What is a informational report

Eng 209/WIHurley11.0 Applying the Writing Process to Prepare Business ReportsReports play a significant role in the careers of all business professionals. Reports fall into three basic categories:Informational reportsoffer data, facts, feedback, and other types of information, without analysis or recommendations.Analytical reportsoffer both information and analysis, and they can also include recommendations.Proposals (in our next module) offer structured persuasion for internal or external audiences.The nature of these reports varies widely, from one-page trip reports that follow a standard format to detailed business plans and proposals that can run hundreds of pages. No matter what the circumstances, try to view every business report as an opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of your audience's challenges and your ability to contribute to your organization's success.1.1Analyzing the SituationThe complexity of many reports and the amount of work involved put a premium on carefully analyzing the situation before you begin to write. Pay special attention to yourstatement of purpose,which explains whyyou are preparing the report and what you plan to deliver in the report. (See Fig 1)Fig. 1 Problem Statement vs. Purpose StatementProblem StatementPurpose StatementOur company's market share is steadily declining.To explore new ways of promoting and selling our products and to recommend the approaches most likely to stabilize our market share.Our current computernetwork lacks sufficient bandwidth and cannot be upgraded to meet our future needs.To analyze various networking options and to recommend the system that will best meet our company's current and future needs.We need $2 million to launch our new product.To convince investors that our new business would be a sound investment so that we can obtain desired financing.Our current operations are too decentralized and expensive.To justify the closing of the Newark plant and the transfer of East Coast operations to a single Midwest location in order to save the company money.Writing Informational and Analytical Reports

Eng 209/WIHurley2The most useful way to phrase your purpose statement is to begin with an infinitive phrase (to plus a verb), which helps pin down your general goal (to inform, to identify, to analyze,and so on). For instance, in an informational report, your statement of purpose can be as simple as one of these:To identify potential markets for our new phone-based videogamesTo update the board of directors on the progress of the research projectTo submit required information to the Securities and Exchange CommissionYour statement of purpose for an analytical report often needs to be more comprehensive. When Linda Moreno, the cost accounting manager for Electrovision, a high-tech company based in Los Gatos, California, was asked to find ways of reducing employee travel and entertainment costs, she phrased her statement of purpose accordingly:... to analyze the T&E [travel and entertainment] budget, evaluate the impact of recent changes in airfares and hotel costs, and suggest ways to tighten management's control over T&E expensesBecause Moreno was assigned an analytical report rather than an informational report, she had to go beyond merely collecting data; she had to draw conclusions and make recommendations. Proposals must also be guided by a clear statement of purpose to help you focus on crafting a persuasive message. Here are several examples of purpose statements for internal and external proposals:To secure funding in next year's budget for new conveyor systems in the warehouseTo get management approval to reorganize the North American sales forceTo secure $2 million from outside investors to start production of the new titanium mountain bikeRemember, the more specific your purpose statement, the more useful it will be as a guide to planning your report. Furthermore, if you've been assigned the report by someone else, always double-check your statement of purpose with that person tomake sure you've interpreted the assignment correctly.In addition to considering your purpose carefully, you will also want to prepare a work planfor most reports and proposals in order to make the best use of your time. For simpler reports, the work plan can be an informal list of tasks and a simple schedule. However, if you're preparing a lengthy report, particularly when you're collaborating with others, you'll want to develop a more detailed work plan. Such a plan might include the following elements:Statement of the problem or opportunity (for analytical reports and proposals)Statement of the purpose and scope of your investigationDiscussion of the tasks that need to be accomplished in order to complete the reportReview of project assignments, schedules, and resource requirementsPlans for following up after delivering the report