Chapter 15: Completing Reports and Proposals
Learning Objectives
After studying this chapter, you will be able to
1. Summarize the four tasks involved in completing business reports and proposals
2. Explain how computers have both simplified and complicated the report-production
process
3. Identify the circumstances in which you should include letters of authorization and letters
of acceptance in your reports
4. Explain the difference between a synopsis an executive summary
5. Describe the three supplementary parts formal report
6. Identify the major components to include request for proposals (RFP)
Summary
Key Words
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title fly
title page
letter of authorization
letter of acceptance
letter of transmittal
synopsis
abstract
executive summary
appendix
bibliography
index
I. Putting the Final Touches on Reports and Proposals
This chapter addresses all four tasks involved in completing longer messages: revising,
producing, proofreading, and distributing. The tasks already discussed in chapter 6 in the context
of short messages require considerably more work when applied to formal reports and proposals,
which require an extra measure of polish and professionalism.
II. Revising Your Reports and Proposals
The revision process is essentially the same for reports and proposals as for any business
message, although it may take longer. Evaluate your organization, style, and tone. Improve
readability; keep paragraphs short; use lists and bullets and headings and subheadings. Edit for
clarity and conciseness. Websites should be easy to read and designed well.
III. Producing Reports and Proposals
The next step is to produce the report – that is, to decide which design elements will make it
most effective and to incorporate them into the text. Among the design elements covered in
Chapter 6 are typeface and type styles, margins, line justification, and white space. Chapter 12
described visuals. Put their advice to work with useful software.
A. Components of a Formal Report
The components of a formal report depend upon its purpose, length, expectations of the
audience, and what your organization dictates. Most formal reports have three main divisions:
prefatory parts, text parts, and supplementary parts. Most of the component parts of a formal
report start on a new page. Some reports will not have all the components discussed here.
Prefatory Parts
The prefatory parts serve as an introduction, giving the reader some sense of what the report is
about and what it includes. Each will be discussed briefly below.
The cover includes such information as the title of the report, the author’s name, and the date.
The most important information on the cover is, naturally, the title. Make sure the title is clear,
telling the reader exactly what the report is about.
The cover is sometimes followed by the title fly, a separate page with only the title on it. The
title fly is usually optional, but it does give the report an additional bit of formality.
The title page includes a) the report’s title, b) the name, title, and affiliation of the person or
group who authorized the report, c) the name, title, and affiliation of the person or group that
prepared the report, and d) the submission date. If the report is relatively short, the title page
serves in place of the cover.
The letter of authorization – a formal letter or memo requesting that the report be prepared - is
sometimes included, as well as the letter of acceptance – a letter or memo in which the writer of
the report acknowledges the request.
Next comes the letter (or memo) of transmittal, is a specialized form of cover letter that
conveys the report to the reader and makes some comments on why and how it was prepared.
The letter of transmittal can follow either the direct or indirect approach, beginning with a
statement of the reason for writing, followed by highlighted or detailed information on the
report’s contents, and ending with a statement of your appreciation for having been given the
assignment and your offer to provide any additional assistance.
Following the letter of transmittal is the table of contents – titled simply “Contents” – an outline
of the major components of the report broken down by topic headings. The number of levels of
headings depends on the length and scope of the report - i.e., how far you want to break it down.
Of course, the table of contents is written after the rest of the report has been typed so you can
indicate the page numbers of the various sections and headings. All of the prefatory parts and
supplementary parts are included in the table of contents.
A list of illustrations may or may not be included, depending, of course, on whether there are any
visuals. If it is included, it lists the titles and page numbers of the material. If tables and figures
are numbered separately, they should be listed separately.
A synopsis, also called an abstract, is a brief (no more than a page) summary of the report's
content. It should summarize the entire report, not just the introduction, and thus should enable a
reader to know what is included without reading the report in detail. The synopsis can be either
informative or descriptive: If it is informative, the main points of the report are summarized in
the order in which they occur. If it is descriptive, it simply refers generally to the subject of the
report and lists the points to be covered. If you are using the indirect approach to present the
report, the descriptive synopsis is recommended because it tells what the report is about without
stating the actual findings or recommendations. If you are using the direct approach, the
informative synopsis will state directly what the key points and conclusions of the report are.
