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Business Reports

Using the right format for sharing information.

By the Mind Tools Content Team

Business reports may seem like yesterday's news. After all, modern businesses often have flatter structures that require less formal reporting, and information can be shared with just a few keystrokes.

And while there are many types of business report – formal, informal, analytical, informational – an organized, well-argued formal report is much more valuable for decision-makers than simply giving them access to vast quantities of raw data.

A well-structured report allows readers to find what they need quickly and easily, and to skip what they don't need.

In this article, we showcase a format for writing concise, informative formal reports. We also offer tips for what type of information to include, and a template that you can use or adapt to meet your specific needs.

Preparing to Write Your Report

Before you begin researching or writing, make sure that you clearly understand why you're writing the report – and who will read it. Plan what kind of data you need to use, and how you will collect it.

You could use sales figures or web analytics, for example. Or, if you're reporting on the viability of a new product or service, you may want to set up focus groups or product planning workshops .

Next, analyze the raw data that your research brings to light. Your report will likely require you to make recommendations to senior managers, so it needs the authority of a coherent argument and firm conclusions.

Select what needs to go in your report but beware of "cherry-picking" only the data that supports your preferred option or argument. Seek balance. Keep records of all the information that you include – and what you leave out – in case you're asked to defend your findings later.

How to Write a Business Report

Business reports are a test of your communication skills . They can cover a wide range of subjects and require a similarly wide range of approaches. But certain guidelines normally apply.

Keep your report concise – remember, people typically don't have much reading time. Keep your sentences short, clear and easy to read, with the minimum of jargon. If you write the way you speak, your readers may find it easier to grasp what you want to communicate.

Break up your text with headings and subheadings. This makes it easier to understand, and it enables people to find the information that's most relevant to them.

In each section of your report, put the most important information first. Our article on Inverted Pyramid Writing provides a guide to doing this effectively. Use verifiable statistics and quote your sources – people tend to trust data more than personal opinions!

If your writing skills are a little rusty, see our articles Writing Skills , Punctuation Basics , and Paraphrasing and Summarizing before you begin compiling your report.

Use Our Template to Structure and Format Your Report

Following a standard business report format (as outlined below) ensures that your information is arranged in a logical order that your readers can follow and understand. And you'll less likely leave out anything important, because the format gives you the appropriate framework.

We have created a downloadable template (in Word format) that employs a typical standard business report format, which you can adapt to your own requirements.

To illustrate the process of writing a business report, let's use the example of a marketing manager, Rosheen. She's been asked by her marketing director to write a report on the sales performance of one of their company's products, a cold remedy called Airspace. And to make recommendations concerning its future.

1. Title Page

Include the report name, your name (as the author) and the date. Also briefly state the purpose of the report. If your report is long (more than about 10 pages, for example), your title section could also include a table of contents.

Example: Rosheen puts a clear title at the top of the page, so there's no doubt what the report's about, and a couple of lines about why it's important. She also dates it. She adds her own name in the center of the page as the author.

2. Executive Summary

Keep this to a maximum of one page, so it can be read at a glance. Outline the issue, then list the most important information or results. Finally, detail your recommendations for the actions that need to be taken.

Many people will only read this one page, so make sure that it can stand alone. Use bullet points and numbered lists to highlight and summarize the most important points.

It's best to write the executive summary last, when you've finalized the bulk of the report's content, to make sure that you don't miss out any important information.

Example: Rosheen organizes her executive summary into three parts. This makes it easy for her boss to quickly grasp the main thrust of the report, based on this one page.

The first part is the scope of the report – what Airspace is, the aspects of its performance she has been asked to investigate, and why. She also indicates the timescale of her research.

The second part is a summary of her findings. The Airspace product hasn't been performing well, so she includes headline numbers to show its recent sales figures.

The third part is a set of recommendations to improve performance. These include repositioning Airspace in the market, and introducing new product variants.

3. Methodology

Describe your research. For example, did you employ web analytics, focus groups and interviews, or outside resources like consulting or research firms? Include the details of your research process and explain why you used the sources that you did.

Example: Rosheen includes a brief description of how she conducted her research. She notes her use of internal documents and sales figures, and of external trade press articles on Airspace's competitors and their activity. She also shows that she's conducted focus groups with Airspace's regular customers, and conducted surveys on social media.

4. Introduction

Tell your readers why they need to read this report, and give a very brief overview of what you're going to cover in the main body of the text.

Example: Rosheen outlines the importance of the Airspace product to her organization. It's a historically important brand, and still a solid revenue driver. So its sales performance matters. She also indicates that she'll back her claims with evidence and offer possible answers to the problem.

5. Main Body

This is the "heart" of your report, where you present your research and make your case. Put the most important information first, and use data visualization to get your message across with clarity and impact.

Example: Rosheen begins the main body of her report with a graphic indicating Airspace's declining market share and other financial data on its performance. She follows up with qualitative responses from focus groups and online surveys, and includes data on what the competition has been doing in Airspace's market sector.

6. Conclusion

Analyze the results of your research and bring everything together. Many people will read this section, so keep it short and simple.

Example: Rosheen gives a commentary on the various factors affecting Airspace's sales performance, analyzing them and placing them in order of importance.

She then suggests a range of potential solutions but outlines her final recommendations in a separate section, as explained below.

7. Recommendations

List the actions that you think your organization should take to solve the problem that you're addressing. Ideally, use bullets or numbered points for this list.

Make your opinion clear. You've done the research, so tell people what needs to happen next. If you suggest major changes, then draw up a strategy to implement these larger changes on a step-by-step basis.

Example: Rosheen proposes a strategy for introducing an entirely new product range and phasing out the old one. She offers rough costings and timescales for the project.

8. Appendix

Include all of your sources and research data in detail. Even though few people will read the appendix in full, this is the information that supports your arguments, so it must be included.

Example: Rosheen lists her sources with full citations, including the dates she accessed the data and conducted her research interviews. She gives details of how she selected her focus group participants, and the sample sizes and response rates from her online surveys.

Business reports are an invaluable way to share information and aid decision-making in many organizations. A good report is concise, authoritative, and makes well-researched recommendations.

Your precise requirements will vary according to the subject matter and the nature of your business. But in general, a business report should include:

• Executive Summary
• Methodology
• Introduction
• Recommendations

Following a standard business report format makes it easier for your readers to find the key information they need. They'll know which sections will answer their questions, and they'll clearly see your recommendations.

Business Report Template

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Comments (1)

JONATHAN CANN

Kindly check the hyperlinks for the Business Report Template....it does not include any report template. The first link takes you to the Home page and the second has the Forced Fields Analysis template.

over 1 year

Debbie De-Ritis

Yes please update.

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6.11: Introduction to Business Reports

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What you’ll learn to do: Discuss the different types of reports and their purposes

Employees in most organizations create and use reports; however, it’s important to remember that the business report is a markedly different document than a report created in an academic setting.

Reports are a key communication tool in business; they effectively share and retain information and decisions. Reports are classified into two main types: informal reports and formal reports. Both of those classifications are further broken down by type of information. This module describes these report structures and types. In this module, you’ll learn the following:

• Which type of report to use and when
• What sections may be found in each type of report
• How to format reports

A report that is laid out well facilitates the reader’s understanding of its content. With a clear function and purpose, a well-formatted report establishes the credibility and professional abilities of the report’s creator.

Contributors and Attributions

• Introduction to Business Reports. Authored by : Susan Kendall. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Financial Report. Authored by : mohamed_hassan. Provided by : Pixabay. Located at : https://pixabay.com/en/accounting-report-financial-3076855/ . License : CC0: No Rights Reserved

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

Chapter 11: Business Reports

Venecia Williams

Learning Objectives

• Understand the different types of reports
• Discuss the main parts of a formal report
• Examine how to use headings and lists
• Learn how to integrate graphics

Reports are documents designed to record and convey information to the reader. Reports are part of any business or organization; from credit reports to sales reports, they serve to document specific information for specific audiences, goals, or functions. Reports come in all sizes but are typically longer than a page and somewhat shorter than a book. The type of report depends on its function. The function of the report is its essential purpose, often indicated in the purpose statement. The function may also contribute to parameters like report length (page or word count) or word choice and readability. Reports vary by function, but they also vary by style and tradition. Within your organization, there may be employer-specific expectations that need to be addressed to meet audience expectations.

Informational or Analytical Report?

There are two main categories for reports, regardless of their specific function or type. An informational report informs or instructs and presents details of events, activities, individuals, or conditions without analysis. An example of this type of “just the facts” report is a summary report. The report will summarize the most pertinent information from a text based on the audience’s needs.

The second type of report is called an analytical report. An analytical report presents information with a comprehensive analysis to solve problems, demonstrate relationships, or make recommendations. An example of this report may be a field report by a physician from the Public Health Agency of Canada from the site of an outbreak of the Covid-19 virus, noting symptoms, disease progression, steps taken to arrest the spread of the disease, and recommendations on the treatment and quarantine of subjects.

Informal and Formal Reports

Reports can also be classified as informal and formal reports. Informal reports tend to be a few pages long and are normally written for someone within the organization. Informal reports are normally sent as memos, sometimes attached to an email, or as letters. Formal reports, on the other hand, are much longer and are usually, though not always, sent outside an organization. Whether you write an informal or formal report depends on the audience for the report and the information required.

Writing a Formal Report

Many business professionals need to write a formal report at some point during their career, and some professionals write them on a regular basis. Key decision-makers in business, education, and government use formal reports to make important decisions. As opposed to informational reports that offer facts and information without analysis, formal reports provide the end product of a thorough investigation with analysis. Although writing a formal report can seem like a daunting task, the final product enables you to contribute directly to your company’s success.

While you may write much shorter, more casual reports, it’s helpful to go into a bit of detail about formal reports. Formal reports are modular, which means that they have many pieces. Most audience members will not read every piece, so these pieces should stand on their own. That means that you will often repeat yourself. That’s okay. Your audience should be able to find exactly what they need in a particular section, even if that information has been repeated elsewhere.

While it’s fine to copy and paste between sections, you will likely need to edit your work to ensure that the tone, level of detail and organization meet the needs of that section. For example, the Executive Summary is aimed at managers. It’s a short, persuasive overview of everything in the report. The Introduction may contain very similar information, but it focuses on giving a short overview of everything in the report. Its goal is to inform, not to persuade.

