Done by: Liu Qian Liang Zhiheng Kirin Tan Beng Chun

1. ES2002 Business Communication Mini-Lecture on Writing the Report Done by: Liu Qian Liang Zhiheng Kirin Tan Beng Chun

2. Presentation outline • Drafting the report • Prefatory parts • Supplementary parts • The report proper • Editing and proofreading • Elements of a well-written report

3. Drafting the Report:a process of writing and re-writing to get a complete first draft of your report

4. Step 1: Distinguish the Functions of the Report Sections • Use content page for explanation • Mark each section distinctively • Use clear heading and sub-headings

5. Step 2: Ensure Coherence at All Levels of the Report • Division of report among group members • Maintain a consistent: • Flow • Tone • Logic/Sequence • Proof-reading becomes important

6. Step 3: Acknowledge Data in Report from Secondary Sources • Avoiding plagiarism • Documenting sources & information • Proper citation

7. Step 4: Edit and Proofread the Report • Read through your report slowly • Mind common mistake(e.g spelling) • Examine your paragraphs • Track Frequent Errors

8. Writing the Report

9. Why? • Formal reports communicate information • Effective reports gives you a professional image • Well-structured report ==> more attention & produce the intended results

10. Formal Report

11. Basic Divisions of a Formal Report • Prefatory Parts • SupplementaryParts • The Report Proper

12. Prefatory Parts • Title Page • Letter of Authorisation • Letter of Transmittal • Table of Contents • List of Illustrations • Executive Summary

13. Title Page (Sample) How Macbeth's Restaurants Could Increase Profits20 Percent by Serving Breakfast Prepared forWilliam S. Macbeth, PresidentMacbeth's Restaurants, Inc. Prepared bySally K. Deryke, Associate DirectorField Studies DivisionOmaha Management Consultants Inc. 16 February 20xx

14. Letter of Authorisation (Sample) Macbeth's Restaurants 1120 Short Road, Omaha, NE 68100 402/555-3318  ·   http://www.macb.com October 26, 20xx Dr. Kathleen M. Saxby, Director Omaha Management Consultants Inc. 691 Westlake Road Omaha, NE 68100 Dear Dr. Saxby: This letter confirms our phone conversation of October 23. For a fee of $78,500, Omaha Management Consultants will investigate the operations of the 14 Macbeth's Restaurants in Nebraska and recommend ways for Macbeth's to increase efficiency and achieve higher profits. The subjects for in-depth study should include 1. Opening for breakfast; 2. Restaurant operations; and 3. Staff training programs. I understand that you will complete the first report on the feasibility of our opening for breakfast no later than February 20 and that the other reports will follow at 60-day intervals. I agree to pay Omaha Management Consultants $26,166.67 upon receipt of each report. Please call me if you have any difficulty gaining access to any of the necessary records at any of the restaurants. All the managers are expecting you, and we are very much looking forward to working with you on this project. Sincerely, William S. Macbeth, President

15. Letter of Transmittal (Sample) Omaha Management Consultants, Inc.691 Westlake Road  ·   Omaha, NE 68100http://www.omc.com 12 February 20xx Mr. William S. Macbeth, President Macbeth's Restaurants 1120 Short Road Omaha, NE 68100 Dear Mr. Macbeth: Here is the report you requested on 26 October studying the feasibility of opening Macbeth's Restaurants for breakfast. Other members of Omaha Management Consultants are in the process of researching and preparing the reports about your operations and training programs. This report shows that with only a small investment in new equipment and a slight increase in personnel and associated expenses, Macbeth's could increase its profits by about 20 percent simply by opening for breakfast. Other fast-food chains have increased their profits that way, and Macbeth's customers indicate that they would prefer breakfast at Macbeth's to those restaurants currently offering breakfast. At present, restaurants associated with the large motel chains capture most of the breakfast market. The well-known fast-food chains also capture a significant portion of that market. Our surveys show that many commuters who now eat at home, in one of the motel restaurants, or at one of the other fast-food establishments would prefer the quick service and comfortable atmosphere offered at Macbeth's. The most common response from persons already familiar with Macbeths was "Definitely. Macbeth's is better.“ I have enjoyed preparing this report for you, Mr. Macbeth, and I have learned some interesting things about the restaurant business and about Macbeth's while working on it. Please call me directly at 555-1717 when I can be of further service. Sincerely, Sally K. DeRyke s enc

16. Table of Contents (Sample) Contents Letter of Authorization i Letter of Transmittal i Abstract iii I. The Breakfast Business 1 A. Purpose 1 B. Methodology and Limitations 2 II. The Competition 3 A. In Omaha 4 B. In Lincoln 16 C. In Kearney 27 D. In David City 34 III. Breakfast Clientele 40 A. Commuters 41 B. Students 47 C. Travelers 52 IV. Changes Required of Macbeth's 59 A. Equipment 61 B. Personnel 75 C. Operations 82 V. Macbeth's Potential for Increased Profits 90 VI. Recommended Schedule 117 Appendix: Customer Survey Questionnaire 128 Bibliography 140

17. List of Illustrations • Use when report contains four or more illustrations • May follow on the same page as table of contents • Start on a new page if tables are long • Label the list appropriately

18. Executive Summary • Presents the critical information in a way that saves the reader time • Used when the report is long and the information complex

19. TAKE NOTE! • With respect to the prefatory parts section for your problem-solving reports, you will need only to include a title page • Use whatever is necessary

20. Supplementary Parts • References (Sources) • Endnotes • Appendix

21. References • ‘Sources’ or ‘Bibliography’ • A list of secondary sources consulted when preparing the report • E.g Websites, newspaper or journal articles, books

