Office Reports

An office report is a factual record of activities, conditions, programs, accomplishments or investigations. There are different kinds of reports, namely:

1. Periodic reports – these are reports of activities in a given period. They may be presented weekly, monthly, or annually. Examples of this type are reports in repair of office equipment; the company’s accomplishment to fill up pending orders for merchandise; completion of negotiations on the acquisition of additional transportation equipment.

2. Progress reports – these are reports on accomplishments or progress within the business firm of a particular department. Examples of this type may be a 30% increase on production of a certain product, or 10% completion of a new plant.

3. Informational reports – these are factual reports that do not include the writer’s opinions. An example is a report on the employee’s daily attendance.

4. Special reports – these are reports based on investigations or examinations conducted upon the request of an authority in the firm. The information is presented in an analytical form. Special reports are done to help determine the course of action that a company will take on certain projects or matters. An example may be a report of a drug firm regarding its new product.

5. Analytical reports – these are reports that present facts, analysis of the facts, and the writer’s conclusions and recommendations. An example may be report n replacement of office equipments. Facts may be presented on the number of machines that need replacement, the age of the machine and their conditions. After the presentation of the facts, the writer may give his conclusions and recommendations based on the facts gathered, and not on his personal observation.

The Pattern of Office Reports

The pattern of office reports depend on the company’s standards. Some reports may be long or short. Some reports may be simple or informal, while others may be long or formal. Some companies require detailed reports. There are reports that follow a pattern containing these parts:

1. Introduction - this includes the purpose of writing the report and how the data were gathered.

2. Summary – this gives the gist of the report so that the reader may know beforehand what the report is all about.

3. Presentation of facts

4. Conclusions and recommendations