Business and Technical Communication

1. Business and Technical Communication Report Writing Lecture #1

2. Imagine you work for the world-famous SAMSOFT SOFTWARE INNOVATIONS SSI 1. SSI wants to set up a sales office in an overseas site. You’re asked to investigate three Asian cities and come up with a recommendation. What are you going to do? 2. Joe’s FunSkool is looking for a software company to develop language-learning software. What are you going to do? 3. You’re in the midst of developing the FunSkool software and your boss asks you to report on your progress so far. What are you going to do? 4. Your boss finds the project’s investment cost is bigger than expected and SSI needs more funding. What are you going to do?

3. Why does your report need to be WONDERFUL? • To impress the boss. • To beat out the competition and get what you want. WOW!

4. Business and Technical CommunicationREPORT WRITING • What is a report? • What does a report do? • Types of reports • Doing research • Designing the solution -- (Start-up sheet) • Choosing sequence and headlines • Creating visual impact • Kissing • Topic review: Video

5. What is a report? An orderly, objective message used to convey information from one organisational area to another or from one institution to another.

6. 3 very common types of reports… • Feasibility reports • Progress reports 3. PROPOSALS

7. FEASIBILITY REPORTS (Dummies Ex. 9-1 p. 134) • Assess several alternatives • using criteria • and recommend the best alternative.

8. PROGRESS REPORTS Provide information about: • progress achieved, and • timetable for future work and completion to • identify possible problems, and • make decisions about resource allocation.

9. Progress Reports-Sections- • INTRODUCTION (explanation of the project) • WORK TO DATE (accomplishments & problems) • FUTURE WORK • CONCLUSION (situation overall)

10. PROPOSAL * It is an offer to perform one (or more) of the following services: • furnish goods or services • research a subject • provide a solution to a problem, to persuade the reader to follow your proposal and/or apply for funding. * It may be solicited (in response to a RFP) or unsolicited.

11. What does a wonderful report do? It helps the reader make a decision, by being… WELL-WRITTEN CREDIBLE SEALED WITH A KISS CLEAR PERSUASIVE

12. Joe’s FunSkool RFP Joe’s FunSkool requires software for its English language learning department. Proposals should include: 1. the features of your software 2. samples of your work from past similar projects 3. fees 4. schedule. Submit proposals to Joe Blow, Curriculum Director, Joe’s Funskool, 1 Cool Lane, S. 123456 by May 1, 2000.

13. PROPOSAL (Samsoft scenarios #2,#4) * It is an offer to perform one (or more) of the following services: • furnish goods or services • research a subject • provide a solution to a problem, to persuade the reader to follow your proposal and/or apply for funding. * It may be solicited (in response to a RFP) or unsolicited.

14. Where do I begin? RESEARCH Scoping out your prospect (p.154,155)

15. Primary research: 1. Interviews 2. Questionnaires 3. Observations - of people, animals, situations

16. Secondary research: (published records) Internet library offices

17. PRACTICE TASK: If you wanted to find out the following information, what kinds of research would you conduct? • 1. How pervasive is kiasu-ism in the NUS campus? • 2. A comparative study of the Computer Science Course in NUS and MIT, U.S.A. • 3. Do CS2301 students with female tutors get better grades than those with male tutors?

18. Where to now? DESIGN THE SOLUTION

19. Where to now? START UP SHEET (p. 17-21) 1. primary reader? 2. reader’s content needs? 3. reader’s WIIFM? (p. 154) 4. special angle? 5. reader’s attitude? 6. My purpose is to _____ so my reader will ___.

20. START UP SHEET, cont. 7. key point? 8. copies? 9. communication medium? 10. delivery time?

21. Where to now? HEADLINES AND SEQUENCING FORMAL or INFORMAL

22. HEADLINES AND SEQUENCING--THE INSIDES-- (Ch. 3) • Refer to RFP • See p. 34, Table 3-1 • See p. 153 • See p. 157

23. HEADLINES AND SEQUENCINGPutting it all together Introduction • Prospect’s position & problem • Your solution (brief) • Benefits to Joe’s FunSkool • Schedule (brief) • Costs (brief)

24. HEADLINES AND SEQUENCINGPutting it all together Body • Detailed description of your software • Details of your schedule • Details of your costs / fees • Why you? • Past work • Qualifications

25. HEADLINES AND SEQUENCINGPutting it all together Conclusion • Express your appreciation. • Express your confidence in your ability to do the job. • Highlight the advantages of working with your company.

26. YOUR APPENDIX. • Research methods, e.g. questionnaire forms, interview questions • Research results, e.g. questionnaire and interview answers • Details of project costs Put complex details in an Appendix.

27. SofC Graduates Eaten by Lion EFFECTIVE HEADINGS

28. ATTENTION-GRABBING HEADINGS Which one is better? Why? • “Description of Solution” • “Innovative language-learning software” • “Warranty information” • “Your warranty has expired”

29. Your Report Heading Title Page SSI REPORT A long, formal report Memo heading A short, internal report

30. Memo Heading To: Joe Blow, Curriculum Director From: Lee Gek Ling, Head Teacher Date: March 7, 2000 Re: Proposal for New Oral Presentation Component