Business reports have become a popular means of exchanging business information. Though personal interaction, telephone calls and emails help in getting ideas across, nothing comes close to a business report when it comes to communicating complex business ideas. The purpose of a business report is to communicate information to assist in the business decision making process. Some reports might propose solutions for business problems or might present relevant information to assist in the problem solving process. A business plan is a kind of report which serves to communicate the business model, business management model and the commercial objectives of a business.
In general when writing a business report the following steps have to be followed
Preparing to write the business report
Determining the scope of the report
Understanding the target audience
Research to collect supporting information
Formatting and organizing the report
A report is divided into four areas:[/b][/b]
Terms of Reference- This section gives background information on the reason for the report. It usually includes the person requesting the report.
Procedure- The procedure provides the exact steps taken and methods used for the report.
Findings- The findings point out discoveries made during the course of the report investigation.
Conclusions- The conclusions provide logical conclusions based on the findings.
Recommendations- The recommendations state actions that the writer of the report feels need to be taken based on the findings and conclusions.
What separates a business report from other forms of communication is focus and organization. A business report is focused on a specific issue. It also organizes the information into chapters and provides a navigational tool called a table of contents. The graphical representation of information through tables and charts also makes it easier to read and analyze.
There are actually various types for reports say for example market research report, audit report, test report, medical report, annual general meeting report, appraisal report, medical report, technical report, laboratory report, quality testing report, project report.
Do keep in mind the following points while drafting business reports:
Concise and Direct Writing is Key
Use Standard Language When Possible
Don't Over Write
Prepare an Outline
Take the Time to Revise
Be focused
Know your target audience
Scope the report
Size the report
Know what you want to say
Outline your report
Gather and collate information
Decide on style before you start
Pre write
Capture the reader's interest
Make good use of graphics
Repeat your key messages
Check the report
Bounce the report off of others before releasing it.
Edit ... Edit ... and Edit Some More
Before you start writing, do your best to identify who will read your document. Will it be just one person, or might it be passed around to others?
One of the most valuable questions you can ask your readers is why they want your document.
You can also integrate the following in the report as well apart from the above:
Delivers unique report content by filtering out unnecessary data.
Creates multiple variations of a single business report with different user views based on role and group affiliation
Utilizes prompting, drilling, drag-and-drop interactivity to provide access to all data across the enterprise — including relational databases, cube databases, flat files, and many operational databases.
Delivers reports translated into one of 12 different languages can also translate the user interface to provide local language versions of menu bars, folders, attributes, metrics, character sets, currency formats, time, and date formats.
Delivers report information or report access to as many end users as required from individuals in the organization, to partners, customers, and prospective customers.
Enables large-volume report distribution for offline analysis, remote access, and subscription based delivery.