This document provides an overview of typical business reports. It discusses the purpose of business reports and key elements to consider, such as audience and research. Various types of reports are covered, including periodic reports, situational reports, investigative reports, compliance reports, analytical reports, feasibility reports, yardstick reports, and research reports. For each type, the document outlines typical formats, examples, and things to keep in mind when writing that particular report. Overall, the document serves as a guide for understanding different business report types, their purposes, and general structures.

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Typical Business
Reports

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Business Communication
Chapter – 13
“TYPICAL BUSINESS REPORTS”

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Why we are here:
It attempts to provide a moral
justification, rationale or even establish
clear rules as to “What is the Purpose
of Writing a Business Report and how
we give you more ideas &
comprehensive business report
compiling.
 What is the purpose of the
Business Report

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 Audience: When writing the report, you
need to consider the audience you are
writing for, whether it is the CEO or will
the report be available to all staff
concerned?
 Research: The true value of the research
may be assessed through a report since
the written report may be the "only
tangible product of hundreds of hours of
work.
 Compiling: Reports communicate
information which has been compiled as
a result of research and analysis of data
and of issues.
Audience
Research
Com
piling
Basic Strategies

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Brilliant report, Kimble. I
can’t tell where the facts
end and the fiction begins.”
"A Report Judges An Organization"
“Good report
Morton, work on it a
little more until it
sounds like one of
mine.”
”Nice work on this report,
Carlton. With this information
we can easily lay-off fifty
percent of our employees.
Unfortunately you’ll be the first
to go.”

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Writing Informational Report
 Informational report is to provide required
data/information to wish to know about the
things in a specific and complete form.
 Depending on the seriousness, they may
have to be discussed later on.. Once you
have this list, it will be easy for you to contact
someone to clarify any information.
Informational Report

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Methodology
1- Analyze Topic
2- Brainstorm
3- Plan
4- Construct
Rough Plan
5 - Research
6 - Revise
7- Start Sorting
8 - Make Draft
& Proofread
Submit your Work
Informational Report

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Gather and Complete Report
 Reports can cover a wide range of
topics, but usually focus on
transmitting information with a clear
purpose, to a specific audience.
Good reports are documents that are
accurate, objective and complete.
 Such reports are prepared for
information purposes only and do
NOT include Institute
recommendations on the course of
action or the preferred application of
the data contained therein.
 The majority of reports are
Informational Reports when the
management wish to know about the
new company, products, operations,
new policies or starting a business
for mutual benefits.
Business Informational Report
 Use the Business Information Report to
give you the insight you need to evaluate a
firm’s operations, profitability, and stability.
Also use it to evaluate the experience of
the business and business background of
its principals.
 The Business Information Report includes
valuable information that can help you
make better business decisions.
 Report is packed with information, analysis,
and interpretations to enhance your
decision making process.
 Information includes payment records,
public, filings, financial information, banking
commentary, business background of
principals and a description of the firm’s
operation.
Informational Report

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Informational
Report
Trade / Market
Summary
Operation
Production
Analysis
Finance
Evaluate
Comprehensive to transmit
Information
Special Events

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Situational
Periodic
Progress
& Interim
Convention &
Conference
Types of
Reports
Investigative
Compliance
Analytical
Justification &
Recommendation
Feasibility
Yardstick
Typical Business Reports
(Chapter # 13)

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Periodic Report
 This section is traditionally allocated the most marks, so it is well worth your
investment in time to do it thoroughly. The Periodic report is to help the
Management to make their policies, procedures, operation, products according to
the consumer requirement and by this report management can decide how to
develop their organization for more mutual benefits.

