1. Practical Writing – Reports
Reports 1
Q. Newly appointed National Sales Manager of your company convinced the management to
adopt an aggressive approach to expand the company’s market share. Strategy included
increased level of production for several existing products, launching a number of new
products, entry into sub urban and rural markets and aggressive advertising campaigns for
the new products. During the first three months after the implementation of new strategy,
companystarted experiencing slowing down of sales as compared to budgeted levels, piling
of stocks of raw material and finished goods, high financing costs, slow recovery from the
market and other allied negative impacts apparently created due to non achievement of
sales targets. Management was now concerned about the gravity of situation and decided
to review the strategy.
As a management consultant, the company’s management has requested you to investigate
the situation, highlight areas where strategies went wrong and give recommendations for
the new move. You are required to prepare a short formal report for presentation to the
management.
Q. Mr. A. Malik works for FMES Corporation which provides machinery, equipment and
engineering services to the food processing & packaging industry. FMES started operations
in Karachi five years ago and after developing good business in the local industry, started
to cultivate clients in Punjab as well. The response from upcountry clients has been good
and business there is growing rapidly.
So far all upcountry clients are serviced from FMES’s Karachi Office. This entails a lot of
travel for the engineers and project managers. Management has been considering the option
of opening an upcountry office in Lahore to be closer to its customers and hence serve them
better. It appears that the cost of running an additional office will be less than the current
cost of travel and stay incurred by the visiting staff. This could also help accelerate new
business development.
On behalf of Mr. A. Malik, write a report to investigate the feasibility of opening the
additional upcountry office in Lahore. You need to consider both the quantitative and
qualitative benefits of this investment i.e. improved service for customers, saving of costs
and new business prospects etc. The report should include a line/bar graph showing recent
growth of upcountry business as a percentage of total business. You may assume any
necessary details.
Q. You are a Human Resource Manager at a car manufacturing company. Lately, your
company has been experiencing problems with the labour force. Grievances have been
conveyed about the over time issue since employees have not been fairly compensated.
Assuming necessary details, draft a short report addressed to the Chief Operating Officer
on the meeting held between yourself and the company’s labour union representatives,
highlighting the issues at hand and the means to resolve the issue.
Q. You are the Human Resource Manager at one of the leading commercial banks in Karachi.
Over the last six months, various clients have complained about the rude and unacceptable
behaviour of Mr. Sultan Ahmed, the Customer Services Manager of the I.I. Chundrigar
Road branch. Mr. Ahmed who has been an employee of the bank for the past 7 years, has
always had a clean record and until recently has been one of the most valuable contributors
to the bank. You are required to investigate and prepare a short report to be submitted to
the Regional Manager, Customer Services. You may assume any necessary details.
Q. You are the Branch Manager of Super Asia Bank Ltd.., SITE branch that has been in
business for the past 25 years. Fine Leather Ltd. (FLL), engaged in the business of
manufacturing leather garments has applied for a long-term loan facility for import of
machinery. Due diligence was made by your subordinates and through reliable sources it

2. Practical Writing – Reports
Reports 2
was discovered that the company has already availed long-term loans from 3 other
commercial banks. However, the companyis in the process of expanding its operations and
requires additional funds for the export. You are required to prepare a short formal report
to be submitted to the Head of Advances of the Bank with your suggestions on whether or
not to sanction the loan facility to FLL based on the findings of a site visit conducted by
you to the leather factory and a detailed analysis of the company’s financial performance
in the past 5 years.
Q. You are a Program Coordinator in a professional Institute. During last one week, you have
received complaints about the teaching qualities of a faculty member and some students
have also complained about the campus facilities.
On the basis of your investigation of two complaints, write a short formal report to the
Program Director about your findings.
Q. You are the Country Manager of VODACOM Ltd. operating under the brand name of
Telelink. The government of Pakistan recently announced the issuance of licenses to two
more cell phone companies. Taking account of this development, write a report to the board
of directors of VODACOM Ltd., outlining the impact of new licenses on your company’s
business and your recommendation for future strategy the company should adopt to
withstand this competition. [Hints: In your report, suggest measures related to quality of
service, connection charges, free roaming facility, 50% off on air time etc.]
Q. You have resigned from the present firm after completing your training contract. As per the
firm’s policy, an employee leaving the firm must submit a short report to the Managing
Partner of the firm. This report usually contains identification of improvements needed with
reference to the administrative policies, marketing strategies, HR policies, etc. Write a
report covering above areas along with suggestions as to how to convert weak areas into
strengths of the firm.
Q. You are the Chief Executive of a major cement manufacturing company. Keeping in view
the recent budget incentives to the cement and housing industries and the major
reconstruction work to be undertaken in Afghanistan in the near future, the chairman of
your company has asked you to submit a report to the Board of Directors underlining the
prospects of the company getting major contracts for supply of cement in Afghanistan and
for expected increase in sale in local market. Draft such a report outlining the pricing and
marketing policy and the ways to counter the potential competition from other local firms.
Q. Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) had previously enjoyed a legal
monopoly and therefore it was the only company allowed to provide telephone lines.
However, the legal monopoly expired in December 2002 making it possible for the private
sector to enter the market. Due to the expiration of the legal monopoly of PTCL in the
telecommunications sector, the Managing Director of PTCL is concerned about the
potential competition that PTCL might face in the near future. Write a report addressed to
the Managing Director proposing the possible measures that PTCL needs to take in order
to withstand the competition it might face in the future.
Q. As direct sales manager for Academic Publishers Ltd, write a negative report in memo form
on one of your sales representatives Mr. Nafees Ahmed and here are the facts of the case.
Mr. Ahmed is just beginning his third year with the company. In his first year, sales in his
territory dropped from Rs.2,35,000/- (his predecessor’s volume) to Rs.1,95,000/-. Last year
the volume was down to Rs.1,50,000/-. After having various reports from the college
professors in Mr. Ahmed’s territory that they rarely see the man, you made some personal
checks.

3. Practical Writing – Reports
Reports 3
At Southern Campus you found that Mr. Ahmed worked on campus only two of five days
while his reports indicated he was there. You checked with three of the five professors he
had reported as lunch guests on his expense account and found that they had not seen him.
At the Central District Campus you found that Mr. Ahmed made a brief appearance one
morning, saw only two professors and went to the Village, Clifton with two students. You
found no evidence that he worked at the Central District Campus the next four days. He
reported to have worked there for three days. Just to check, you went to the East District
Campus where he was scheduled to work. He didn’t show up. When confronted with all
this evidence, he confessed his dereliction of duties. But he argued that he was doing what
others were doing. You don’t buy his arguments. You have decided to report your findings
to the Director Sales with recommendation that Mr. Ahmed may be fired.
Q. Habib Bank Limited wants to open a new branch in Gulistan e Johar. The Management has
appointed you as a Research Officer to conduct a survey of the locality and prepare a
suitable report in the form of a letter for the Vice President of the Bank. Write the report.
Q. You are working in a company which has dealings in foreign exchange. Your company has
seen the effects of recent exchange fluctuations and its impact on business. Your Managing
Director has asked for your advice in the matter and has requested for a brief Report on the
subject. Write such report.
Q. You have been appointed bythe Managing Director of Karachi Electric SupplyCorporation
(KESC) to carry out a survey of the power break down complaints in the SITE industrial
area. Write a formal report using your imagination on the results of the survey addressed
to Managing Director KESC highlighting the quantum and implications of power break
downs.