Business reports & different types of reports...

Business Reports
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The word ‘report’ is derived from the Latin ‘reportare’ which means to carry back (re=back+ portare = to carry). Generally a report is a description of an event carried back to someone who was not present on the scene. Thus in a broad sense, many memorandums, letters and news items are called as reports. When an instructor prepares a list of absent students or an analysis of an examination result, or when a technician fills in the form of readings taken from a measurement, he is writing a report. Such reports are the result of careful investigation, sound thinking, logical organization and clear writing and they are presented in a conventional form sanctioned by long and varied experience.

A number of reporters have made an attempt of knowing the absolute meaning of the report. Let us consider some of these:

· A report is an account of something. It is usually an answer to a question or a demand from some other person from information.
· A formal report, that are present in organized form the information that has been requested by an authorized person.
· A report is a communication from someone who has information, to someone who wants to use that information.

There are some essential points implied in the above definitions. They are as follows:

1. A report is a formal statement of facts or information or an account of something
2. It is presented in a conventional form.
3. It is written for a specific audience.
4. It contains conclusions reached by the writer.
5. It often includes recommendations.

DEFINITION:
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A report is a formal communication written for a specific purpose; it includes a description of procedures followed for collection and analysis of data, their significance, the conclusions drawn from them, and recommendations, if required.

Different types of Reports:
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Generally business reports are categorized into two ways. They are oral and written. An oral report is a piece of fact-to-face communication about something seen or observed. Though it saves the reporter’s time, it is more time-consuming for the receiver as he has to listen to every word of the report.

Reports:
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Oral
Written
Formal
Informal
Informational
Interpretive
Routine

A written report is relatively more accurate and permanent. In certain cases the reader may just skim through it, or read the abstract or the conclusions or recommendations only. It can be referred to again and again and is by its very nature more formal than an oral report. written report is then divided into two types. They are as follows:

· Formal report.
1. Informational.
2. Interpretive.
3. Routine.
· Informal report.

Formal reports vary a great deal according to their purposes and contents, and different organizations have different ways of classifying them. some classify them according to their source or frequency of appearance, others by their length or degree of formality or physical form.

Informational report:
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An informational report contains only the data collected or the facts observed in an organized form. It presents the situation as it is and not as it should be. It does not contain any conclusions or recommendations. It is useful because it presents relevant data put together in a form in which it is required by the management to take decisions.

Interpretive report:
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An interpretive report, like an informational report, contains facts but it also includes an evaluation or interpretation or analysis of data and the reporter’s conclusions. It may have recommendations for actions. An interpretive report which consists principally of recommendations is also called a recommendation or recommendatory report.

Routine report:
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All that the report writer has to do is to put a tick mark against certain items listed in the form or write very brief remarks against them. These reports are written usually for recording routine matters at regular intervals, e.g. confidential reports on employees, periodic reports on the progress of projects, reports on inspection of equipmendations also, they are called as Routine reports. Routine reports are further divided into many types. They are as follows:

· Progress reports,
· Laboratory reports,
· Inspection reports,
· Inventory reports.

Progress reports:
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The frequency of progress reports depends upon the practice followed in an organization. They may be written and circulated at the end of each phase or a specified period of time or completion of a stage of work. If they are prepared at regular intervals, they are called as periodic reports. They contain the following information:

· Date, Total work to be completed.
· Work completed to date, work to be completed.

Laboratory reports:
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A laboratory report is an account of various steps, findings and conclusions put together in a logical order. As a matter of fact, no scientific experiment can be considered valid unless it is presented in terms intelligible to other scientists. Thus, writing laboratory reports is considered to be an essential part of scientific investigation and experimentation. These reports contain the following elements:

· Heading, Experiment No.,
· Date,
· Statement of analysis,
· Apparatus used.

Inventory reports:
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It is customary for every organization to take stock of equipment, furniture, stationery, etc. at regular intervals. The person who checks the stock fills in his findings in a prescribed form.

e.g. White paper-10 reams
Letterheads-500
Typing paper-4 reams
Carbon paper-2 boxes
Pencils: Black-3 dozens
Red-2 dozens.