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Make daily credit
decisions
Limit your risk
exposure
Determine the
stability of new or
existing customers
Plan for sales calls
Find out about
changes that can
impact credit
relationships
Evaluate potential
vendors and suppliers
Check the background
of
new clients
Identify corporate
relationships and
potential
conflicts of interest
Provide business
details
for research needs
How it is Enhancing
Using Periodic Report’s will help you

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Periodic Reports – Typical Elements

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Subject
Value
Factors
affecting
products
values
Management
Actions
Possible Periodic Report Format -
matrix
Due date &
comments
Lead agency
(& others
involved)
Priority &
scale
Monitoring
Criteria for
Organisation
listing

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Specimen Reports
Specimen Reports
Specimen Reports
Specimen Reports
Periodic
Report
Informational
Report

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Situational Reports
 Reports that are targeted to nonrecurring
situations .i.e. unlike periodic reports, situations
that don’t have a definite pattern of occurrence.
e.g.
Trip Convention & Conference reports
Progress reports

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Situational Reports
Characteristics
 Style
Written like Memos
 Tone
Follow an informal tone
 Length
Usually Short. Could vary on authorizer expectation

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Situational Reports
Trip, Convention & Conference
reports
 Submitted by employees when they return from a
business trip, convention or a conference.
 Keep organizations informed how well their money was
spent.
 Also inform management about new procedures,
equipment and laws and supply information affecting
products operations and service.

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Situational Reports
Format of Trip, Convention & Conference
reports
 Begin With
Identifying the event , mention the topics to be discussed.
 Body
Three to five important points, carefully selected.
 Expenses
Include your expenses on a separate sheet on request.
 End With
Expression of appreciation, synthesizing value of the event.

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Situational Reports
Example : Trip, Convention & Conference
reports
Training Conference on Employment Interviewing

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Situational Reports
Things to be kept in mind.
 There could be lots and lots of information. You should
be selective.
 Avoid using chronological order (First X happened then
Y), organizing by importance is a good idea.
 Select topics, the reader might be most interested in.

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Situational Reports
 Explain continuing projects, including work completed,
work in progress, future activities, and completion date.
 Describes the projects status and progress.
 Keeps the management informed whether the project is
going in the right direction.
Progress and Interim reports

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Situational Reports
Format of Progress reports
 Begin with
Purpose & nature of project.
 Body
 Provide background information if audience require.
 Describe the work completed.
 Current progress of work.
 Problems and possible remedies
 End With
Discussion of future activities and completion date.

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Situational Reports
Example : Progress reports
Progress on research on location for a telefilm scene

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Situational Reports
Things to be kept in mind.
 Keep the audience in mind. E.g. Include background
information for your director as he/she might not tend to
remember the project specifications.
 Don’t hesitate to include the problems faced in the
project.

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Investigative Reports
Investigative reports are generally assigned
reports which focus on examining a situation or
problem. e.g.
 Report on doing business with and Australian
company.

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Investigative Reports
Format of Investigative Reports
 Begin with
Introducing the problem.
 Body
Facts, findings, discussion etc.
 End With
Summarizing

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Compliance Reports
 Compliance Reports present data in compliance with
local, state and federal laws.
 Government regulating agencies require organizations to
submit reports verifying compliance with laws
 Usually answer the questions to how much profit, the
organization earned and the taxes owed.

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Compliance Reports
Format of compliance reports
 Begin with
 Background information
 Preview of major sections
 Body
 The Content. Data, figures etc
 End With
 Summary of report objective

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Compliance Reports
Example : Compliance reports
 Report
Description
Trucking Company Safety Compliance Report

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Compliance Reports
Things to be kept in mind.
 Correctness of data.
 Accuracy of data.

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Analytical Reports

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Major components:
 Introduction
 Findings
 Conclusions
 Recommendations
Writing Analytical Reports

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Writing Analytical Reports (contd..)
Introduction
 Explain why the report is being written.
 Preview the report’s organization.
 Summarize the conclusions and
recommendations ( for receptive audiences)

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Writing Analytical Reports (contd..)
Findings
 Discuss the pros and cons of each alternative.
 Establish criteria to evaluate alternatives.
 Support the findings with evidence(: facts,
statistics, expert opinion, survey data, and other
proof)
 Use headings, enumerations, lists, tables, and
graphics to focus attention.

