karma’ • Why the need for problem factoring? • Identify causes of problem & form hypotheses relevant to problem

34. Possibilities – Hypothesis • Definition of hypothesis? • A possible explanation to explain certain facts providing grounds for researching “The lack of marketing efforts may be due to the low commission rate of sales managers, laziness of sales staff…”

35. Proposals • Definition of proposal – suggestion put forward for consideration • Hypotheses are basis of proposals “We can increase the commission of our sales managers & terminate the contracts of the lazy ones…”

36. Conclusion Report writing Introduction Definition of business report Importance of writing a business report Purpose of the business report Criteria for an effective report Types of business report Report Writing Process Planning the report Position Problem Possibilities Proposal

37. Questions