A business report is an impartial, objective, planned

presentation of facts to one or more persons for a

specific,significant business purpose.

The report fact may pertain to events, conditions,

qualities, progress, results, products, problems or
suggested solutions.

Reports function is to give an account of something, to

answer a question, or to offer a solution to a problem

Reports travel upwards to supervisors and management

policymakers, downwards and horizontally to those who
carry out the work and policies; and outward to
stockholders, customers, general public, specific firms or
individuals.

An effective report is:

appropriate to its purpose and audience
accurate
logical
clear and concise
well organized with clear section
headings

COMMON REPORT CLASSIFICATIONS - 1

Determinant Class
Authorized
Source
Voluntary

Description
Prepared at the request of
someone else
Organized to respond to the
reader's wishes
Prepared on your own initiative
Require more support, more
background detail, and more
careful explanation of purpose

COMMON REPORT CLASSIFICATIONS - 1

Determinant Class
Special

Frequency
Routine

Description
Prepared for unique situations or
one-time (nonrecurring) events
Form and organization depend on
purpose
Prepared for recurring events
(daily,
weekly,
monthly,
quarterly, annually)
Organized in a standard way
(often
on
preprinted
or
computerized forms that the
writer can simply fill in)
Require less introductory and
transitional material

COMMON REPORT CLASSIFICATIONS - 1

Determinant Class
Internal

Destination
External

Description
Used within the organization
Often in memo format
(especially if they're less
than 10 pages)
Sent to people outside the
organization
Often in letter format (5
pages or less) or manuscript
format (more than 5 pages)

COMMON REPORT CLASSIFICATIONS - 2

Determinant

Class

Description

Short

Prepared as a letter, memo, or e-mail report of 10

pages or less
Usually prepared as a routine report

Long

Prepared as a manuscript report of more than 10

pages
Usually prepared as a special report

Length

COMMON REPORT CLASSIFICATIONS - 2

Determinant

Formality

Class

Description

Informal

Usually prepared as a routine, internal report

Includes less formal tone, fewer introductory and
transitional materials

Formal

Usually prepared as a special internal or external

report
Includes more formal tone, more introductory and
transitional materials

COMMON REPORT CLASSIFICATIONS - 2

Determinant

Type

Class

Description

Informational

Prepared to inform and educate

Can be either internal or external

Analytical

Prepared to analyze data, draw conclusions, and

sometimes make recommendations
Can be either internal or external

1.
2.
3.
4.

5.
6.

Define the Problem, Purpose and

Scope
Consider who will receive the report
Determine ideas to include
Collect needed material
Secondary
Primary
Electronic Database
Sort, Analyze and interpret Data
Organize data and prepare final
outline.
PIM- Pakistan Institute of Management

1st step

Title
fly

Title
page

Letter of
Transmittal

Table of
contents

Synopsis

THE REPORT PROPER

Title
Page

Letter of
Transmittal

Table of
contents

Synopsis

THE REPORT PROPER

Title
page

Table
of
contents

2nd

step

3rd step

Combination transmittal synopsis

Title
page

THE REPORT PROPER

Combination
Transmittal
Synopsis

4th step

THE REPORT PROPER

Title
page

5th step

THE REPORT
PROPER

LETTER REPORT

6th step
PIM- Pakistan Institute of Management

MEMO
REPORT

1.

INTRODUCTION

2.
3.

Background
Authorization
Plan of presentation
Problem
Purpose
Scope
Methodology
Sources
Definition of Terms
Limitations
Brief Statement of results

Text : All necessary Explanation and support

Terminal section, Conclusion, Recommendation

PIM- Pakistan Institute of Management

THE INTRODUCTION
Some of these elements will be included
when necessary: purpose (always),
authorization, sources, scope, definitions,
background, limitations, brief mention of
results, list of topics to be discussed
If a reports introductory elements are stated

in one or two short paragraphs at the

beginning, the title Introduction is omitted
PIM- Pakistan Institute of Management

 Present all relevant facts accurately and impartially

Organize your report by the inductive or deductive

plan - business reports are usually written in the

deductive plan
Emphasize important ideas by showing details,
placing them in prominent positions and using
meaningful names
Include visual aids
Use heading to guide the reader through the report,
but write your sentences and paragraphs so that
they can stand alone as if the headings did not exist
Use topic sentences for most paragraphs, and use
an introductory paragraph at the beginning of a
major section that contains two or more subdivisions
Apply the seven C writing principles
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 Be sure that your terminal section is an integral part of the

report and follows logically from the facts already

presented in the text
Remember that a summary condenses the text,
conclusions evaluate the text, and recommendations
offer specific courses of action
Do not include any new material in the terminal section of
the report
Usually list summary points in the same order as topics
discussed in the text
Support your conclusions or recommendations with
ample appropriate facts that are up to date and accurate
If you have more than one conclusion or
recommendation, list and number them

PIM- Pakistan Institute of Management

Deductive Arrangement
Inductive Arrangement

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Headings and Subheadings as Directional Signs

First degree headings
Second degree headings
Third degree headings
Fourth degree headings
Fifth degree headings
Graphics for Quantitative and other Data
Tables
Bar graphs
vertical bar graphs
stacked vertical bar graphs
Horizontal Bar graphs
Pie Charts
Line graphs
Area graph
Pictograms
Others

PIM- Pakistan Institute of Management

Prefatory Parts

Cover Design and wordings of title

Title fly and title page
Letter of Memorandum f Authorization
Letter of memorandum of Transmittal/Cover letter
Table of contents
Table of tables
Abstract /Synopsis/Executive summary

Documentation and Other Notes

Footnotes-kinds and superscripts

PIM- Pakistan Institute of Management

Supplemental Parts

Bibliography or other Appropriate list

Appendix
Glossary
Index

Presentation of the Formal Reports

Writing the First Draft
Editing and Revising the Rough Drafts
Typing the formal report

PIM- Pakistan Institute of Management