Report Organization

Reports vary by size, format, and function. You need to be flexible and adjust your report to the needs of the audience. Reports are typically organized around six key elements:

• Who the report is about and/or prepared for
• What was done, what problems were addressed, and the results, including conclusions and/or recommendations
• Where the subject studied occurred
• When the subject studied occurred
• Why the report was written (function), including under what authority, for what reason, or by whose request
• How the subject operated, functioned, or was used

Pay attention to these essential elements when you consider your stakeholders. That may include the person(s) the report is about, whom it is for, and the larger audience of the organization. Ask yourself who the key decision-makers are, who the experts will be, and how your words and images may be interpreted.

While there is no universal format for a report, there is a common order to the information. Each element supports the main purpose or function, playing an important role in the transmission of information. There are several different organizational patterns that may be used for formal reports, but all formal reports contain front matter (prefatory) material, a body, and back matter (supplementary) items. The prefatory material is therefore critical to providing the audience with an overview and roadmap of the report. The body of a formal report discusses the findings that lead to the recommendations. The back matter provides additional information. Some common elements in a report are shown in Figure 11.1.

Figure 11.1 | Parts of a Report

Front Matter

Front matter includes all the information preceding the body of the report.

The title page provides the audience with the:

• This should appear 2 inches from the top margin in uppercase letters.
• Type “Prepared for” on one line, followed by two separate lines that provide the receiving organization’s name. Some reports may include an additional line that presents the name of a specific person.
• Type “prepared by” on one line, followed by the name(s) of the author(s) and their organization, all on separate lines.
• This date may differ from the date the report was written. It should appear 2 inches above the bottom margin.

The items on the title page should be equally spaced apart from each other.

A note on page numbers: The title page should not include a page number, but this page is counted as page “i.” Use software features to create two sections for your report. You can then utilize two different types of numbering schemes. When numbering the pages (i.e., i, ii, iii, etc.) for a formal report, use lowercase Roman numerals for all front matter components. Utilize Arabic numbers for the other pages that follow. Additionally, if you intend to bind the report on the left, move the left margin and center 0.25 inches to the right.

A note on font: If there is no specific preference for serif vs. sans serif font, choose one and use it consistently throughout the report. Do not utilize anything besides a traditional serif (e.g., Times New Roman) or sans serif (e.g., Arial or Calibri) font.

Letter or Memo of Transmittal

A letter or memo of transmittal announces the report topic to the recipient(s).

If applicable, the first paragraph should identify who authorized the report and why the report is significant. Provide the purpose of the report in the first paragraph as well. The next paragraph should briefly identify, categorize, and describe the primary and secondary research of the report. Use the concluding paragraph to offer to discuss the report; it is also customary to conclude by thanking the reader for their time and consideration.

A letter of transmittal should be formatted as a business letter. Some report writers prefer to send a memo of transmittal instead. When considering your audience for the letter or memo of transmittal, make sure that you use a level of formality appropriate for your relationship with the reader. While all letters should contain professional and respectful language, you should pay closer attention to the formality of the word choice and tone in a letter to someone you do not know. Figure 11.2 illustrates a report with a letter of transmittal.

Table of Contents

The table of contents page features the headings and secondary headings of the report and their page numbers, enabling audience members to quickly locate specific parts of the report. Leaders (i.e. spaced or unspaced dots) are used to guide the reader’s eye from the headings to their page numbers.

The words “TABLE OF CONTENTS” should appear at the top of the page in all uppercase and bolded letters. Type the titles of major report parts in all uppercase letters as well, double spacing between them. Secondary headings should be indented and single-spaced, using a combination of upper and lowercase letters. Figure 11.3 demonstrates the organization of a typical table of contents and executive summary for a report.

List of Figures and Tables

The list of figures has many of the same design considerations as the table of contents. Readers use the list of figures to find the illustrations, diagrams, tables, and charts in your report. Complications arise when you have both tables and figures. Strictly speaking, figures are illustrations, drawings, photographs, graphs, and charts. Tables are rows and columns of words and numbers; they are not considered figures. For longer reports that contain dozens of figures and tables each, create separate lists of figures and tables. Put them together on the same page if they fit. You can combine the two lists under the heading, “List of Figures and Tables,” and identify the items as figure or table as is done in Figure 13.3.

Executive Summary

An executive summary presents an overview of the report that can be used as a time-saving device by recipients who do not have time to read the entire report.

The executive summary should include a:

• Summary of purpose
• Overview of key findings
• Identification of conclusions
• Overview of recommendations

If the executive summary, introduction, and transmittal letter strike you as repetitive, remember that readers don’t necessarily start at the beginning of a report and read page by page to the end. They skip around; they may scan the table of contents and they usually skim the executive summary for key facts and conclusions. They may read carefully only a section or two from the body of the report, and then skip the rest. For these reasons, reports are designed with some duplication so that readers will be sure to see the important information no matter where they dip into the report.

To organize this section, type “EXECUTIVE SUMMARY” in all uppercase letters and centred. Follow this functional head with paragraphs that include the above information, but do not use first-level headings to separate each item. Each paragraph of information should be single-spaced with double spacing between paragraphs. Everything except for the title should be left-aligned.

An executive summary is usually ten percent of the length of the report. For example, a ten-page report should offer a one-page summary. A 100-page report should feature a summary that is approximately ten pages.

The body is the main section of the report and includes the introduction, discussion or findings, conclusion and recommendations.

Introduction

The body of a formal report begins with an introduction. The introduction sets the stage for the report, clarifies what need(s) motivated it, and orients the reader to its structure. Most report introductions address the following elements: background information, problem or purpose, significance, scope, methods, organization, and sources. As you may have noticed, some parts of a formal report fulfill similar purposes. Information from the letter of transmittal and the executive summary may be repeated in the introduction. Reword the information in order to avoid sounding repetitive.

To begin this section, type “BACKGROUND” or “INTRODUCTION” in all uppercase letters. This functional head should be followed by the information specified above (i.e., background information, problem or purpose, etc.). You do not need to utilize any first-level headings in this section.

Because this section includes background information, it would be the appropriate place to address the needs of audiences that may need additional knowledge about the topic. Provide definitions of technical terms and instructions about the overall project if necessary. If you are uncertain if your audience needs a particular piece of information, go ahead and include it; it’s better to give your reader a little bit too much background than not enough. The organization of a typical introduction is illustrated in Figure 11.4.

Discussion of Findings

The Discussion of Findings section presents the evidence for your conclusions. This key section should be carefully organized to enhance readability.

To begin, type “DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS” in all uppercase letters. Center this and all other functional heads. Follow “DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS” with a brief paragraph that previews the organization of the report.

Useful organizational patterns for report findings include but are not limited to:

• Best Case/Worst Case
• Compare/Contrast
• Journalism Pattern

Use a Best Case/Worst Case organizational pattern when you think that the audience may lack interest in the topic. When examining a topic with clear alternatives to your proposed solution, consider using a Compare/Contrast pattern. Geographical patterns work effectively for topics that are discussed by location. When describing the organization of the report in the first paragraph, broadly identify how the material in the report is organized rather than state that the report uses a specific pattern (e.g. Chronology, Geography). For example, write, “The research findings address curriculum trends in three provinces: (a) British Columbia, (b) Alberta, and (c) Ontario,” not, “This report uses a geographical organizational pattern.”

Follow the first paragraph with a first-level heading. Use first-level headings for all other major parts of this section. First-level headings should appear in bold, uppercase letters. Center first-level headings, but align any second-level headings with the left margin. Type any second-level headings in bold, upper- and lowercase letters.

As you present, interpret, and analyze evidence, consider using both text and graphics. Take into account what will be easiest for your audience to understand. Include citations for all quoted or paraphrased material from sources as well; check with your organization as to whether they prefer parenthetical citations or footnotes.

Conclusions and Recommendations

The conclusions and recommendations section conveys the key results from the analysis in the discussion of findings section. Up to this point, readers have reviewed the data in the report; they are now logically prepared to read the report’s conclusions and recommendations. Type “CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS” in all uppercase letters. Follow this functional head with the conclusions of the report. The conclusions should answer any research questions that were posed earlier in the report. Present the conclusions in an enumerated or bulleted list to enhance readability. Recommendations offer a course of action, and they should answer any problem or research questions as well.  Think back to the expectations of your audience.  Have all of their requirements been addressed?

Back Matters

Back matters contain all the supplementary materials and can include works cited, appendices, a glossary and an index.

Works Cited

All formal reports should include a works cited page; this page documents the sources cited within the report. Documenting your information sources is all about establishing, maintaining, and protecting your credibility in the profession. You must cite (“document”) borrowed information regardless of the shape or form in which you present it. Whether you directly quote, paraphrase, or summarize it—it’s still borrowed information. Whether it comes from a book, article, a diagram, a table, a web page, a product brochure, an expert whom you interview in person—it’s still borrowed information. Use the documentation style appropriate to your industry (e.g. APA, MLA, Chicago).

Appendices are those extra sections following the conclusion. What do you put in an appendix?—anything that does not comfortably fit in the main part of the report but cannot be left out of the report altogether. The appendix is commonly used for large tables of data, big chunks of sample code, fold-out maps, background that is too basic or too advanced for the body of the report, or large illustrations that just do not fit in the body of the report. Anything that you feel is too large for the main part of the report or that you think would be distracting and interrupt the flow of the report is a good candidate for an appendix. Notice that each one is given a letter (A, B, C, and so on).

Headings are the titles and subtitles you see within the actual text of much professional scientific, technical, and business writing. Headings are like the parts of an outline that have been pasted into the actual pages of the document. Headings are an important feature of professional writing. They alert readers to upcoming topics and subtopics, help readers find their way around in long reports and skip what they are not interested in, and break up long stretches of straight text.

Headings are also useful for writers. They keep you organized and focused on the topic. When you begin using headings, your impulse may be to include the headings after  you’ve written the rough draft. Instead, visualize the headings  before  you start the rough draft, and plug them in as you write.

General Guidelines

• Use headings to mark off the boundaries of the major sections and subsections of a report.
• Make the phrasing of headings parallel.
• Avoid “stacked” headings—any two consecutive headings without intervening text.
• When possible, omit articles from the beginning of headings. For example, “The Pressurized Water Reactor” can easily be changed to “Pressurized Water Reactor” or, better yet, “Pressurized Water Reactors.”
• Don’t use headings as lead-ins to lists or as figure titles.
• Avoid “widowed” headings; that’s where a heading occurs at the bottom of a page and the text it introduces starts at the top of the next page. Keep at least two lines of body text with the heading, or force it to start the new page.

Format and Style

The style and format for headings shown in this chapter is not the “right” or the “only” one; it is just one among many. As illustrated in Figure 11.5 headings function like outline elements inserted into the text at those points where they apply.

