Communication For Managers

Report Writing
(Company Analysis)

Institute of Management, Nirma University

Visualise this Office Situation

• You are part of a corporate office audit team

• Your reporting manager has asked you to write a report about

a recent system audit that you carried out in one of the offices

• You have done a very meticulous job and have prepared a ten
page report covering all the work systems of the office

• Now …. As you present it to your reporting manager …

Do You Think…?

• The manager can read all papers that come to his desk

• Can he read every word of the papers that he reads – though he

would want to? And you would want him to – especially your
report?

• Does he read every word in the sequence that it appears or

does he just dip into some of the things
Need as One Presents the Report

• The manager must get the message about the task on hand – in
this case the status of the systems you have audited

• He should be able to use the report to make an informed

decision – in this case to get an idea of what action to take if
some systems are not working as desired; to correctly
understand the reasons

• He should be able to have a fair assessment of your managerial

capability – objective reporting, synthesizing of data,
interpreting data, arriving at data based conclusions
Systematic Approach to Report Writing

Contextual:
Planning
Communication
Technical:
and Researching &
Analysing
Research Strategy
Gather Data Composing:
Communicating
Interpret Data
Structure
Identify Solution
Write
Deliver
Planning Phase

As we begin the process, there is a need for :

• Arriving at and defining the purpose of the report

• Defining the target audience

• Stating the main messages of the report

• Locating authentic sources of data and information

• Identifying the suitable structure of communicating message

Report
Writing
Definition – What is a Report

An orderly

and objective communication

of factual information

that serves some business purpose.

(could be new learning instead of business if it is a research report)

Definition (Contd.)

• Orderly – method in preparation and presentation that makes it

a systematic work e.g. correct sequencing, logical organisation

• Objective – unbiased approach, based on facts, relies on facts

as opposed to generalised or qualitative statements based on
intuition and perceptions.

• Communication – purpose and reader oriented, message,

feedback

• Factual information – substantiating data

• Business purpose – business needs, managerial task

Different Forms of Reports

• By length : long or short

• By purpose: Information giving, decision making, status

report, special projects

• By frequency : periodic (routine such as monthly sales or

financial reports)

Understanding these purposes helps structure your report for

clarity and addressing the readers’ needs
Company Analysis Report

Company analysis, refers to actions undertaken for an in-depth

evaluation and to gain an understanding of a particular company's
past performance and future prospects.

A thorough company analysis will focus on all aspects of the

corporate entity, including management structure and expertise,
finances, growth prospects, profitability, market share and
intangible factors such as goodwill in the market and brand
image.
Report Format and Sequencing of Content

Cover Page Main Body:

Business Information
Organisation Information
Introductory Pages:
Financial Information
Acknowledgement Performance Analysis
Executive Summary
Table of Contents Concluding Part:
 References
List of Tables
 Appendices (e.g.: Lengthy
List of Figures Financial Calculations and reports,
Key Business Reports)
Business Information

1. Brief Industry Analysis-

 Industry Size – Industry turnover and growth for last 3-5 years

 Main industry segments and niche and their size/growth

 Geographic spread

 Exports and trends in exports

 Major players (companies in the industry) and their performances

 Recent Industry News: Opportunities and Concerns

2. Products and Services

3. Market

4. Technology
Organisation Information

1. History Development

2. Name of Chairman/Board of Directors/CEO

3. Main areas of business

4. Organization Structure

5. Product/Service growth and development

6. Market growth and expansion

7. Key alliances

8. Key competitors of the company

9. Achievements, Rewards and Recognition

Financial Information

1. Financial information of last 5 years

(revenue, profits etc.)

2. Key financial indicators

Performance Analysis

1. Trends in business performance

2. Financial performance analysis

3. Competitive position in the market

Include your own analysis

Executive Summary

Gives the overview of the company analysis report

Word Limit: 250 words

Annexure

Technical Correctness

•Be clearly and neatly set out

•Be numbered/lettered

•Be given a descriptive title

•Be arranged in the order they are mentioned in the text

•Be related to the report’s purpose—not just ‘tacked on’.

References

• Reference
In academics, references mean those articles, journals, books,
data etc. which the author has referred to in the text.
• Bibliography
Systematic list of books and journals (etc.); in alphabetic order
at the end of the article.
• Footnotes / Endnotes
References either on the same page or after the text in the
order of use.
References

• All material used has to be referred at the end of the report!

• Use superscript while giving the in-text citation and use the
same numbering for the end-text referencing.

• Multiple styles, but basic information needed is:

– year,
– title of the paper/topic/chapter/article/etc.
– name of the book/journal/website etc.
– publisher
– URL with the date of retrieving
Annexure

Meaning: Provides detailed explanation serving the needs of

specific readers

•Information can be sourced from company website, business

magazines, any authentic published material about the company.
When using factual data, specifically, mention the source of the
information.

•Include all relevant facts and figures - tables and statements may
be attached as annexures wherever required.
Plagiarism

• Plagiarism results from copying, either direct or indirect:

– Verbatim text taken (e.g. copy-paste)
– Copying ideas from other students
– Referencing missing: Copying without acknowledging the source
• Be aware of copyrights and what is considered fair research /
educational use

Use your own language for writing the reports.

Plagiarism in any form will be marked as ‘F’ grade.
Report Presentation

• Page margins

• Page indention

• Font type and size

• Text alignment

• Line spacing – paragraphs, before each centre heading, centre

sub-heading, side heading and indented paragraph

• Page number

• Word Limit- Main Report: 10-15 pages

 Evaluation Parameters
• Content
– Logical development of the • Technical Writing
content – Grammar, Spellings
– Support of evidence – Language
– Vocabulary, Sentence
• Synthesis / Coherence structure
– Right content under right
heading • Presentation
– Linkages between various – Sequencing
heads
– Executive Summary
– Transition of ideas
– Table of Content
• Format – Annexures
– Text formatting • Originality
– Page set-up / formatting
– Authenticity
– Referencing
 Assignment

1. Report on the Company Analysis should be prepared in a group of 3 members. The

details of the group members will be sent along with the e-mail.

2. The list of the companies have been attached in e-mail. You are required to select a
company from the given list.

3. One company per group should be selected. Company should not be repeated
within the section.

4. Special weightage should be given to the originality and individuality hence all of
you are expected to avoid plagiarism and, also avoid cut-copy-paste job.
Sections of the report which are cut-copy-paste jobs (except financial data) will be
ignored for the evaluation purpose.
Thank You