writing business reports

8/9/2019 Writing Business Reports

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A blind boy sat on the steps of a

building with a hat by his feet. He

held up a sign which said: "I amblind, please help." There were only

a few coins in the hat.

A man was walking by. He took a few coinsfrom his pocket and dropped them into the hat.He then took the sign, turned it around, andwrote some words. He put the sign back sothat everyone who walked by would see the

new words.


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Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot morepeople were giving money to the blind

boy. That afternoon the man who hadchanged the sign came to see howthings were. The boy recognized hisfootsteps and asked, "Were you the one

who changed my sign this morning?What did you write?"


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The man said, "I only wrote the truth. I said what you

said but in a different way."

What he had written was: "Today is a beautiful dayand I cannot see it."

Do you think the first sign and the second sign weresaying the same thing?

Of course both signs told people the boy was blind. Butthe first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second

sign told people they were so lucky that they were notblind. Should we be surprised that the second sign wasmore effective?


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R E P O R T W R IT IN G

How to Write a

Business Report


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A Business Report is an orderly,

objectively communication of factual

information that serves some businesspurpose.

Business reports are required in

disciplines such as accounting, finance,management, marketing and commerce


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Proposals are:Special category of reports that combine-

Information delivery

Persuasive communication


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Three basic categories of

Reports: 1. Informational reports: offer data, facts

feedback,& other type of information

without analysis or recommendations 2. Analytical reports: offers Information +

analysis, includes recommendations

3. Proposals: offers structuredpersuasion for internal or external

audience


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It is important, to be clear what the

overall purpose of your report is:is it to inform,to make a proposal, or

to solve a problem?


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Three basic parts of a Formal

Report Three basic parts of a Formal Report

Prefatory Part, Text Part,

Supplementary Part

Prefatory Part:


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Prefatory Part Cover Title fly Title page Letter of authorization Letter of acceptance Letter of Transmittal Table of Contents List of Illustrations Synopsis or Executive summary


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2 Text Parts:

Introduction

Body Summary Conclusions

Recommendations

Notes


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3 Supplementary Parts:

Appendixes

Bibliography Index


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The Parts of a Formal Report:

Cover Title fly Title page Letter of authorization Letter of acceptance

Letter of Transmittal Table of Contents List of Illustrations Synopsis or Executive summary Introduction Body Summary Conclusions Recommendations Notes

Appendixes Bibliography Index


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Letter of Transmittal The transmittal may be the last item you write,

but it is the first item most readers see. So

make itperfect. Verify the spelling of names.

Scrutinize your wording and tact. Recheck

your numerical accuracy, grammar, and

punctuation. Consider the overall tone of the

letter, the connotations of its words, and the

degree of its egocentricity.


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A letter of transmittal A letter of transmittal introduces a document

such as a report to the reader, typically withless formality than the report itself

Although it accompanies a report, it is separatefrom the document; therefore, do not include itin the report table of contents and do not bindit with the report. Place it on top of the report

instead. A letter of transmittal typically includesthe following:


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A letter of transmittal typically

includes the following1. name and address of recipient of report in the inside

address

2. information about what is being sent

3. follow-up action expected of the reader4. offer of continued communication or clarification As with the memo, the letter's appearance is important.

Use standard stationery (the return address may beomitted--but not the date--if you are using letterhead)

with vertical and horizontal margins of at least one inch.A number of acceptable business letter forms exist. Thisletter illustrates a standard block form.


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Street Address

City,

Month Date, Year

Name of recipient

Title Company Street

Address City,

Dear Dr. Name:Why was the report written? When was it assigned? What is its title andadditional identifying information? What is the scope of the report? Itspurpose? Limitations? What are your conclusions? Recommendations?(The letter of transmittal is the appropriate place to discuss matters ofconcern that need to be raised but not circulated with the report.) What

action or input is requested?

Sincerely,

Your Signature Your typed name

Your title Encl. [List any enclosures]


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May 16, 2005

H. E. Dr. Ishrat HusainChairman, ACU Board of Directors

State Bank of Pakistan

Karachi, Pakistan

Dear Mr. Chairman,

I have the honor to present to the Board of Directors, the Annual Report of the

ACU for the year 2004, duly signed by me, in accordance with chapter III, Article

VIII, section 3(c) of the Agreement Establishing the Asian Clearing Union.

Yours sincerely,

Bahereh Mirzaei-Tehrani

Secretary General, ACU


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EXECUTIVE SUMMARYOverview of subject matter

methods of analysis

findings
http://unilearning.uow.edu.au/report/4bi.htmlhttp://unilearning.uow.edu.au/report/4bi.html


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TABLE OF CONTENTS list of numbered sections in report and

their page numbers
http://unilearning.uow.edu.au/report/4bii.htmlhttp://unilearning.uow.edu.au/report/4bii.html


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INTRODUCTION terms of reference

outline of reports structure Develop one paragraph for each idea or topic. Write a strong

opening sentence for each paragraph, which will indicate theconclusions you made at the case analysis stage.

When presenting more than three facts or numbers at one time,consider whether a table or chart might communicate theinformation better in fewer words.

Avoid redundant or overblown words. Be concise! When 6 words will replace 14 words, let them do

so! Check grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Number the pages.
http://unilearning.uow.edu.au/report/4biii.htmlhttp://unilearning.uow.edu.au/report/4biii.html


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At the final state, put yourrecommendations. After workingso hard to identify the problems, do not neglect your role ofproviding recommendations. Explain them in simple termsand in order of their priority.

The report ends with the appendices. Here, you must stockall the information needed by specialists. Include all thedetails that support your argumentations, but only if they arenot already included in the main body of the report.


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Bibliography/ References

Very important aspect The four most common format styles are

those of the Modern Language Association ofAmerica (MLA orBibliography in MLA style),

the American Psychological Association

(APA), the Chicago Manual of Style, and the

Council of Science Editors, formerly known asthe Council of Biology Editors (CBE) and still

referred to as CBE style
http://www.howtowriteabibliography.org/bibliography-in-mla-style.htmlhttp://www.howtowriteabibliography.org/bibliography-in-mla-style.html


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For example: (APA Style)

Books:

Ellington, W., Jr., & Henrickson, E.B. (1995). The elements of

dance (3rd ed.). New York: Macmillan.

Journals:

Bauz, R.H. (1982). Manitoba nematodes. Journal of Cool

Nematodes, 10, 252-264

Website:

Summers, M. (2007) Cool scenes. Retrieved August 27,2007, from http://coolscenesilove.edu/
http://coolscenesilove.edu/http://coolscenesilove.edu/


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Remember-

In order to avoid your report ending in

the trash can, make use of the generally

accepted formatReport writing is a time consuming

business so it is a great shame if, having

devoted all that time to writing yourreport, the quality is such that hardly

anyone can be bothered to read it.


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Good luck with your reportwriting

writing business reports

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