When formatting your headings and subheadings, pay close attention to details such as vertical and horizontal spacing; capitalization; use of bold, italics, or underlining; and punctuation. Headings occur within the body of a document. Don’t confuse headings with document titles. Although titles may look like first-level headings in smaller documents, think of them as separate things.

First-level headings are the highest level of headings in your document. Apply the same format or style to all first-level headings. This style should be different from that which is applied to second-level heading. All second-level headings should have the same style. Similarly, this style should be different from that which is applied to third-level headings (and all third-level headings should have the same style), and so on. There are different ways and styles you can use to differentiate various levels of headings. Use whatever styles are appropriate for the document and audience.

Lists are useful because they emphasize selected information in regular text. Lists can be horizontal, with the listed items included directly in the sentence/paragraph. Lists can be vertical, such as when you see a list of three or four items strung out vertically on the page rather than in normal paragraph format. Lists, particularly vertical lists, are noticeable and readers are likely to pay more attention to them. Certain types of lists also make for easier reading. For example, in instructions, it is a big help for each step to be numbered and separated from the preceding and following steps. Lists also create more white space and spread out the text so that pages don’t seem like solid walls of words.

Like headings, the various types of lists are an important feature of professional writing. They help readers understand, remember, and review key points. They help readers follow a sequence of actions or events. They also break up long stretches of straight text.

Follow these general guidelines when making lists:

• Use lists to highlight or emphasize text or to enumerate sequential items.
• Use a lead-in to introduce the list items and to indicate the meaning or purpose of the list.
• Make sure that each item in the list reads grammatically with the lead-in.
• Make list items parallel in phrasing.
• Avoid overusing lists because using too many lists destroys their effectiveness.

Bullet points are democratic, meaning each item in a bulleted list is of equal importance. This is in contrast to numbered lists where items may have different levels of importance, priority, or sequence. Use bulleted lists for items that are in no required order. Use numbered lists for items that are in a required order (such as step-by-step instructions) or for items that must be referred to by item number.

Emphasis, as the term is used here, is the use of typographical effects to call attention to text. These effects can include italics, bold, all-caps, quotation marks, colour, and so on. Emphasis attracts the attention of the reader—or “cues” them—to actions they must take or to information they must consider carefully. Practically any special textual effect that is different from regular body text can function as an emphasis technique. Things like italics, bold, underscores, caps, different size type, alternate fonts, colour, and more can act as emphasis techniques.

However, if emphasis techniques are used in excess, readers can become reluctant to read a text and may avoid it altogether because it is too busy or distracting.  NOTICE how UNREADABLE this sentence IS BECAUSE TOO MUCH emphasis is used .

Analyzing The Audience

As with any type of writing, when writing formal business reports, it is necessary to know your audience.  For example, if your audience is familiar with the background information related to your project, you don’t want to bombard them with details; instead, you will want to inform your audience about the aspects of your topic that they’re unfamiliar with or have limited knowledge of. In contrast, if your audience does not already know anything about your project, you will want to give them all of the necessary information for them to understand. Age and educational level are also important to consider when you write.  In addition, you don’t want to use technical jargon when writing to an audience of non-specialists.  These are just a couple of examples of different audience needs you will want to consider as you write your report.  

Educational Level and Subject Knowledge

While age may not necessarily be an issue in the business world—your audience will almost all be adults—educational level and knowledge of your subject are important to consider when writing your report.  If you are writing for someone outside of your specific field, you will either need to exclude technical jargon or provide in-text reminders or indications of what specific terms mean or items are.  For example, if you work for an automotive company, and you are writing on behalf of mechanical engineers but for an audience of business professionals, you don’t want to assume that your audience knows the names of all of the parts that make up an engine; you will have to use terms they will recognize. In some cases, a glossary of terms may be appropriate.

Expectations and Research

What does your audience expect to get out of reading your report?  What is its purpose?  Make sure that you have specifically responded to the expectations of your boss, manager, or client.  If your audience expects you to have research, make sure you know what type of research they expect. Do they want research from scholarly journal articles? Do they want you to conduct your own research?  No matter what type of research you do, make sure that it is properly documented using whatever format the audience prefers (MLA, APA, and Chicago Manual of Style are some of the most commonly-used formats).  You also want to establish a strong ethos in your report.  Use confident language that shows that you have done your research and present them with the research.

For further information about what types of research you may want to include, see this article about  research methods and methodologies .

Here are some questions to consider about your audience as you write:

• What does your audience expect to learn from your report?
• What type of ethos should you establish?
• How much research does your audience expect you to have?
• How current does your research need to be?
• What types of sources does your audience expect you to have?
• What is the age of your audience?
• What is the educational level of your audience?
• How much background information does your audience need?
• What technical terms will your audience need defined?  What terms will they already be familiar with?
• What is the cultural background of your audience?

Integrating Graphics

Sometimes, despite writing clearly and concisely, it can be helpful to your audience if you use supporting graphics–whether that be tables, illustrations, maps, photos, charts, or some other type of other visual aid.

Before getting into details on creating, formatting, and incorporating graphics, consider the types and their functions. You can use graphics to represent the following elements in your writing:

• Objects: If you’re describing a fuel-injection system, you’ll probably need a drawing or diagram of the object. If you are explaining how to graft a fruit tree, you’ll need some illustrations of how that task is done. Photographs, drawings, diagrams, and schematics are the types of graphics that show objects.
• Numbers:  If you’re discussing the rising cost of housing in Vancouver, you could use a table with the columns being for five-year periods since 1970; the rows could be for different types of housing. You could show the same data in the form of bar charts, pie charts, or line graphs. Tables, bar charts, pie charts, and line graphs are some of the principal ways to show numerical data.
• Concepts:  If you want to show how your company is organized, such as the relationships of the different departments and officials, you could set up an organization chart, which is boxes and circles connected with lines showing how everything is hierarchically arranged and related. This would be an example of a graphic for a concept; this type depicts nonphysical, conceptual things and their relationships.
• Words:  Graphics can be used to depict words. You’ve probably noticed how some textbooks may put key definitions in a box, maybe with different colours in the background. The same can be done with key points or extended examples.

Documenting Graphics

Just as you would cite and reference a paraphrase or a direct quote, so too must you cite and reference any graphics that you use that were created by someone else or that were based on someone else’s data. Indicate the source of any graphic or data you have borrowed. Whenever you borrow a graphic or data from some other source, document that fact in the figure title using an in-text citation. You should also include the reference information in the reference list.

Guidelines for Using Graphics

• Use graphics  whenever they would normally be necessary.
• Make sure your graphics are appropriate to your audience, subject matter, and purpose. Don’t include advanced, highly technical graphics your audience may not understand.
• Intersperse graphics and text on the same page. Place graphics as near to the point in the text where they are relevant as is reasonable and don’t put them on pages by themselves or attach them to the end of documents. However, if a graphic does not fit properly on one page, put it at the top of the next, and continue with regular text on the preceding page. Don’t leave half a page blank just to keep a graphic near the text with which it is associated.
• Always discuss graphics in nearby text preceding the graphic. Don’t just include a graphic without an explanation. Orient readers to the graphic and explain its basic meaning. They need to have a purpose and be introduced before the reader encounters them on the page. The first mention of a graphic is called a lead-in statement, and your graphics must always be introduced by a lead-in. Similarly, it is typically recommended to also use a lead-out statement after the graphic. This is a statement that connects the figure to the material that follows.
• Use titles and labels for graphics.
• Include identifying detail such as illustration labels, axis labels, keys, and so on.
• Make sure graphics fit within normal margins—if they don’t, enlarge or reduce the copies. Leave at least 2 blank lines above and below graphics.

Computers have made it easier for professionals to create effective graphics. Most of the graphics in Figure 11.6 can be created in Microsoft Office Word and Excel. There may also be some occasions in which a formal report includes graphics from a particular print or online source. In these instances, it is critical to include a caption that presents the source of the graphic.

Figure 11.6 summarizes uses and audience benefits for the most frequently employed types of graphics.

Drawings, Diagrams, and Photos

To depict objects, place, people, and relationships between them, you can use photos, drawings, diagrams, and schematics. Just as you would cite and reference a paraphrase or a direct quote, so too must you cite and reference any illustrations, diagrams, and photos that you use that were created by someone else or that were based on someone else’s data. Indicate the source of any graphic or data you have borrowed. Whenever you borrow a graphic or data from some other source, document that fact in the figure title using an in-text citation. You should also include the reference information in the reference list.

Figure 11.6 | Types of Graphics

Tables, Charts, and Graphs

Tables are rows and columns of numbers and words (though mostly numbers). They permit rapid access to and relatively easy comparison of information. If the data is arranged chronologically (for example, sales figures over a ten-year period), the table can show trends—patterns of rising or falling activity. However, tables are not necessarily the most vivid or dramatic means of showing such trends or relationships between data—for that, you’d want to use a line graph, which is discussed in the next section.

Guidelines for using tables

Follow these general guidelines when making tables:

• As with other types of graphics, you should refer to the table in the text just preceding the table.
• You should also explain the general significance of the data in the table; don’t expect readers to figure it out entirely for themselves.
• Don’t overwhelm readers with large tables! Simplify the table data down to just that amount of data that illustrates your point—without of course distorting that data.
• Just as you would cite and reference a paraphrase or a direct quote, so too must you cite and reference any tables that you use that were created by someone else or that were based on someone else’s data. Indicate the source of any graphic or data you have borrowed. Whenever you borrow a graphic or data from some other source, document that fact in the figure title using an in-text citation. You should also include the reference information in the reference list.

Charts and Graphs

Charts and graphs are just another way of presenting the same data that is presented in tables. At the same time, however, you get less detail or less precision in a chart or graph than you do in the table. Imagine the difference between a table of sales figures for a ten-year period and a line graph for that same data. You get a better sense of the overall trend in the graph but not the precise dollar amount. Other types of charts and graphs are horizontal bar charts, vertical bar charts, and pie charts.

Just as you would cite and reference a paraphrase or a direct quote, so too must you cite and reference any charts or graphs that you use that were created by someone else or that were based on someone else’s data. Indicate the source of any graphic or data you have borrowed. Whenever you borrow a graphic or data from some other source, document that fact in the figure title using an in-text citation. You should also include the reference information in the reference list.

