Exam 8: Informal Reports

Recommendation reports and feasibility reports are examples of analytical reports.

When a report will be discussed in a presentation, it will likely be in ___________________________ format.

The text says that analytical reports collect and organize data.

Minutes of meetings are always formal reports.

TrailPro Sports You work in the marketing division of TrailPro Sports, a local manufacturer of cross-country ski equipment. Part of your job as a marketing specialist involves preparing reports of various kinds. The following are some of the reports that you need to prepare in the next few weeks: I. You must compose a routine monthly report providing management with the latest production and sales figures for all the products the company manufactures. II. Your division manager asked you yesterday to prepare a report presenting the company's current inventory for each ski model TrailPro produces, which should include anticipated production by Dec. 1 as well as sales figures for each model for the last five years. The report should include your analysis of these figures and your recommendations for production schedules and quotas to ensure that there will be sufficient quantities in stock to meet anticipated orders. He has scheduled an appointment with you for next week to discuss the report in more detail, but you want to start thinking about it, collecting information, and making a tentative plan immediately. III. You have been asked to conduct a survey of the company's customers to help determine whether a new-model ski pole would likely sell well at the projected wholesale price. You have been given some samples of the ski pole to distribute to interested customers. The report will include your conclusions about whether or not the company should proceed with production of the ski pole. IV. Your spouse has just been transferred and you are moving to another city. You would like to continue to work for TrailPro Sports, since you believe you can continue to perform all of your required job functions capably by telecommuting. You will need to write a report for senior management proposing this arrangement and asking for approval. V. You come up with an idea for improvements to the design of a ski binding manufactured by TrailPro. You believe that your suggestions are practical and cost-effective and you want to present your design changes to your boss. However, your boss feels that the company should be spending more time and money marketing existing products and less on designing and improving existing ones. -Which of the following would you write as an analytical report?

The ______________________ section of a report will explain why you are writing and offers a preview of the findings.

TrailPro Sports You work in the marketing division of TrailPro Sports, a local manufacturer of cross-country ski equipment. Part of your job as a marketing specialist involves preparing reports of various kinds. The following are some of the reports that you need to prepare in the next few weeks: I. You must compose a routine monthly report providing management with the latest production and sales figures for all the products the company manufactures. II. Your division manager asked you yesterday to prepare a report presenting the company's current inventory for each ski model TrailPro produces, which should include anticipated production by Dec. 1 as well as sales figures for each model for the last five years. The report should include your analysis of these figures and your recommendations for production schedules and quotas to ensure that there will be sufficient quantities in stock to meet anticipated orders. He has scheduled an appointment with you for next week to discuss the report in more detail, but you want to start thinking about it, collecting information, and making a tentative plan immediately. III. You have been asked to conduct a survey of the company's customers to help determine whether a new-model ski pole would likely sell well at the projected wholesale price. You have been given some samples of the ski pole to distribute to interested customers. The report will include your conclusions about whether or not the company should proceed with production of the ski pole. IV. Your spouse has just been transferred and you are moving to another city. You would like to continue to work for TrailPro Sports, since you believe you can continue to perform all of your required job functions capably by telecommuting. You will need to write a report for senior management proposing this arrangement and asking for approval. V. You come up with an idea for improvements to the design of a ski binding manufactured by TrailPro. You believe that your suggestions are practical and cost-effective and you want to present your design changes to your boss. However, your boss feels that the company should be spending more time and money marketing existing products and less on designing and improving existing ones. -Which advice given in the text would you follow when you write your report proposing that you keep your job while living in a different city?

It is appropriate to use either functional headings or talking headings in a report as long as they are used consistently.

In informal reports, headings should be enclosed in quotation marks so that they can be easily recognized.

TrailPro Sports You work in the marketing division of TrailPro Sports, a local manufacturer of cross-country ski equipment. Part of your job as a marketing specialist involves preparing reports of various kinds. The following are some of the reports that you need to prepare in the next few weeks: I. You must compose a routine monthly report providing management with the latest production and sales figures for all the products the company manufactures. II. Your division manager asked you yesterday to prepare a report presenting the company's current inventory for each ski model TrailPro produces, which should include anticipated production by Dec. 1 as well as sales figures for each model for the last five years. The report should include your analysis of these figures and your recommendations for production schedules and quotas to ensure that there will be sufficient quantities in stock to meet anticipated orders. He has scheduled an appointment with you for next week to discuss the report in more detail, but you want to start thinking about it, collecting information, and making a tentative plan immediately. III. You have been asked to conduct a survey of the company's customers to help determine whether a new-model ski pole would likely sell well at the projected wholesale price. You have been given some samples of the ski pole to distribute to interested customers. The report will include your conclusions about whether or not the company should proceed with production of the ski pole. IV. Your spouse has just been transferred and you are moving to another city. You would like to continue to work for TrailPro Sports, since you believe you can continue to perform all of your required job functions capably by telecommuting. You will need to write a report for senior management proposing this arrangement and asking for approval. V. You come up with an idea for improvements to the design of a ski binding manufactured by TrailPro. You believe that your suggestions are practical and cost-effective and you want to present your design changes to your boss. However, your boss feels that the company should be spending more time and money marketing existing products and less on designing and improving existing ones. -When you write your report outlining the production and sales histories of several products and making recommendations about production schedules and quotas, what will make your report more believable?

