Business Reports

1. 1 Business Reports Types Preparation Organization presentation

2. 2 Meaning and Classification of Business Reports  Business Reports Definition. Business Report is an impartial, objective, planned presentation of facts to one or more persons for specific, significant business purpose. The report facts could relate to events, conditions, qualities, progress, results, products, problems, or suggested solutions.

3. 3 Long Formal Report The length of a long report is not less than 10 pages, and the report usually includes the following parts “some of the parts optional” Prefatory Parts: Cover; title fly; title page; letters of authorization; acceptance; approval; transmittal; acknowledgements; (abstract, synopsis, executive summary); table of contents; table of tables. Report Body: Introduction, Text or body, Terminal section. Supplemental Parts: Appendix, bibliography or endnotes, glossary, index.

4. 4 Business Reports Classification . Function: informational or analytical. Subject matter: accounting, advertising, finance, marketing…etc. Formality: formal or informal, the formal is long and the informal is short report. Formal reports always include some of or all these prefatory and supplemental parts: prefatory parts: cover; title fly; title page; letters of authorization; acceptance; approval; transmittal; acknowledgements; (abstract, synopsis, or executive summary); table of contents; table of tables.

5. 5 Supplemental parts: appendix, bibliography or endnotes, glossary, index. some informal reports may include ,in addition to the body, a title page, transmittal, endnotes, and appendix. Origin: authorized or voluntary, private or public. Frequency of issue: periodic or special. Type or Appearance: influenced by length and formality. informal and short reports: memorandum, letter, a printed form

6. 6 Preparation before Writing Reports  Define the Problem, Purpose, and Scope Consider Who will Receive the Report Determine Ideas to Include Collect Needed Material Secondary/ Primary Sort, Analyze, and Interpret Data Organize Data and Prepare Final Outline

7. 7 Main Parts of the Report Introduction: Authorization, Plan of presentation (layout)*, Problem*, Purpose*, Scope*, Methodology*, Sources*, Background or (history of the situation being investigated)*, Definition of Terms, (introduction, a glossary at the end, or text) Limitations, Brief Statement of the Results or Recommendation.

8. 8 Text or body: The longest portion of any report body, Its title may be “Discussion”, “Findings” or “Data”. Terminal section: It is based on the text discussion no new material included. The terminal section for the informational report is called “Summary”. For analytical report is called “Conclusions” or “Recommendations”. or combination.

9. 9 Organization and Outline of Report Body when you choose the organizational plan for the entire report body and text section, you should consider the reader, purpose, and subject matter. Plans for Organizing Report Body: Two ways to organizing a report body: deductive and inductive arrangement. Deductive Arrangement “ direct” is common way in organizing business reports. The three sections may be arranged in one of these two ways: Terminal section Introduction Introduction or Terminal section Text (discussion & explanation) Text (discussion & explanation)

10. 10 Inductive Arrangement “indirect”. The three sections are arranged as the following: Introduction Text (discussion & explanation) Terminal section

11. 11 Ways to Organize Report Text Section By criteria or topics: This is the most common way. The main headings could be the standards, factors, solutions, benefits…etc. By order of occurrence. “Progress reports, By order of location or space. By procedure or process. By order of importance or by alphabetization. By order of familiarity or simplicity. By sources. By problem solution.

12. 12 For example, organizing report text section by criteria. The problem is to replace the old PCs by new PCs. DISCUSSION Reliability Service Warranty Period Price Case Style

13. 13 Methods of Outlining Methods of Outlining It is becoming your table content. Before writing the report, the outline helps you to see the relationship between topics, compare proportions and headings, check for loopholes in logical order, and eliminate overlapping. you need to consider Types of Heading, Formats of Outline, and Parallelism in Heading. Type of Heading: For wording heading, you can choose from four type of heading: Topic: single words (nouns), a few words, or short phrases. Globalization Complete sentence heading: Globalization is a Syndrome of Process and Activities Imperative sentence heading: Keep Driving Record Clear Variant heading: Improving Employees’ Productivity

14. 14 A good “Heading” should indicate the “Subject Matter”. It is better not to use more than eight words. If your topic is one word, make sure that the word not to be too “Broad”.

15. 15 Formats of Outline: After choosing your organizational plan and the wording of your main headings, you next choose a way to show levels “degrees) for various items in your outline. For long report, three ways to number heading degrees. Numeral-Letter Combination: it is used in business. Decimal System: it is used in scientific and technical reports. Letter- Numeral Combination: it is used by those who prefer letters before main heading and they do not need the additional degree that is possible with Roman numerals.

16. 16 Degree of Heading Numeral-Letter Combination: 1st I. Introduction 2d A. 2d B. 2d C. 1st II. 2d A. Text/ 3d 1. Discussion 3d 2. 2d B. 3d 1. 3d 2. 4th a. 4th b. 5th (1) 5th (2)