Checklist for Writing Reports

As you reread and revise your report, keep in mind the following:

• Report considers the audience’s needs
• Form follows function of report
• Format reflects institutional norms and expectations
• Information is accurate, complete, and documented
• Information is easy to read
• Terms are clearly defined
• Figures, tables, and art support written content
• Figures, tables, and art are clear and correctly labelled
• Figures, tables, and art are easily understood without text support
• Words are easy to read (font, arrangement, organization)
• Results are clear and concise
• Recommendations are reasonable and well-supported

Reports require organization and a clear purpose. Business reports can be informational, analytical, formal and informal. Though reports vary by size, format, and function, most include six key elements. As with any type of business writing, it is important to use audience analysis to determine the organization and content of reports.

End of Chapter Activities

11a. thinking about the content.

What are your key takeaways from this chapter? What is something you have learned or something you would like to add from your experience?

11b. Discussion Questions

Discussion Questions

• Have you ever written a formal report?
• Do you feel confident converting data into tables, charts and graphs?
• Find an annual report for a business you would like to learn more about. Review it with the previous reading in mind and provide examples. Share and compare with classmates.

11c. Applying chapter concepts to a situation

Collecting Data From Customers

Quick Meals is a food delivery service that delivers a variety of meal options to customers at an affordable cost. They provide customers with a new menu each week that they can use to choose items from for lunch or dinner. This service is used regularly by schools and businesses that do not have a cafeteria but would like to provide students and staff with convenient meal choices.

Farshad works as an Operations Manager at Quick Meals. He notices that their services are in high demand and decides to change the menus to offer healthier and more organic options. As a result, the meals cost more. Their regular customers are not pleased with this, and there is an increase in complaints and a decrease in sales.

Upon noticing the changes, Farshad calls a meeting with the supervisor of the customer service department, Susan. He asks her to reach out to the customers to find out their thoughts on the menu changes. Farshad intends to use this information to adjust the menus again. However, this time, it will be to suit the needs of the customers.

How should Susan go about getting this information to determine the issue?

11d. Writing Activity

Watch this video from TED.com on Txtng is killing language. JK!!! . We can think about texting as the opposite of what we would do in a formal report. Summarize the video. Do you think formal reports will change in the future as the way we communicate changes?

Attribution

Content attribution.

This chapter contains information from Business Communication for Success  which is adapted from a work produced and distributed under a Creative Commons license (CC BY-NC-SA) in 2010 by a publisher who has requested that they and the original author not receive attribution. This adapted edition is produced by the  University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing  through the  eLearning Support Initiative ,  Business Communication For Everyone  (c) 2019 by Arley Cruthers and is licensed under a  Creative Commons-Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license , and Online Technical Writing by David McMurrey and is licensed under a  Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License .

Media Attribution

Geography Icon made by Freepik  from  www.flaticon.com

Flowchart Icon made by Becris from www.flaticon.com

Table Icon made by Nhor Phai from www.flaticon.com

Line Chart Icon made by DinosoftLabs from www.flaticon.com

Pie Chart Icon made by Freepik from www.flaticon.com

Bar Chart Icon made by smalllikeart from www.flaticon.com

Government of Canada, S. (2017, September 29). Measuring the economy, region by region. Retrieved June 30, 2020, from https://www.statcan.gc.ca/eng/blog/cs/economy

Government of Canada, S. (2018, September 27). Annual Demographic Estimates: Canada, Provinces and Territories, 2018 (Total Population only) Analysis: Total Population. Retrieved June 30, 2020, from https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/91-215-x/2018001/sec1-eng.htm

Government of Canada. (2020, June 30). Canadian Business Counts, with employees, December 2019. Retrieved June 30, 2020, from https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=3310022201

Guffey, M. E., & Almonte, R. (2019).  Essentials of Business Communication . Toronto, Ontario: Nelson.

Jeon, S., Liu, H., & Ostrovsky, Y. (2019, December 16). Measuring the Gig Economy in Canada Using Administrative Data. Retrieved June 30, 2020, from https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/11f0019m/11f0019m2019025-eng.htm

Chapter 11: Business Reports Copyright © 2020 by Venecia Williams is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Business Communication  - How to Write a Powerful Business Report

Business communication  -, how to write a powerful business report, business communication how to write a powerful business report.

Business Communication: How to Write a Powerful Business Report

Lesson 8: how to write a powerful business report.

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How to write a powerful business report

When a company needs to make an informed decision, it can create a business report to guide its leaders. Business reports use facts and research to study data, analyze performance, and provide recommendations on a company's future.

Watch the video below to learn how to write and format a business report.

The basics of a business report

Business reports are always formal , objective , and heavily researched . Every fact must be clear and verifiable, regardless of whether the report focuses on a single situation or examines the overall performance of an entire company.

Because objectivity is crucial in a business report, avoid subjective descriptions that tell the reader how to feel. For instance, if sales were down last quarter, don’t say “Sales were terrible last quarter,” but rather let the sales data speak for itself. There should also be no personal pronouns, such as “I think we should invest more capital.” A business report should remain impersonal and framed from the company’s perspective.

The structure of a business report

Although the size of a report can range from one page to 100, structure is always important because it allows readers to navigate the document easily. While this structure can vary due to report length or company standards, we’ve listed a common, reliable structure below:

• Front matter : List your name, job title, contact information, and the date of submission. You can also create a title for the report.
• Background : State the background of the topic you’ll be addressing, along with the purpose of the report itself.
• Key findings : Provide facts , data , and key findings that are relevant to the purpose stated in the background. Be clear and specific, especially because the entire report depends on the information in this section.
• Conclusion : Summarize and interpret the key findings, identify issues found within the data, and answer questions raised by the purpose.
• Recommendations : Recommend solutions to any problems mentioned in the conclusion, and summarize how these solutions would work. Although you’re providing your own opinion in this section, avoid using personal pronouns and keep everything framed through the company’s perspective.
• References : List the sources for all the data you've cited throughout the report. This allows people to see where you got your information and investigate these same sources.

Some companies may also require an executive summary after the front matter section, which is a complete summary that includes the report’s background, key findings, and recommendations. This section lets people learn the highlights quickly without having to read the entire document. The size of an executive summary can range from a paragraph to multiple pages, depending on the length of the report.

As mentioned in Business Writing Essentials , revision is key to producing an effective document. Review your writing to keep it focused and free of proofreading errors, and ensure your factual information is correct and presented objectively. We also recommend you get feedback from a colleague before submitting your work because they can spot errors you missed or find new opportunities for analysis or discussion.

Once you’ve revised your content, think about the report’s appearance . Consider turning your front matter section into a cover page to add some visual polish. You can also create a table of contents if the report is lengthy. If you’re printing it out, use quality paper and a folder or binder to hold the report together. To diversify the presentation of your data, try using bulleted lists, graphics, and charts.

Example of a business report

To demonstrate the principles of this lesson, we’ve created a brief business report for you to review.

Let's start by looking at the first page of this two-page report.

The layout of the front matter is simple and effective, while the background sets the stage in a quick, specific manner. The key findings provide the main takeaways that warrant further investigation, along with a chart to add emphasis and visual variety.

Now let's look at the following page.

The conclusion features a little of the writer's opinion on the key findings, although the writing is still centered around the company's perspective. The recommendations are clear and supported by the data, while the references are thorough.

While business reports may seem intimidating, you have the ability to create a thorough, informative document through practice and careful research. Collect the facts and present them in an organized, objective manner, and you’ll help your business make informed decisions.

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24 Types of Business Reports You Need in 2023

Table of contents

Enjoy reading this blog post written by our experts or partners.

If you want to see what Databox can do for you, click here .

The reasons for writing reports in business are pretty compelling. Without them, you can’t have a complete overview of any past periods to evaluate your performance, fix mistakes, and replicate strategies that helped you achieve your goals.

Moreover, you get to plan for the future and create an actionable plan based on the data you collected and presented in a report.

In fact, recent research by Databox found that regular business reporting leads to an improved ability to plan future investments and make strategic decisions for most companies.

However, with so many types of reports in business, you may be unsure of when to use each type, and you can’t afford to waste your time and other resources on wrong solutions that don’t drive business growth.

This comprehensive guide will help you understand each type of report in business and the best use for them.

What Are Business Reports?

How to write a business report, 24 types of business reports you should know about, business report examples, databox offers types of reporting for every business & purpose.

Business reports are informative documents containing important data about your business, such as different figures, research findings, and analyses, with the purpose of providing streamlined, digestible information to everyone involved in the business decision making process. Business reports provide you with deeper insight into your business, so you can:

• Examine potential issues
• Make data-driven conclusions
• Identify growth opportunities
• Reevaluate your goals and set new ones
• Maintain transparent communication with the stakeholders

The author of the report presents the data related to business goals, so you can evaluate where you stand in terms of the progress toward goals. Whether the progress is satisfactory or not, the key is to create a list of actionable items at the end of the report, so everyone involved (both managers and employees) know what to do next and how to adjust your strategy to improve your progress.

Another purpose of writing reports is to facilitate and streamline the communication between the person writing the report and those who read it.

A high-quality business report should be:

• Well-structured
• Data-driven

Business reports usually follow a particular structure, as they contain specific elements, such as a table of contents, data visualizations, and sometimes additional documentation at the end.

Here’s the process that represents the best practice in writing business reports.

Before writing the report, collect all the documentation you may need and choose appropriate data visualization tools to use in the report. Create an outline and identify any formatting guidelines your company may require. Select the app or program in which you’re going to write, typically Microsoft Word or Google Docs.

When you start writing, pay attention to all the relevant elements of the report. The title should be engaging, the introduction should provide information on the report background and goals, while the report body should be divided into clear, logical sections.

Your conclusion should be effective and contain actionable items or recommendations that follow your assessments. When you’re done with the body of the report, write the summary and place it at the top of the report. Before submitting or printing the final version, make sure you proofread your work to eliminate errors.

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Our Monthly Marketing Performance Dashboard includes data from Google Analytics 4 and HubSpot Marketing with key performance metrics like:

• Website sessions, new users, and new leads. Basic engagement data from your website. How much traffic? How many new visitors? How many lead conversions?
• Lead generation vs goal. Did you reach your goal for lead conversion for the month, quarter, or year? If not, by how much did you miss?  
• Overall marketing performance . A summary list of the main KPIs for your website: sessions, contacts, leads, customers, bounce rate, avg. session duration, pages/session, and pageviews.
• Email response . Overall, how effective were your email campaigns, measured by email opens?
• Blog post traffic . How much traffic did your blog attract during a certain period?
• New contacts by source. Which sources drove the highest number of new contacts 
• Visits and contacts by source. How did your sources compare by both sessions and new contacts in a certain period of time?