Conducting interviews with individuals is usually more economical than sending out questionnaires.

You would most likely write a progress report to tell management that a special project is behind schedule.

Summary reports provide the action points of a meeting.

________________________ reports keep the reader up-to-date on a specific project and anticipate future activities.

A(n) _______________________ writing style is normally used when a report is written for a familiar audience or company insiders.

TrailPro Sports You work in the marketing division of TrailPro Sports, a local manufacturer of cross-country ski equipment. Part of your job as a marketing specialist involves preparing reports of various kinds. The following are some of the reports that you need to prepare in the next few weeks: I. You must compose a routine monthly report providing management with the latest production and sales figures for all the products the company manufactures. II. Your division manager asked you yesterday to prepare a report presenting the company's current inventory for each ski model TrailPro produces, which should include anticipated production by Dec. 1 as well as sales figures for each model for the last five years. The report should include your analysis of these figures and your recommendations for production schedules and quotas to ensure that there will be sufficient quantities in stock to meet anticipated orders. He has scheduled an appointment with you for next week to discuss the report in more detail, but you want to start thinking about it, collecting information, and making a tentative plan immediately. III. You have been asked to conduct a survey of the company's customers to help determine whether a new-model ski pole would likely sell well at the projected wholesale price. You have been given some samples of the ski pole to distribute to interested customers. The report will include your conclusions about whether or not the company should proceed with production of the ski pole. IV. Your spouse has just been transferred and you are moving to another city. You would like to continue to work for TrailPro Sports, since you believe you can continue to perform all of your required job functions capably by telecommuting. You will need to write a report for senior management proposing this arrangement and asking for approval. V. You come up with an idea for improvements to the design of a ski binding manufactured by TrailPro. You believe that your suggestions are practical and cost-effective and you want to present your design changes to your boss. However, your boss feels that the company should be spending more time and money marketing existing products and less on designing and improving existing ones. -According to the text, what is the main purpose of progress reports?

Company Spending in 2013 is an example of a(n) ____________________ heading.

Feasibility reports document an idea or action and provide a written record of conversations, directives, and decisions.

TrailPro Sports You work in the marketing division of TrailPro Sports, a local manufacturer of cross-country ski equipment. Part of your job as a marketing specialist involves preparing reports of various kinds. The following are some of the reports that you need to prepare in the next few weeks: I. You must compose a routine monthly report providing management with the latest production and sales figures for all the products the company manufactures. II. Your division manager asked you yesterday to prepare a report presenting the company's current inventory for each ski model TrailPro produces, which should include anticipated production by Dec. 1 as well as sales figures for each model for the last five years. The report should include your analysis of these figures and your recommendations for production schedules and quotas to ensure that there will be sufficient quantities in stock to meet anticipated orders. He has scheduled an appointment with you for next week to discuss the report in more detail, but you want to start thinking about it, collecting information, and making a tentative plan immediately. III. You have been asked to conduct a survey of the company's customers to help determine whether a new-model ski pole would likely sell well at the projected wholesale price. You have been given some samples of the ski pole to distribute to interested customers. The report will include your conclusions about whether or not the company should proceed with production of the ski pole. IV. Your spouse has just been transferred and you are moving to another city. You would like to continue to work for TrailPro Sports, since you believe you can continue to perform all of your required job functions capably by telecommuting. You will need to write a report for senior management proposing this arrangement and asking for approval. V. You come up with an idea for improvements to the design of a ski binding manufactured by TrailPro. You believe that your suggestions are practical and cost-effective and you want to present your design changes to your boss. However, your boss feels that the company should be spending more time and money marketing existing products and less on designing and improving existing ones. -When should you use the indirect organizational pattern to structure your report?

TrailPro Sports You work in the marketing division of TrailPro Sports, a local manufacturer of cross-country ski equipment. Part of your job as a marketing specialist involves preparing reports of various kinds. The following are some of the reports that you need to prepare in the next few weeks: I. You must compose a routine monthly report providing management with the latest production and sales figures for all the products the company manufactures. II. Your division manager asked you yesterday to prepare a report presenting the company's current inventory for each ski model TrailPro produces, which should include anticipated production by Dec. 1 as well as sales figures for each model for the last five years. The report should include your analysis of these figures and your recommendations for production schedules and quotas to ensure that there will be sufficient quantities in stock to meet anticipated orders. He has scheduled an appointment with you for next week to discuss the report in more detail, but you want to start thinking about it, collecting information, and making a tentative plan immediately. III. You have been asked to conduct a survey of the company's customers to help determine whether a new-model ski pole would likely sell well at the projected wholesale price. You have been given some samples of the ski pole to distribute to interested customers. The report will include your conclusions about whether or not the company should proceed with production of the ski pole. IV. Your spouse has just been transferred and you are moving to another city. You would like to continue to work for TrailPro Sports, since you believe you can continue to perform all of your required job functions capably by telecommuting. You will need to write a report for senior management proposing this arrangement and asking for approval. V. You come up with an idea for improvements to the design of a ski binding manufactured by TrailPro. You believe that your suggestions are practical and cost-effective and you want to present your design changes to your boss. However, your boss feels that the company should be spending more time and money marketing existing products and less on designing and improving existing ones. -What type of report will you write when you propose your idea for a new ski binding design for TrailPro?