A business report is a comprehensive document that provides information and analysis to support informed decision-making. Reports aim to present data in a clear and understandable manner. Common types of business reports include research reports, summaries, analyses, progress updates, and recommendations.
There are four stages involved in the production of a report:
- Investigating
- Purpose of the report is clearly defined
- Guided by this, all necessary and relevant information is collected
2. Planning
- Info is selected according to who is going to read it
- Info is sorted into sections and given a heading
- Info is arranged in a logical sequence
3. Writing
- All info and ideas are presented clearly, concisely, completely and correct
4. Revising
- Prior to final printing, a thorough and relentless check is made of the first draft of the report
Formal business reports usually include:
- A cover page
- A table of contents
- A summary
- An introduction
- An outline of methodology used
- The presentation of findings
- A conclusion and recommendations
- References and appendices