Now you can benefit from the experience of our Google Analytics and HubSpot Marketing experts, who have put together a plug-and-play Databox template that contains all the essential metrics for monitoring and analyzing your website traffic and its sources, lead generation, and more. It’s simple to implement and start using as a standalone dashboard or in marketing reports, and best of all, it’s free!

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To fully leverage the value of reports in business, you need to know when to use which. In this section, you’ll find over 20 types of business reports–learn what each of them means and when you’re supposed to use them.

Ad-Hoc Committee Report

Analytical report, annual report, explanatory report, external report, fact-finding business report, formal business report, industry report, informal business report, informative business report, internal report, majority report, minority report, operational report, performance report, problem solving business report, product report, progress report, research report, standing committee report.

• Summarized Business Report
• Technical Business Report
• Verbatim Business Report
• Vertical & Lateral Report

Also called Special committee reports, ad-hoc committee reports are created for specific purposes and situations that don’t normally happen at the company–unexpected issues or accidents. For example, if an employee gets injured at the workplace, so the situation must be assessed and solved immediately.

The report is created for the situation investigation purposes only, and the committee is dismissed as soon as you present the report.

Sometimes referred to as interpretative business reports, analytical reports present you with information regarding a specific event that occurred in the business. For example, there can be a huge drop or increase in website traffic, so the analytical report would investigate the causes of the event.

Analytical reports also contain opinions on the situation and recommendations on the further course of action.

Annual reports are created once a year and are usually presented to the executives and shareholders. They contain relevant information about the company’s financial performance: sales profits and turnovers.

Annual reports are extremely important because the corporate heads make decisions about budgets for different departments, investments, etc. based on these reports. If there’s a pre-decided plan or a strategy, it can be changed based on the findings and figures presented in the annual report.

Explanatory reports serve to explain a specific topic to other team members who need to understand it. For example, it may be certain research that you’ve conducted or a project that you’ve worked on.

In this report, you need to present your goals, methodology, findings, and recommendations for further steps. Writing explanatory reports should be particularly clear and concise so even those who weren’t involved in the project can understand it.

External reports are usually financial reports that are meant for an audience outside of your business. The term, however, refers to any type of report you create with the goal of presenting it to the general public.

Fact-finding reports are written in situations when it’s necessary to identify a fact about an event and identify who should assume responsibility or whose solution is more appropriate. For example, if a machine breaks down in a factory, a fact-finding report must be created with the goal to identify why it happened.

The author of this report is usually a third person, so it can be objective, and it’s presented to the company executives.

Formal business reports need to follow a specific format and procedures, and there’s little room for personalization. They’re presented to a competent authority, usually department heads or the top management of other companies.

Formal reports usually contain data analysis, conclusions, and recommendations, presented in a formal and previously established manner, which is why they’re called formal.

Industry reports provide in-depth information about a specific industry, market, or a sector in a region.

The typical elements industry reports include are: concept definitions, trends, outlooks, industry size and value, industry leaders, competitive landscape, facts, statistics, and more. Companies use this industry analysis to assess their market and understand how their industry is changing, so they can remain competitive.

Informal business reports are typically used internally and you have more freedom when creating them. They don’t need to follow strict formatting guidelines. Sometimes, they may even have the form of a business letter.

It’s important to remember that you should create informal business reports in a way that’s convenient both for you and the person who’ll read the report, especially as it should be presented to the requester immediately upon their request.

Informational business reports contain objective information on an issue. They may contain facts and data, but not analysis or explanations. They also don’t predict possible outcomes or give recommendations for future action, as they should be non-biased.

Informational reports are supposed to be as detailed as possible as they allow authorities to make informed decisions based on the data presented.

Unlike external reports, internal reports are only meant for the people inside your organization. They sometimes contain confidential information about the company that’s not supposed to be shared with third parties.

Internal reports may be created frequently, and can contain all types of information: financial, operational, marketing, sales, etc. Their purpose is to help teams optimize their operations and performance based on these reports.

Related : Internal vs. External Reporting: What Are the Differences?

Majority report is created when a decision within a committee isn’t made unanimously. In this case, the majority creates a report and submits it to the responsible body.

If the whole committee, including the chairman, shares the same opinion, a single report is written instead of the majority report.

Minority reports are submitted by the dissenting members of a committee, when there’s a subcommittee appointed to make the final decision on a special subject.

If the three members, who make this subcommittee, can’t make a unanimous decision, they’re allowed to submit separate reports, despite representing a numerical minority.

An operational report represents a detailed, precisely formatted overview of a business’s operational activities, including production costs and processes, sales performance, and more.

The data in an operational report should be ready for analysis, so you can evaluate the efficiency of your operations and introduce changes where needed. Operational reports are often created frequently: weekly, daily, and sometimes even hourly, depending on the type of information they contain.

Performance reports are created for each department in the company and presented to the top management or shareholders. Sometimes, team leaders also create performance reports for individual employees, especially if the employee is new or they might be eligible for a promotion.

These reports measure a department’s or an employee’s overall success and helps the top management make further decisions. Performance reports are also used for evaluating projects and products.

Related : SaaS Reporting: How Performance Reports Helped SaaS Businesses in Improving Key Processes

When a problem arises in a team, department, or organization, employees may be required to create a problem-solving report. The role of this report is to outline the problem and present potential solutions.

To write this report, you need to collect all relevant information and recommend a plan of action that will lead to problem resolution. Sometimes, problem-solving reports also include an analysis of problem causes, so that you can prevent such issues in the future.

Product reports are usually presented to the company’s management and outline the key data regarding the product that your business sells. Typically, they include sales, net and gross revenues, discounts, inventory data, and more.

Depending on the product report goal, you may also include research of competitors’ products or detailed findings from testing your own product. Note that you may also present a product report to other employees when necessary–the audience determines the exact format of the report.

Progress reports are created with the goal of letting others know how a project, research, or something else is going. These reports are meant to be simple updates on the stage you’re currently at rather than being too detailed an analysis containing tons of data.

You can create progress reports weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, depending on the size of the project. Sometimes, you can also include the plans for the upcoming period.

Related : Find out how experts we surveyed use progress reports to motivate their teams, promote inter-departmental coordination, take better decisions, and much more.

Research reports help you introduce changes to your business, marketing strategy, partnerships, or add new products or services to your offering. From these reports, your team members can understand why this change is happening and how.

A research report presents an overview of all the relevant data regarding the change. For example, if you’re introducing a new product, you may include a target market analysis or a competitor analysis and statistics to corroborate your actions.

Related : What is a Marketing Research Report and How to Write It?

A standing committee report is a report created by a committee that’s been put together for a specific purpose. A standing committee, unlike an ad-hoc committee, is set up permanently and isn’t dismissed after the report is created.

Standing committee may oversee a specific department’s performance or the company’s overall financial performance and report on it on a regular basis.

Summarized Business Reports

Also called a summary report, a summarized business report only contains the essential details of a project, business meeting, etc.

These types of reports in business are shorter versions of long business reports that have a specific audience: the press, top management, shareholders.  The goal is to allow the reader to get familiar with the report subject quickly, without having to go through all the material.

Related : How to Write an Executive Summary for a Report: Step By Step Guide with Examples

Technical Business Reports

Technical reports are used to inform the company members about a change that the company is introducing to the technology it uses. For example, a business may decide to introduce a new mechanical process or automation instead of doing something manually.

Technical reports include a detailed overview of the technology being introduced, which resources the company will need to implement it (and how much of them), and more. This detailed assessment helps the management make a final decision on this change.

Verbatim Business Reports

Verbatim reports are word-to-word conversations recorded in a business meeting. It’s usually a secretary’s job to create verbatim reports. These reports can be used in voting meetings or when there’s a resolution of auditor appointments.

It’s important to make a distinction between verbatim reports and meeting minutes. The latter represents a summary of a meeting, including the decisions made, but it doesn’t need to be in the exact wording used during the meeting.

Vertical & Lateral Reports

Whether a report is vertical or lateral depends on who you report to.

Vertical reports are created either for your managers or your subordinates: these reports move up or down in the company hierarchy, depending on their goal.

On the other hand, lateral reports are created for your team or another team in your organization that’s on the same level. For example, marketing and sales departments may create lateral reports to coordinate their activities.

Any type of business report is more streamlined and easier to understand and act on when you include appropriate data visualizations. In this section, we’ll give you examples of different types of reports, presented through dashboards containing all relevant metrics and data.

Monthly Marketing Report Example

Sales overview report example, social media overview report example.

• Email Marketing Performance Report Example 
• Financial Report Example  
• Ecommerce Overview Report Example  

SEO Overview Report Example

• Annual Report Example  
• Customer Success Overview Report Example  

SaaS Revenue Trends Report Example

The HubSpot Marketing Monthly Reporting dashboard includes all the relevant KPIs and metrics a marketer needs to track during a month. This dashboard allows you to answer important questions about your marketing performance, such as: where your website traffic comes from, if your landing pages are performing well and bringing conversions, blogging and email performance, and more.

Available metrics:

• Website visits by source
• Landing page performance
• Blogging performance
• Conversions
• Visits from socials, etc.

The Sales Overview dashboard provides you with a streamlined overview of your sales team’s performance. This dashboard helps you track your sales pipeline and progress toward your goals, while keeping an eye on the critical metrics and team leaderboard. You get to learn which team members have the best performance, see your whole sales funnel, have a high-level overview of your team’s KPIs, and more.

• Average time to close deal
• Number of calls logged
• Number of companies created
• Closed won by owner, and more

The Social Networks (Growth & Engagement) dashboard template is a streamlined way to track and manage your performance on top social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn. It allows you to measure your success and stay on top of your follower count, likes, views, engagement, and more, so you can adjust your strategy and content to resonate with your audience and reach more people.

• CPM, CPC, CPL
• Engagement rate
• Unique views
• Impressions, and more

Email Marketing Performance Report Example

The HubSpot Email Marketing Performance dashboard allows you to monitor your email marketing efforts in a simple manner and adjust your strategy accordingly. Even if you don’t use HubSpot Marketing, this dashboard allows you to pull the data from other integrations. You get to track the health of your email database, how your subject lines are performing, gauge campaigns’ performance, and more.

• Click through to open rate (CTOR)
• New contacts without offline sources
• Emails sent
• Emails clicked by email campaign, and more

Financial Report Example

The QuickBooks + HubSpot CRM Financial Performance dashboard helps you monitor your business’s overall financial health and identify any issues that may negatively impact your cash flow and turnover. The dashboard enables you to track open invoices and expenses in QuickBooks, identify how much you earned from paid invoices, measure the company’s earnings, and more.

