Reports

1. Reports Prof. Q

2. Overview • Audience and Purpose • Elements of Effective Reports • Parts • Progress Reports (Informational) • Periodic Activities Report (Informational) • Trip Reports (Informational) • Peer Review Reports (Analytical) • Meeting Minutes (Informational) • Feasibility Reports (Analytical) • Recommendations Report (Analytical) • Comparative Analyses (Analytical) • Causal Analyses (Analytical)

3. Audience • Government officials • Corporate managers • Executives • Comparative Analysis • Feasibility Analysis • Other Analysis • Informational Purposes Purpose

4. Elements • Accurate, Appropriate, and Clearly Interpreted Data • Clearly Identified Purpose Statement • Understandable Structure • Readable Style • Audience-Centered Visuals • User-Friendly Design

5. Parts (Sample on P. 326) • Letter of Transmittal • Front Matter • Title Page • ToC • List of Tables / Figures • Abstract • Text of the Report • Introduction • Body • Conclusion • End Matter • References • Glossary • Appendices

6. Progress Reports • Monitor progress and problems • Evaluate projects • Monitor employees • Keep track of delays • How time and money is being spent • Internal Personnel or Outside Clients • Usually have a deadline • Sometimes follow MEMO format

7. Periodic Activity Reports • Summarize activities • Focus on a given period • Have a deadline (most often weekly) • Used to keep supervisors aware of employee activities • May take MEMO format

8. Trip Reports • Focus on activities during trips • Have spending reports and charts • Often take the form of letters

9. Peer Review Reports • Analyze the performance of co-workers or peers • Offer constructive criticism and feedback • Must be tactful • Format varies, most often memo or letter

10. Meeting Minutes • Report on what happened in any given meeting.

11. Feasibility Report • Used to assess an idea, plan, or course of action • Provides answers to questions of implementation • Do the benefits outweigh the risks? • What are the pros, cons, and alternatives? • Is this course of action likely to succeed? • Should anything be done at all? • Organized by Headings: • Situation • Recommendation • Reasons

12. Recommendation Reports • Skips feasibility analysis and makes a recommendation. • Short and to the point. • Include supporting data • Organization: • Cause of problem • Recommended Changes • Supporting Data

13. Comparative Analyses • Compare two or more items or scenarios. • Answer questions like “What firewall should we use?” • Criteria: • Costs • Benefits • Drawbacks • Appearance • Results

14. Causal Analysis • Explains the cause of an event, problem, or decision. • Cause must fit the effect. • Make effects between cause and effect clear. • Sometimes recommends solutions

15. PROMPT FOR REPORT • For this project, you will write a full Feasibility / Recommendation, Causal, OR Comparative Analysis Report. • It must include ALL the parts of a formal report • 10% of the Final Grade • Letter of Transmittal • Front Matter • Title Page • ToC • List of Tables / Figures • Abstract • Text of the Report • Introduction • Body • Conclusion • End Matter • References • Glossary • Appendices

16. Team Activity • Select ONE type of report appropriate for the shareholders of your company, and create said report.