22. Bibliography • This lists all the references • E.g books, periodicals, journals, speeches, interviews, newspapers, and online sources used in the report

23. Notes (Endnotes) • Included when in-text citations use the superscript system • Reader views the source information at the end of the report

24. Appendix • Materials related to the report that are not included in the text • Supplementary materials not used in the report. • E.g. letters, questionnaires, forms, or blueprints • Contain strong additional background information • Nothing important should be included

25. Try this out!

26. Bibliography • Journal articles that include case studies: Alves, C., Eldson, M., Engle, H., Sheldon, J., & Cleveland, W. W. (1989). Changes in brain maturation detected by magnetic resonance imaging in congenital hypothyroidism.Journal of Pediatrics,115, 600-603. Bigler, E. D. (1989) On the neuropsychology of suicide. Journal of Learning Disabilities,22, 180-185. Bradley, E. A., & Udwin, O. (1989). Williams syndrome in adulthood: A case study focusing on psychological and psychiatric aspects. Journal of Mental Deficiency Research, 33, 175-184. Casey, J. E., DelDotto, J. E., & Rourke, B. P. (1990). An empirical investigation of the NLD syndrome in a case of agenesis of the corpus callosum.

27. Endnote/Footnote

28. The Report Proper • Introduction • Findings • Conclusions • Recommendations

29. Introduction • State purpose of report • Background information • Explain the circumstances that have led to the report • Summary of findings • Be specific and summarise in quantitative terms • Avoid using tables

30. Findings • Include all relevant data • Highlight general findings and comment on the specific significant details • Be objective • Avoid repetition • Use chart and tables for presentation • Avoid conclusion and recommendation

31. Conclusion • concluding statements should evaluate the data in terms of the purpose statement • Identify problematic areas accurately • Conclusion should base on the data in the findings

32. Recommendation • Should be written in line with the purpose • Follow logically from findings and conclusion • Address all problematic areas • Be specific and persuasive • Highlight positive outcome

33. Ensuring Coherence • Provide introductory comments • Use transitional devices (furthermore, however, etc) • Use general statements/topic sentences • Incorporate charts & tables into text

34. Ensuring Coherence • Provide introductory comments • Use transitional devices (furthermore, however, etc) • Use general statements/topic sentences • Incorporate charts & tables into text

35. Ensuring Coherence • Provide introductory comments • Use transitional devices (furthermore, however, etc) • Use general statements/topic sentences • Incorporate charts & tables into text

36. Topic Sentences • Generalidea • Can occur anywhere in the paragraph • Easy for reader to understand • Better if placed at the beginning

37. Ensuring Coherence • Provide introductory comments • Use transitional devices (furthermore, however, etc) • Use general statements/topic sentences • Incorporate charts & tables into text

38. Incorporate charts & tables into text Singaporeans are placing more emphasis on personal grooming and hygiene. Cosmetics and toiletries usage has seen an increase in usage from 1998-2003 (Table 1 and Table 2). Sales for hair care products are forecasted to be S$124 million in 2009. Table 1 Expenditure on Cosmetics and Toiletries by Grooming Sector: 1998/2003 Table 2 Expenditure on Cosmetics and Toiletries by Personal Hygiene Sector: 1998/2003 As well, there is also the rise of male young Singaporeans or Metrosexuals who take greater care in maintaining personal grooming and hygiene. With an increase in vanity, for women and even in men, beauty products category is a potential market worthy to tap into.

39. Acknowledge Data in Report from Secondary Sources • Author-Date System (Lee, 2000:67) • Reference • The implications of socialization and integration in supply chain management  Journal of Operations Management, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 13 December 2005, Paul D. Cousins and Bulent Menguc • Information sharing and coordination in make-to-order supply chains Journal of Operations Management, Volume 23, Issue 6, September 2005, Pages 579-598 Funda Sahin and E. Powell Robinson, Jr. • Superscript System

40. Superscript System

41. Editing and Proofreading • Check the Substance and Style • Check for Consistency and Errors • Ensure the report is Attractive and Neat

42. Recap: The 5 Cs • Clarity • Coherence • Conciseness • Correctness • Courtesy

43. Clarity • Use simple and specific words • Avoid jargon and introduce abbreviations • Make sentences easy to read • Keep one idea to one paragraph

44. Clarity (Let’s compare) • We have absolute confidence that eventually the situation will be restored • We are sure that in the end the procedure will work again • Turn all the computer switches to the off position • Turn off all computers

45. Coherence • Same idea of a topic from sentence to sentence • Successive sentences in parallel form • Key words in several sentences • Transition words to link ideas • Right amount of emphasis

46. Conciseness • Replace several vague words with more powerful and specific words • Interrogate every word in a sentence • Combine Sentences

47. Conciseness (Let’s try) • Wordy: The politician talked about several of the merits ofafter-school programs in his speech (14 words) • Concise: The politiciantouted after-school programs in his speech. (8 words) • Wordy: Suzie believed but could not confirmthat Billy had feelings of affection forher. (14 words) • Concise: Suzie assumedthat Billyadored her. (6 words) • Wordy: The supposed crash of a UFO in Roswell, New Mexico aroused interest in extraterrestrial life. This crash is rumored to have occurred in 1947. (24 words) • Concise: The supposed 1947crash of a UFO in Roswell, New Mexico aroused interest in extraterrestrial life. (16 words)

48. Correctness • Avoid perceptions and include pertinent facts • Differentiate facts from value judgments • Use accurate, reliable, and objective sources • Grammatical correctness

49. Courtesy • Avoid colloquialism and clichés • Consider emotions when using words • Be sincere • Avoid preaching

50. Proofreading • Spelling • Left out words • Fragment sentences • Mixed construction • Parallelism • Pronoun reference / agreement • Punctuation