• Gross profit margin
• Open deals amount by stage by pipeline
• Paid invoices amount
• Open invoices by customer
• Deal amount by stage by create date

Ecommerce Overview Report Example

The Google Analytics Ecommerce Overview dashboard provides you with complete insight into your online store’s performance. By monitoring the data in the dashboard, you can learn more about the store’s transactions and revenue, and answer questions such as how much you generate in sales, how many visits your ecommerce store has, how many visitors convert, what your best-selling products are, and more.

• Average order value
• Revenue per visit
• Revenue by channel
• E-commerce conversion rate, etc.

The SEO Overview dashboard helps you track your SEO performance and monitor keyword rankings, inbound links, ranking distribution, and more. You get to answer important questions regarding your SEO efforts, like: whether your website generates high authority backlinks, what your domain authority is, whether your website is SEO friendly, what keywords rank the best, and more.

• Organic sessions
• Organic goal competitions
• Clicks by queries

Annual Report Example

The HubSpot Annual Inbound Performance dashboard gives you a complete overview of sales, email, traffic, contacts, and more for the whole year. With this dashboard, you can learn which of your channels drive the most top of the funnel growth, which blog posts are read and shared more than others, which landing pages are the most successful in terms of capturing new contacts, and so much more.

• Email performance
• New contacts by source
• New online contacts
• Top blog posts by page views

Customer Success Overview Report Example

The Customer Success Overview dashboard helps you track your customer service performance and identify correlations between customer service team’s metrics and churn rate. You can easily learn about your monthly recurring revenue from new customers, the number of refunds and cancellations in a specific month, the number of customers that needed help on a daily basis, and more.

• New customers
• Revenue churn
• Customer satisfaction score
• Interactions per resolution, etc.

With the SaaS Revenue Trends dashboard , you can easily track all the relevant SaaS KPIs in real-time and see how much your company has grown over the year. This dashboard allows you to identify your weakest and strongest months so you can replicate successful strategies that drive revenue, and learn which tactics didn’t bring you the desired results.

• Customer changes
• Recurring revenue
• New recurring revenue
• Churn by type
• MRR changes by type

Business reporting may take too much time, and the results may not always turn out the way you need them. A 30-page long report is difficult to go through, especially if you need to draw conclusions quickly and implement changes to your strategy as soon as possible or fix a pending issue.

But, there’s a way to improve your reporting process immensely. if you replace long, unstructured reports with easy-to-use, streamlined dashboards, you can quickly get to the data you need, connect multiple reports in one, and easily share it with your co-workers, clients, or managers.

Databox’s reporting software allows you to tell a story with your data, get important insights fast, and present your findings in a beautiful, clear way. Moreover, you only have to set up your dashboards once. Next time you need a report, the data will already be there, waiting for you to analyze it. This way, you can spend more time examining the data and building strategies to improve performance, and less time building reports and dashboards.

If your business needs such a resource-saver, wait no more and create your free Databox account today.

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Stefana Zarić is a freelance writer & content marketer. Other than writing for SaaS and fintech clients, she educates future writers who want to build a career in marketing. When not working, Stefana loves to read books, play with her kid, travel, and dance.

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• Writing Tips

How to Structure a Business Report

• 5-minute read
• 14th March 2019

The content of a business report will depend on what you are writing about. Even the writing style may depend on who you are writing for (although clear, concise and formal is usually best). However, there is a general structure that most business reports follow. In this post, then, we’ll look at how to structure a business report for maximum clarity and professionalism.

1. Title Page

Every business report should feature a title page . The title itself should clearly set out what the report is about. Typically, you should also include your name and the date of the report.

Most business reports begin with a summary of its key points. Try to include:

• A brief description of what the report is about
• How the report was completed (e.g., data collection methods)
• The main findings from the research
• Key conclusions and recommendations

A paragraph or two should suffice for this in shorter business reports. However, for longer or more complex reports, you may want to include a full executive summary .

3. Table of Contents

Short business reports may not need a table of contents, especially if they include a summary. But longer reports should set out the title of each section and the structure of the report. Make sure the headings here match those used in the main text. You may also want to number the sections.

4. Introduction

The introduction is the first part of the report proper. Use it to set out the brief you received when you were asked to compile the report. This will frame the rest of the report by providing:

• Background information (e.g., business history or market information)
• The purpose of the report (i.e., what you set out to achieve)
• Its scope (i.e., what the report will cover and what it will ignore)

These are known as the “terms of reference” for the business report.

5. Methods and Findings

If you are conducting original research, include a section about your methods. This may be as simple as setting out the sources you are using and why you chose them. But it could also include how you have collected and analyzed the data used to draw your conclusions.

After this, you will need to explain your findings. This section will present the results of your research clearly and concisely, making sure to cover all the main points set out in the brief.

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One tip here is to break the findings down into subsections, using headings to guide the reader through your data. Using charts and illustrations , meanwhile, can help get information across visually, but make sure to label them clearly so the reader knows how they relate to the text.

6. Conclusions and Recommendations

The last main section of your report will cover conclusions and recommendations. The conclusion section should summarize what you have learned from the report. If you have been asked to do so, you should also recommend potential courses of action based on your conclusions.

If you are not sure what to suggest here, think back to the objectives set out in your brief.

7. References

If you have used any third-party sources while writing your report, list them in a bibliography after the main report. This could include other business documents, academic articles, or even news reports. The key is to show what you have based your findings and conclusions upon.

8. Appendices (If Applicable)

Finally, you may have gathered extra documentation during your research, such as interview transcripts, marketing material, or financial data. Including this in the main report would make it too long and unfocused, but you can add it to an appendix (or multiple appendices) at the end of the document. It will then be available should your reader need it.

Summary: How to Structure a Business Report

If you are writing a business report, aim to structure it as follows:

• Title Page – Include a clear, informative title, your name, and the date.
• Summary – A brief summary of what the report is about, the data collection methods used, the findings of the report, and any recommendations you want to make.
• Table of Contents – For longer reports, include a table of contents.
• Introduction –Set out the brief you were given for the report.
• Methods and Findings – A description of any methods of data collection and analysis used while composing the report, as well as your findings.
• Conclusions and Recommendations – Any conclusions reached while writing the report, plus recommendations for what to do next (if required).
• References – Sources used in your report listed in a bibliography.
• Appendices – If you have supporting material (e.g., interview transcripts, raw data), add it to an appendix at the end of the document.

Don’t forget, too, that a business report should be clear, concise, and formal. And if you would like help making sure that your business writing is easy to read and error free, just let us know .

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Business Report: What is it & How to Write it? (Steps & Format)

The shift from academic writing, such as essays and articles, to complex business reports, can be scary!

A business report is needed in almost any field of work. These are fact-based documents that are used to make decisions in a business.

You can use business reports for several purposes such as pitching an idea, analyzing an idea, pitching a merger, analyzing a merger, proving that your company complies with legal and social guidelines or any specific topic related to your job and work.

So if you have a job, it is crucial that you understand the concept of business reports and how to write them effectively.

In this article, we will talk about the different types of reports and their purpose, the importance of business reports, and how to structure your own in an impactful way!

But hey, first thing first. Let’s understand the concept of business reports a little better.

What is a Business Report? (Definition)

A Business report is defined as an official document that contains factual information , statistical data , research findings , or any other form of information relevant to the course of the job.

This report is a formal document written to-the-point to convey information in a concise yet clear manner. Business reports are majorly used for internal communication within an organization.

Objectivity is a major element while writing business reports. Whatever you say should be supported by data and facts, not opinion and perspective. For example, instead of saying ‘ sales in the last quarter were very low’, you show it by means of data.

The report can vary from one page to several pages depending on the purpose and type of report, which brings us to the second part: Types of Business reports.

Types Of Business Reports

There are many types of business reports used in an organization for various purposes. Obviously, you cant use the same report to analyze employee performance and sales in the last quarter, right?

Here are some common types of business reports:

1. Informational reports

You use this report when your boss asks for data that is purely objective i.e., just plain facts without any reasoning or potential outcomes. For instance, a workforce report stating the number of employees in the company, their duties, department of work, and responsibilities.

Read more:  How to Write Project Reports that ‘Wow’ Your Clients? (Template Included)

2. Analytical Report

As the name suggests, this report is used when some critical company data has to be analyzed in order to make informed decisions.

3. Research Report

You use a research report when something big is coming up! It could be a potential merger, or a new product line, or a shift in the current way of working.

A big change requires a comprehensive report studying all its implications. For example, if the company wants to introduce a new product, the research report will consist of elements like target audience , marketing communication strategy , advertising campaigns, etc.

4. Explanatory Report

You use this report when you want to explain your individual project to the entire team. Let’s suppose you performed research.

5. Progress Report

This is a small report used to notify updates in a company.

How was the previous week?

How is the sale for this quarter coming along?

What is the percentage change in conversions since the last week/month?

Questions like these are answered in a progress report. It does not contain analytics. Only information and changes.

Progress reports are a good medium for companies to track their day-to-day work and come up with new ideas for growth and expansion.

Still not convinced? Here are 4 compelling reasons why business reports are important for efficient workflow in an organization.

Read more:   What is a Progress Report and How to Write One?

Importance of Business Reports

1. mode of communication.

You know how you text or call in daily life to communicate? In businesses, reports are prepared for it. We can say that business reports act as a medium of communication in an organization.

But why is it done?

Well, in big companies, there is an entire line of workflow that takes place. It is also known as a delegation of duties. In this workflow, there are branches, sub-branches, departments, and niche specific zones. If communication is done verbally, information may get lost or contaminated.

So for every important piece of communication, a written report is created. Anyone who needs access to that information can read the report and equip themselves with first-hand data.

2. Decision making

Thinking about launching a new product line? Prepare a report.

Aiming to cut company costs? Prepare a report.

From deciding the target audience to laying off employees, every decision is taken on the basis of detailed reports prepared with facts and stats.

Reports are transferred two-way in an organization. Employees create business reports and send them to higher management for decision making. Upper management creates reports to circulate information, tasks, etc. among the workforce.

3. Crisis management

In case of a crisis, chaos, and panic outbreaks, everyone has an opinion on the matter, and the transfer of thoughts verbally gives rise to workplace gossip.

In such a situation, business reports are created to get everyone on the same page and then factually analyze the problem.

Crisis management reports comprise of the cause of the issue, steps to take for damage control, and policies suggesting future protection from such crisis.

4. Effective management

The delegation of duties is done via reports. Every employee has their own to-do tasks with an assigned deadline. This helps in more sound and effective management of the company.

All the information is in viable written documents, decisions are taken upon careful analysis, and the overall functioning of the company is better using business reports.

