business writing: planning the project/report business communication: planning the project/report...

Business Writing: Planning the Project/Report

Business Communication: Planning the Project/Report

Planning the Project/Report



Planning the Project/Report

• Position

• Problem

• Possibilities

• Proposals



Position

• Analyse your audience

– Primary reader (request/authorise the report)

– Secondary reader(s)

• Consider background information needed for readers

• Define scope and limitations



Scope and Limitations

• Scope - the boundaries of your investigation

• Limitations - anything which hinders or limits the quality of your research/findings of the report



Example 1

• TriTech - Travel & entertainment expenses are eating into profits

• VP of Administration asks Director of Accounting Services to investigate



Position

Who is the report for?

• Primary reader: VP of Administration

• Secondary readers: Company’s CEO; President of Administration



Position

What do the reader(s) need in terms of background information?

• TriTech’s company philosophy

• reasons for authorisation of report

• authoriser of the report



Position

• Scope: Travel and entertainment expenses by employees in the last two years

• Limitation(s): Precise financial impact of cost-saving measures difficult to project due to fluctuations in airfares and hotel rates



Problem

• Problem statement defines what you are investigating

• Problem is usually defined by the person authorising the report

• Purpose statement defines the objective of the report



What

1. Identify the problem

Why

How

do we spend on T & E?

are T & E expenses so high?

can T & E expenditure be reduced?

Problem



To analyse

2. Develop a purpose statement

To evaluate

To suggest

the T & E budget

the impact of recent changes

ways to tighten control

Problem



Possibilities

• Consider all possibilities

• Make sure the possibilities are relevant

• Be mindful of biased thinking

Else

Conclusions and recommendations will be invalid if the actual causes of the problem are not identified in the report.



• Company X - organised training programme for its staff

• Report to evaluate employees’ attitude towards the programme

Example 2



1. Identify all relevant issues

job satisfaction

selection for programme

class time

duration of programme

Possibilities



2. Formulate hypotheses

Hypothesis - an unproved theory, proposition,

etc., tentatively accepted to explain certain

facts or to provide a basis for further

investigation.

Possibilities



2. Formulate hypotheses

• Workers’ level of job satisfaction is higher after taking the class.

• Workers are dissatisfied with the selection procedures to identify participants.

• Workers dislike class times.

• Workers believe programme is too long.

Possibilities



List tentative solutions to the problem

(based on the hypotheses)

Proposals



Hypothesis - Workers are dissatisfied with theselection procedures to identify participants

Proposal - Allow workers to volunteer for the programme

Proposals



Hypothesis - Workers dislike class times

Proposal - Continue class times afterworking hours, but offer incentives; eg. leave in lieu or shopping vouchers

Proposals



Hypothesis - Workers believe programmeis too long

Proposal - Revise and shorten programmebased on staff input

Proposals



Position

Problem

Possibilities

Proposals

Introduction• background/problem• purpose• scope & limitations

Findings

Recommendations

Conclusions

business writing: planning the project/report business communication: planning the project/report...

Documents

projectreport slide

business writing

projectreport scope

projectreport possibilities

projectreport example

projectreport position

control problem slide

report secondary readers