Planning Reports

Prentice Hall, 2008

Business Communication Today, 9e

Chapter 13 - 1

Three-Step Writing
Process To Reports
Planning
Writing
Completing

Prentice Hall, 2008

Business Communication Today, 9e

Chapter 13 - 2

Analyzing the Situation

Define the purpose
Prepare the work plan

Prentice Hall, 2008

Business Communication Today, 9e

Chapter 13 - 3

Defining the Purpose

Inform
Persuade
Recommend
Confirm
Analyze
Summarize

Prentice Hall, 2008

Business Communication Today, 9e

Chapter 13 - 4

Preparing the Work Plan

Statement of the problem
Statement of the purpose and scope
Discussion of tasks to be accomplished
Description of final products or outcomes
Review of schedules and requirements
Plans for following up
Working outline
Prentice Hall, 2008

Business Communication Today, 9e

Chapter 13 - 5

Gathering Information
Focus on the audience
Plan carefully
Establish priorities

Prentice Hall, 2008

Business Communication Today, 9e

Chapter 13 - 6

Selecting the Medium

Hardcopy
Digital format
Multimedia

Prentice Hall, 2008

Business Communication Today, 9e

Chapter 13 - 7

Organizing the
Information
Direct approach
State conclusions and recommendations
Introduce findings
Include support

Indirect approach
Introduce findings
Discuss support
State conclusions and recommendations
Prentice Hall, 2008

Business Communication Today, 9e

Chapter 13 - 8

Organization
Considerations
Understand and meet audience
expectations
Use a task-appropriate format
Keep it as short as possible
Talk your way through the outline

Prentice Hall, 2008

Business Communication Today, 9e

Chapter 13 - 9

Planning
Informational Reports
Monitor and control operations
Implement policies and procedures
Demonstrate compliance
Document progress

Prentice Hall, 2008

Business Communication Today, 9e

Chapter 13 - 10

Organizing
Informational Reports
Topical organization
Comparison
Importance
Sequence
Chronology
Spatial orientation
Geography
Category
Prentice Hall, 2008

Business Communication Today, 9e

Chapter 13 - 11

Creating Business Plans

Summary
Mission and objectives
Company and industry
Products or services
Market and competition
Management
Marketing strategies

Prentice Hall, 2008

Business Communication Today, 9e

Chapter 13 - 12

Creating Business Plans

Design and development plans

Operations plan
Overall schedule
Critical risks and problems
Financial projections
Financial requirements
Exit strategy

Prentice Hall, 2008

Business Communication Today, 9e

Chapter 13 - 13

Website Content
Online communication is unique
Web readers are demanding
Reading online can be difficult
The Internet is a nonlinear medium
The Internet is multidimensional
Websites have multiple purposes
Internet audiences are diverse
Prentice Hall, 2008

Business Communication Today, 9e

Chapter 13 - 14

Information Architecture
Vertical hierarchy of pages
Horizontal division of pages
Internal and external links

Prentice Hall, 2008

Business Communication Today, 9e

Chapter 13 - 15

Organizing the Site

Plan navigation first
Let readers be in control
Break information into chunks

Prentice Hall, 2008

Business Communication Today, 9e

Chapter 13 - 16

Planning Analytical
Reports
Assess opportunities
Market analysis and due diligence

Solve problems
Troubleshooting and failure analysis

Support decisions
Feasibility and justification
Prentice Hall, 2008

Business Communication Today, 9e

Chapter 13 - 17

Defining the Problem

What needs to be determined?

Why is this issue important?
Who is involved in the situation?
Where is the trouble located?
How did the situation originate?
When did it start?

Prentice Hall, 2008

Business Communication Today, 9e

Chapter 13 - 18

Organizational
Strategies
Receptive audiences
Direct approach
Focus on conclusions
Focus on recommendations

Skeptical audiences
Indirect approach
Focus on logical arguments

Prentice Hall, 2008

Business Communication Today, 9e

Chapter 13 - 19

Focus on Conclusions
Advantages
Ease of use
Bottom-line driven

Disadvantages
Possible resistance
Oversimplification

Prentice Hall, 2008

Business Communication Today, 9e

Chapter 13 - 20

Focus on
Recommendations
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Establish the need for action

Introduce benefits
List steps needed to get benefits
Explain each step more fully
Summarize your recommendations

Prentice Hall, 2008

Business Communication Today, 9e

Chapter 13 - 21

Focus on Logical
Arguments
2 + 2 = 4 approach

Problem or opportunity
Main reasons behind conclusions
Main reasons behind recommendations
Support reasons with evidence

Yardstick approach

Problem or opportunity
List alternatives
List decision-making criteria
Evaluate alternatives against criteria

Prentice Hall, 2008

Business Communication Today, 9e

Chapter 13 - 22

Effective Analytical
Reports: An Example

Prentice Hall, 2008

Business Communication Today, 9e

Chapter 13 - 23