So now that we know that we HAVE TO prepare business reports to survive in the corporate world, let’s move on to the next and probably the most important section where we teach you how you can get started on writing a proper report.

Read more:  Business Requirements Document (BRD): What, Why, and How to Write?

How to write a business report? (Steps and Format)

Follow this step-by-step guide to create your powerful business report:

Step 1: Create a plan of action

You are writing a business report, not a school essay. You can’t base your report on thoughts as and when they come. Before starting the report, identify its purpose.

Define what you aim to achieve with the report and how you plan to present it. Do not beat around the bush! This will help you write a clear and concise report.

Step 2: Check for an in-house format

Your company may have a specific format for writing reports. Ask your supervisor or check the company’s handbook to find it. Do not blindly trust the internet.

However, if no such format is specified, you can use the standard global format listed in the following steps.

Step 3: Add a title

The title of the report may be specified in the brief you received from your supervisor. If not, you may write your own title. It should be clear, crisp, and be able to convey the purpose of the report.

You should avoid using very long and complicated titles. For instance, use ‘Sales report for FY 2020-21’ instead of ‘Analysing the customer interaction with the company in the last 12 months in comparison to previous years’. People will yawn and leave the room at the start of your report!

Also, add your name and the names of other people involved in making the report. Portraying someone else’s background hard work as your own is highly unethical in the workplace.

Step 4: Write a table of contents

You should include a table of contents page only if the report is long and contains sub-sections.

If this page is added, make sure to write contents exactly in the manner headings are written inside the report. All the contents should be properly numbered for the reader to easily navigate through the report or jump on a specific section.

Step 5: Add a Summary/ Abstract

This is a very important page in any report. You should write the abstract in such a manner that even if a person does not read the entire report, this page can give them a clear and detailed idea of the entire thing.

It should contain your title, issue, key findings, and conclusions. You should basically summarise everything you wrote in the report to fit in the abstract.

Step 6: Write an introduction

Now begins your actual report. On this page, specify the purpose of writing the report along with a brief idea of the main argument.

You can also include some background of the topic on this page.

Step 7: State your methodology

On this page, tell the readers how you created this report. It includes the sources of information, type of data (qualitative or quantitative), channels of receiving information, etc.

This is to equip your readers with the process you went through or, as we can say in the urban slang, the BTS of the report. It makes your report more credible.

Step 8: Present your findings

This is the main section where you present your findings. It should convey that you have done thorough research. So include stats, facts, and graphs to portray the information.

To prevent it from getting messy, align the data into various headings and subheadings. Use pointers, bulleted, or numbered whenever required.

Step 9: Give a conclusion or recommendation

End your report with a compelling conclusion. This should be drawn from previously stated findings.

You can also give recommendations for change or improvement in a policy, supported by valid documentation. The conclusion should come off strong, based on factual data, not biased views or opinions.

Step 10: Add bibliography and references

Adding this section is a legal compulsion in any report wherein the data is taken or inspired from previously published sources.

Let us explain it simply. If you have added any data or statistics in your report, you must give due credit to the original author. Else, it counts as plagiarism, which is a punishable offense.

Also, note the difference between references and bibliography, and don’t confuse the two!

Here’s an example:

Suppose you read a business report online and got inspired by it. Although, you didn’t use any of its data in your own report. In this scenario, you will list that report under the bibliography section.

However, if you took data from that report to directly include in yours, you will list that in the reference section.

Step 11: Proofread

Proofreading or revising is very important before finalizing a report. In this section, check for any spelling errors, grammatical mistakes, or punctuations. These are small mishaps that can make a very bad impression.

Also, while proofreading, check the citations, footnotes, appendices, etc, according to the company standards. There may be guidelines you missed while writing the report!

Bit.ai : The Ultimate Tool For Writing Business Reports

With its new-age cloud technology bit gives your business report superpowers!

You can choose from pre-designed templates and just worry about putting your content into it.

With Bit’s smart integration, you can add rich media elements like cloud files , charts , pdfs, embeds, diagrams , graphs, and much more into your business reports within seconds.

Not only this, bit.ai lets you work with your team in real-time. You can co-edit and use inline comments to bring your colleagues to the same place to make decisions related to your business reports.

You even have document tracking to see who is opening your report and how much time they spent on it.

Few more business templates you might be interested in:

• SWOT Analysis Template
• Business Proposal Template
• Business Plan Template
• Competitor Research Template\
• Project Proposal Template
• Company Fact Sheet
• Executive Summary Template
• Operational Plan Template
• Pitch Deck Template

As we have seen, writing a business report involves a lot of aspects. All of the time and energy is consumed in writing engaging content, and one tends to forget about the design element.

Yes, the design is a very important aspect of any report. When your report is visually appealing, it engages the reader and stands out in a room full of black and white text.

…and bit helps you do just that!

On bit, you can edit the document according to the type of report you created without compromising on the design. Play around with hundreds of fonts, themes, and color palettes with Bit to create an impact on your work!

Which was your last business report that really brought about a change? Which tool did you use to make it?

Tweet us @bit_docs and let us know!

Further reads:

7 Types of Reports Your Business Certainly Needs!

Performance Report: What is it & How to Create it? (Steps Included)

Formal Reports: What are they & How to Create them!

Business Documents: Definition, Types, Benefits & Steps to Create Them

Technical Report: Definition, Importance, and How to Write it?

16 Best Business Tools Every Business Needs in 2021

How to Write a Business Case: Step By Step Guide

Marketing Report: Definition, Types, Benefits & Things to Include!

Technical Report: What is it & How to Write it? (Steps & Structure Included)

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About Bit.ai

Bit.ai is the essential next-gen workplace and document collaboration platform. that helps teams share knowledge by connecting any type of digital content. With this intuitive, cloud-based solution, anyone can work visually and collaborate in real-time while creating internal notes, team projects, knowledge bases, client-facing content, and more.

The smartest online Google Docs and Word alternative, Bit.ai is used in over 100 countries by professionals everywhere, from IT teams creating internal documentation and knowledge bases, to sales and marketing teams sharing client materials and client portals.

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8.1 Organizing and Formatting Business Reports

Before we begin to investigate the different types and aspect of developing a business report, let’s take a quick overview of the business report.

Organization

Much like correspondence, you may choose between the direct and indirect methods to structure your reports. The direct method is used when you have a receptive audience; whereas, the indirect method is used when you must persuade your audience. Whichever you decide to use will depend on the context, audience, and your purpose. Pay attention to these essential considerations when thinking of your stakeholders. Stakeholders may include the person(s) the report is about, whom it is for, who has an interest in the matter, and the organization overall. Ask yourself who the key decision makers are, who the experts will be, and how your words and images may be interpreted.

Reports vary by size, format, and function. You need to be flexible and adjust your report to the needs of the audience and to your purpose as there are several types of reports, including, for example, proposals, recommendations, problem-solving, and progress. Reports are typically organized around six key elements:

• Who the report is about and/or prepared for
• What was done, what problems were addressed, and the results, including conclusions and/or recommendations
• Where the subject is situated
• When the situation occurred
• Why the report was written (function), including under what authority, for what reason, or by whose request
• How the subject operated, functioned, or was used

When you write, your goal is not only to complete an assignment but also to write for a specific purpose—perhaps to inform, to explain, to persuade, or a combination of these purposes. Your purpose for writing should always be in the back of your mind, because it will help you decide which pieces of information belong together and how you will order them. In other words, choose the order that will most effectively fit your purpose and support your main point.

Table 8.1.1: Order and Purpose  shows the connection between order and purpose.

While there is no universal way for a report to be developed, conventions relating to the organization of the detail has evolved over time and is recognized in all business contexts, whether you are creating a direct or indirect document.  See Table 8.1.2 for an overview of three basic document structures. The functions of each section of the document is described below in Table 8.1.3.

Table 8.1.2 Basic Report Structures

Knowledge Check

The Outline

When you write, you need to organize your ideas in an order that makes sense. Order refers to your choice of what to present first, second, third, and so on in your writing. The order you pick closely relates to your purpose for writing that particular assignment. You may want to group your supporting ideas effectively to convince readers that your point of view on an issue is well reasoned and worthy of belief. In longer reports, you may organize different sections in different ways so that your purpose stands out clearly and all parts of the report work together to consistently develop your main point

Before writing any report, it is important to map out your ideas in an outline. An outline is a written plan that serves as a skeleton for the paragraphs and document sections you write. Later, when you draft paragraphs in the next stage of the writing process, you will add support to create “flesh” and “muscle” for your report.  The outline is an essential tool in discovering the overall progression of ideas and planning your research and visual aids.  The video, Creating an Outline (2014) describes the outline making process.

When creating outlines, writers generally go through three stages: a scratch outline , an informal or topic outline , and a formal topic or sentence outline: 

• Scratch outline: The scratch outline is generated by taking information from your free-writing process and organizing it into a structure that is easy for you to understand and follow
• Informal outline:  An informal outline goes a step further and adds topic sentences, a purpose statement, and some preliminary information you have found through research.
• Formal outline: A formal outline is a detailed guide that shows how all your supporting ideas relate to each other. It helps you distinguish between ideas that are of equal importance and ones that are of lesser importance.

There are two types of formal outlines: the topic outline and the sentence outline . You format both types of formal outlines in the same way.

• Place your introduction and purpose statement at the beginning, under Roman numeral I.
• Use Roman numerals (II, III, IV, V, etc.) to identify main points that develop the purpose statement.
• Use capital letters (A, B, C, D, etc.) to divide your main points into parts.
• Use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.) if you need to subdivide any As, Bs, or Cs into smaller parts.
• End with the final Roman numeral expressing your idea for your conclusion.

Here is what the skeleton of a traditional formal outline looks like. The indention helps clarify how the ideas are related.

Introduction → Purpose statement

Main point 1 → becomes the topic sentence of body paragraph 1

Main point 2 → becomes the topic sentence of section 2 [same use of subpoints as with Main point 1]

• Supporting detail

Main point 3 → becomes the topic sentence of section 3[same use of subpoints as with Main points 1 & 2]

Constructing Informal or Topic Outlines

An informal topic outline is the same as a sentence outline except you use words or phrases instead of complete sentences. Words and phrases keep the outline short and easier to comprehend. All the headings, however, must be written in parallel structure.

Step 1:  Create a purpose statement for your report

To plan your business report, you will begin by writing a draft purpose statement.  A purpose statement is a concise presentation of the key idea you will develop in your report. It is the focal point for the development of ideas in your report.  Write the purpose statement at the top of your outline.  You can revise this later as your research and writing evolves.

