Planning reports and proposalsDick SaliganACTW1Creating effective reports and proposalsReports are written accounts that objectively communicate information about some aspect of a businessInformational reports offer data, facts, feedback, and other type of information without analysis or recommendationAnalytical reports offer both information and analysis, and they can also include recommendationProposals are a special category of reports that combine information delivery and persuasive communicationPurpose and content of business reportsBusiness reports varies widelyIn some cases youll follow strict guidelinesIn other cases the organization and format will be up to youMany business reports will be written for internal audienceHowever, if you work for the Big 4 accounting firms, most of your reports will be to your clients

For risk management purposes and to manage firms brand name, the Big 4 accounting firms have strict guidelines and formatting you have to follow. However, the content is up to you.Adapt the three-step writing process to reports and proposalsLearning objective # 1Reports versus short messages

Creating short messages and reports/proposals will follow the three-step writing process. However, the key and obvious difference is the time you have to spend for each step of the process.Given the length and complexity of many reports, its crucial to define your purpose clearly so you dont waste time with unnecessary rework.The three-step writing processDefining your purposeInformational reports often address a predetermined need and must meet specific audience expectation. Examples are:Financial statements and annual reportsCompliance with government regulationsSales or performance summaryAudiences expect certain information in a certain formatAnalytical reports and proposals are almost always written in response to a perceived problem or a perceived opportunity. Examples are:Management lettersValuation reportsAudiences may not expect specific information and you may have more leeway on the formattingTo plan effectively, address the problem or opportunity with a clear statement of purpose

Problem statements versus purpose statementsProblem statementStatement of purposeOur companys market share is steadily decliningTo explore new ways of promoting and selling our products and to recommend the approaches most likely to stabilize our market shareOur current computer network lacks sufficient bandwidth and cannot be upgraded to meet our future needsTo analyse various networking options and to recommend the system that will best meet our companys current and future needsWe need 50 million to launch our new productTo convince investors that our new business would be a sound investment so that we can obtain desired financingOur current operations are too decentralized and expensiveTo justify the closing of the Bukidnon plant and the transfer of Cotabato operations to a single Mindanao location in order to save the company moneyUseful way to phrase your purpose statementBegin with an infinitive phrase (to plus a verb). When you choose in infinitive phrase (such as to inform, to confirm, to analyse, to persuade, or to recommend), you pin down your general goal in preparing the report. Consider these examples for information reports:To update clients on the progress of the research project (progress report)To develop goals and objectives for the coming year (strategic plan)To identify customers and explain how the company will serve them (marketing plan)To submit monthly sales statistics to management (operating report)To summarize what occurred at the annual sales conference (personal activity report)To explain building access procedures (policy implementation report)To submit required information to the Securities and Exchange Commission (compliance report)Analytical report has a different twistStatement of purpose for an analytical report often needs to be more comprehensive than a statement for an information report.For example, if you are asked to find ways of reducing employee travel and entertainment (T&E) costs, you might phrase your statement as follows: to analyse the T&E budget, evaluate the impact of recent changes in airfares and hotel costs, and suggest ways to tighten managements control over T&E expenses.If you have been assigned an informational report instead, you might state the purpose differently, as follows:To summarize the Companys spending on travel and entertainment.You can see from these two examples how much influence the purpose statement has on the scope of your report.Proposals must also be guided by a clear statement of purposeExample statements of purpose for proposals:To secure funding in next years capital budget for a new computer system in the warehouse (funding proposal)To get management approval to reorganize the Visayan salesforce (general project proposal)To secure 100 million in venture capital funding to complete design and production of the new line of titanium mountain bikes (investment proposal as part of a business plan)To convince La Salle University to purchase a trial subscription to our latest database offering (sales proposal)

Recap on purpose of statementThe more specific your purpose statement, the more useful it will be as a guide to planning your reportAlways double-check your statement of purpose with the person who authorized the reportAfter seeing the purpose written down in black and white, the authorizer may decide that the report needs to go in a difference direction!Once your statement of purpose is confirmed, youre ready to prepare your work planPreparing your work planElements of a formal work planStatement of the problem or opportunityStatement of the purpose and scope of your investigationDiscussion of tasks to be accomplishedDescription of any additional products or activities that will result from your investigationReview of project assignments, schedules, and resource requirementsPlans for following up after delivering the reportClass ActivityQuestions and Comments