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Writing Analytical Reports (contd..)
Conclusion
 Develop reasonable conclusion that answer the
research question
 Justify the conclusion with highlights from the
finding

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Writing Analytical Reports (contd..)
Recommendations
 Make recommendations, if asked.
 Use action verbs. Explain needed
action.
 Must based on the findings

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 Justification/recommendation reports
 Feasibility reports
 Yardstick reports
 Research reports
Typical Business Analytical Reports

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 Purpose
 Make recommendations to management
 Provide data to solve problems and make decisions.
 Examples
 Buying equipment
 Changing a procedure
 Hiring an employee
 Contents
 Problem/Need
 Facts
 Discussion (pros & cons)
 Recommendation
 Sample
 A Justification Report
Justification/Recommendation Reports

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 Indirect Approach
 Problem
 Facts
 Discussion
 Recommendations
 Direct Approach
 Problem
 Recommendations
 Facts
 Discussion
Justification/Recommendation Reports (contd..)
Organizing Report Data

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 Direct approach
 Receptive/Open-minded audience
 Nonsensitive Topic (e.g. justifying a purchase)
 Indirect approach
 Skeptical/Hostile audience
 Sensitive Topic (e.g. justifying ways for employees to quit
smoking)
Justification/Recommendation Reports (contd..)
Choosing Approach

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 Purpose
 Analyze problems and predict whether alternatives will be practical or advisable
 Help in decision making (among alternatives)
 Examples
 Should we move to another part of the country?
 Should we rent, lease or buy?
 What is the best location for our company?
 Content
 Decision
 Background
 Benefits
 Potential Problems
 Associated Cost
 Time frame for implementing the solution
 Sample
 A Feasibility Report
Feasibility Reports

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 Informational Reports
 Periodic Reports
 Situational Reports
 Progress Reports
 Investigative and compliance Reports
 Analytical Reports
 Justification/Recommendation Reports
 Feasibility Report
 Yardstick Reports
 Research Reports

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Yardstick Reports

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Yardstick Reports
 The term "yardstick" is used in
reference to anything which serves as a
test or standard of measurement,
comparison or judgment.
 Usage of Yardstick Reports.

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 Yardstick reports
Problem statement
Alternative solutions
Establish criteria's
Conclusions
Recommendations

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 Example
Comparison of different manufactures for
buying a piece of equipment

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Format of Yardstick Reports
 Introduction
 purpose & overview.
 Problem Statement
 background.
 Solutions & Alternatives.
 Established criteria's
 Compare Alternatives
 Use Table or grid .
 Conclusion & Recommendations

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Sample Yardstick Report
A popular cellular network company
(Mobilink) is planning to open their new
franchise at the NWFP Province of
Pakistan
Sample Report

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Research Studies

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 Research Studies Reports
Problem statement
Hypothesis
Present data
Perform Analysis
Conclusions
Recommendations (optional)

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Research Studies
 Follows Indirect Pattern
Starts with Problem discussion
Explore possible solutions
Reason for selecting a particular solution

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Format of Research Studies Report
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Sources & Methods
 Results of Study
 data
 Conclusion
 Recommendation

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Introduction
 Background
 Problem or Purpose
 Significance
 Scope

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Sources and Methods
 Secondary Sources
 Books, journals etc
 Primary Sources
 Observations
 Surveys

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 Results of Study
 Present Data
 Organize colleted data.
 Conclusion
 Recommendations
 References

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Example of Research Report
Sample Report

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Conclusion
Periodic Reports
Situational Reports
Progress Reports
Investigative and compliance Reports
Justification/Recommendation Reports
Feasibility Report
Yardstick Reports
Research Reports

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 Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication
:Process and Product
 www.glan-hafren.ac.uk/LearnCent
 www.homepages.wmich.edu/rpttypes
References

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Thank you very much for your kind consideration