The rest of your outline will include the main topics and sub-points you will develop in each paragraph or section of the report.

Step 2: Identify the main ideas that relate to your purpose statement

Based on the reading and research you have already done, list the main topics that you plan to discuss in your report.  Consider carefully the most logical order, and how each point supports your purpose statement. These topics will become main ideas that will be developed.

Step 3: Identify the supporting points and evidence for each topic

Each topic  will be supported by supporting points and evidence that you have compiled from other sources. Each piece of information from another source must be cited, whether you have quoted directly, paraphrased, or summarized the information.

Step 4: Create your outline

Outlines are usually created using a structure that clearly indicates topics and supporting points.  In the example below, main ideas are numbered, while the supporting ideas are indented one level and labelled with letters.  Each level of supporting detail is indented further.

Here is the informal topic outline that Mariah constructed for the report she is developing and that has been partially adapted for this text. Her purpose is to inform, and her audience is a general audience of her fellow college students. Notice how Mariah begins with her purpose statement. She then arranges her main points and supporting details in outline form using short phrases in parallel grammatical structure.

• Purpose statement: This report offers an overview of the available choices in digital technologies along with their specifications.
• Electronic downloads
• Storage in memory for hundreds of books
• E-book readers from booksellers
• E-book readers from electronics and computer companies
• Incompatible features from one brand to the next
• Borrowing and sharing e-books
• Compact digital cameras
• Single lens reflex cameras, or SLRs
• Cameras that combine the best features of both
• The confusing “megapixel wars”
• The zoom lens battle
• 1080p vs. 768p
• Plasma screens vs. LCDs
• Home media centres
• How to choose wisely

Outlines at Work

Word processing programs generally have an automatic numbering feature that can be used to prepare outlines. This feature automatically sets indents and lets you use the tab key to arrange information just as you would in an outline. Although in business this style might be acceptable, in college or university your instructor might have different requirements. Teach yourself how to customize the levels of outline numbering in your word processing program to fit your writing context.

Business documents are typically created using conventional formats that are recognized in professional contexts. For example, letters have a familiar look because of the standard components that are used to format such documents. These formats serve to signal the level of formality and the purpose of the documents. They also help to create a degree of standardization in the documentation that circulates within and outside of organizations. Formats also inform readers on how to read the documents. When you create a document in the workplace, it is expected that you will use formats and styles customarily used within the organization.

The chapter entitled Correspondence Formats includes information on netiquette, texting, and the formatting of email, memos, and letters. The next section of this text discuss the different types of business reports and their typical usage and contents. In this chapter, we will discuss their various formats—that is, how they are prepared to conform to workplace conventions. Included in our overview are:

• Short reports
• Long reports
• Slide reports

Infographics

Short reports.

Informal reports, also known as short reports, are routine documents of two to 10 pages or so in length that focus on one specific topic–such as a recommendation, brief proposal, or progress. Such reports can be formatted either as memos or email reports for internal purposes. They can also be formatted as letter reports when conveyed outside the organization. An email report consists of a report that is composed inside the email message box. Both memo and letter reports are usually attached to transmittal email messages for rapid electronic delivery.  The video, Guidelines for Writing Short Business Reports (2019), will help with the strategies of writing short reports.

In addition, the informal report can be informational or analytical in nature.  The informational report contains non-sensitive, routine information, often presented in a prescribed format such as a fill-in-the-blank form.  For this reason, the sections of an informational report include the introduction, findings, and conclusion.  In contrast, the short analytical report seeks to answer questions about specific problems with the aim of solving those problems.  How can we use social media more effectively? Should we close or open a new plant? How can customer service be improved? Therefore, the short analytical report not only includes an introduction, findings, and conclusion, but also recommendations.

Table 8.1.3  Informational and Analytical Short Report Sections

Informal Report Types and Functions

The video above provides a general overview of the short report.  In your professional life, you will find that there are many different types of short reports to respond to the many different activities, duties, and responsibilities in business organizations.  Table 8.1.4 below provides an overview of numerous types of short reports and their functions.

Table 8.1.4 Types and Function of Informal Reports (Smith, n.d.)

You will find more detailed information about writing proposals, progress and recommendation reports in the next chapters. Each of these reports can be written as short or long reports. You can view examples of several types of short reports, including conference, progress, summary, and recommendation reports, by visiting Venecia Williams’ Chapter 12: Report Writing Situations in  The Fundamentals of Business Communication. 

Formal Reports

Formal reports, also known as long reports, are documents that consist of about five or more pages in length. These reports not only offer a detailed discussion of research findings but are also used to make complex decisions within business contexts. Examples of these reports include audit, proposal, recommendation, problem-solving, feasibility, and compliance reports.  Such documents can be circulated inside or outside an organization, with the transmittal document being formatted as a memo or letter to signal the document’s internal or external destination.  The following video, Writing Long Reports (2019), provides and comprehensive overview of the long report.

Since formal reports are lengthy documents, they are accompanied by additional components consisting of the front and back matter that serve to aid the reader in understanding the document and locating information. The components of a formal report are listed below in Table 8.1.4 . You will notice that the report format consists of three sections: the front matter, with the cover page, table of contents, and executive summary; the report, with the introduction, background, details, and conclusion/recommendations; and the back matter, consisting of the references and the appendix/appendices.

For information on how to create and paginate the front and back matter and how to format the contents to achieve optimum readability, please refer to A Guide to Writing Formal Business Reports (Potter, 2021).

Table 8.1.4 Components of a Formal Report (partially adapted from Cruthers, 2020)

Knowledge check

Slide Reports

Slide reports are visual documents created using PowerPoint or other slide deck software and are a genre of slide documents (or slidedocs). Nancy Duarte, a leader in presentation skills education and author of Slidedocs (2016), coined the term after noticing how PowerPoint was being used to create documents other than presentation slide decks. In business, slide documents have been used for the following types of documents: annual reports, guides, instructions, tutorials, and report previews or summaries (Potter, 2020).  In the video below, Nancy Duarte provides some tips on designing slide decks.

Slide reports are full reports meant to be read and not presented. As such, these documents include a title page, table of contents and list of tables and figures, a glossary (if needed), section or chapter guides, a list of references, and appendices (if required). While they offer full-text development of ideas, they bridge genres by resembling presentations in the ample use of visual content to amplify ideas, set context and atmosphere, and support and clarify ideas.  These are typically visually engaging documents, with content developed in “bite-sized” segments for quick reading on the go. See the example in Figure 8.1.1. , which illustrates various page design options as suggested by Duarte (2016).

Figure 8.1.1 Page design samples for slide reports (Duarte, 2016).

Characteristics of Slide Report Design

• Headings, subheadings
• Enhanced appearance through the use of color and font styles
• Generous use of purposeful visual aids and visual information
• Full paragraph development using short paragraphs
• Information chunking into short sections
• One idea per slide (recommended)
• Parallel listing for items in a series
• Pull quotes to highlight key points
• Section guides for longer reports
• Section overviews set below headings

See Figure 8.1.2 for an example of a slide report page. Unlike a slide presentation, this sample page contains a considerable amount of text–which indicates that the report is not meant for presenting, but for reading. Notice how a large amount of text has been rendered readable through the use of a column format using short paragraphs. Notice also how a meaningful chart is integrated using colour that aligns with the slide design element. In addition, note how the page guide is included at the bottom of the slide; it helps the reader become quickly oriented as to the topic under discussion.

Figure 8.1.2 Sample page from a slide report by Brian Solis (2015).

To view another example of a slide report created for an annual report, see the Payments Canada 2020 Annual Report (Payments Canada, 2021).

Infographics are reports that look like posters. They are created with digital templates or slide deck software to report information using visual narratives or stories. Infographics combine visual elements like icons, graphs, images, and/or charts, along with concise text, to promote an idea or to convey information in an engaging way. Software, such as PowerPoint, Adobe Spark, or Canva can be used to create infographics.

If you are seeking one specific type of format for infographics, you will be disappointed. Here, you can let your creative side flourish as you customize backgrounds, fonts, and formats to suit your subject and purpose. Some software, like Canva, offers free and premium ready-made templates that you can adapt to your own content. The key is to have done your research, mapped or sketched out your ideas, and planned the visuals you will be using to support them. Once you have done this, go into the software and design your document using a variety of background, font, and chart options.

When creating an infographic choose a template that aligns with your content. For example, if you are showing data related to geographic areas, choose a map template; if you are making a comparison, choose a two-column format.

Below are links to three examples of infographics. Note the sparse use of text, which offers only key information, and relevant images to highlight key ideas.

Infographic example with data and map: Direct Marketing in Canada: Agriculture (Statistics Canada 2017).

Map infographic example: An Overview of Canada’s Forest Sector (Statistics Canada, 2018).

Text-based infographic example: From Email To Bots: The Future of Customer Communication (D’Adamo, 2017).

Seneca College offers many resources for learning about infographics. You might want to consider completing the Seneca Sandbox’s Creating Infographics tutorial or signing up for a webinar to learn more about how to create effective infographics.

A Checklist for Effective Reports

Here is a checklist for ensuring that a report fulfills its goals:

• Report considers the audience’s needs
• Form follows function of report
• Format reflects institutional norms and expectations
• Information is accurate, complete, and documented
• Information is easy to read
• Terms are clearly defined
• Figures, tables, and art support written content and so are purposeful
• Figures, tables, and art are clear and correctly labelled
• Figures, tables, and art are easily understood without text support
• Words are easy to read (font, arrangement, organization)
• Results are clear and concise
• Recommendations are reasonable and well-supported
• Report represents your best effort
• Report speaks for itself without your clarification or explanation

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D’Adamo. A. (2017, October 11). Infographic: From email to bots: the future of customer communication. Stella Rising. https://www.stellarising.com/blog/infographic-from-email-to-bots-digital-marketing-trends-in-2017-wmi

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Solis, B. (2015, March 26). The connected consumer and the new decision-making cycle. SlideShare. https://www.slideshare.net/briansolis/the-connected-consumer-and-the-new-decisionmaking-cycle-46336230

Stanford Graduate School of Business. (2014). Nancy Duarte: How to create better visual presentations [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=so9EJoQJc-0

Statistics Canada. (2018, May 8). An Overview of Canada’s Forest Sector. Infographic. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/11-627-m/11-627-m2018008-eng.htm

Statistics Canada. (2017). Direct Marketing in Canada: Agriculture. Infographic. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/11-627-m/11-627-m2017015-eng.htm

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Communication Essentials for Business Copyright © 2019 by Suzan Last (Original Author) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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