Sometimes an executive summary is used in place of either a synopsis or an abstract. This
document is more fully developed and detailed than a synopsis, sometimes broken down into
headings and sometimes even including its own visuals and graphics. The executive summary is
a mini-version of the full report; it is intended to meet the needs of readers who want to get the
gist of the report but don’t have either the time or the inclination to read the whole thing.
Text
The text has three parts – an introduction, a body, and a close. Like a well-written business
message, the report has an introduction that prepares the reader to comprehend the information
that follows, tells them why they should be concerned, and announces how the report will be
organized. The body includes the detailed information that will support your main idea,
conclusions, and recommendations, if any. Tables and charts are helpful here wherever they can
be used in place of text. Finally, the close should summarize the main idea, highlight conclusions
and recommendations, and list any courses of action the reader should undertake.
Supplementary Parts
The supplementary parts are all the detailed information placed at the back of the report. An
appendix is a collection of ancillary material related to the topic but not included in the report
because it is either too long or its relevance is only tangential. Among the information included
in the appendix of business reports are sample questionnaires and cover letters, sample forms,
computer printouts, statistical formulas, financial statements and spreadsheets, copiers of
important documents, and complex illustrations. Sometimes a glossary will be included in the
appendix. Each type of information should be listed in a separate appendix – for example, one
for questionnaires, one for computer printouts, and so on.
A bibliography in a business report is a list of all secondary sources consulted in the preparation
of the report. A bibliography entitled “Works Cited” includes only those sources actually
mentioned and cited in the report, while one entitled “Sources” or “References” includes those
mentioned in the report as well as those consulted but not directly referred to in the text.
Bibliographical sources should also be cited in the text in footnotes, endnotes, or parenthetical
documentation.
An index is an alphabetized list of the names, places, and subjects in the report followed by the
page numbers on which the information can be found.
B. Components of a Formal Proposal
The goal of a proposal is to impress readers with your professionalism and to make your offering
and your company stand out. Proposals addressed to external audiences are almost always
formal; when you have a working relationship with your audience, they can be less formal. The
format of a proposal is similar to that of a formal report but with a few distinguishing
differences. The most notable difference is in the text, although a few prefatory parts are also
different.
Prefatory Parts
The cover, title fly, title page, table of contents, and list of illustrations are handled the same as in
other formal reports. A proposal often does not include a synopsis or executive summary, these
components being unnecessary when a letter of transmittal is included or when the reader is the
one initiating the proposal in the first place. A copy of the RFP is usually included unless the
instructions say to do something different.
The way you handle the letter of transmittal depends on whether the proposal is solicited or
unsolicited. If unsolicited, the proposal should follow the AIDA model; a solicited proposal will
follow the direct order.
Text
The introduction, body, and closing of the text of a proposal depend on whether the proposal is
solicited or unsolicited, formal or informal. The introduction states the problem and summarizes
the solution, focusing on benefits to the reader. The body explains the solution in detail,
indicating how the problem will be solved, when, by what method, and at what cost. It also
persuades the reader that your company or organization is best qualified among the competition
to do the job. The closing reemphasizes the benefits of your proposal to the reader and urges
action.
Once you’ve composed and produced your formal report or proposal, the next step is to
proofread it and then to get feedback from your audience. Proofreading a formal report or
proposal is just like proofreading any other business message: check carefully for typos and
errors in spelling and punctuation. In addition, be sure to check the visuals, making sure they are
placed correctly on the page and that nothing has been left out.
All the distributing issues explored in chapter 6 apply to formal reports and proposals. For
electronic distribution, a PDF file is usually the preferred form.
V. Writing Requests for Proposals
When writing an RFP, regard it as more than a request; it is an informational report that provides
potential bidders with the information they need to craft effective proposals. An RFP's specific
content will vary widely from industry to industry, but most include some combination of the
following elements:
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company background
project description
requirements
decision criteria
proposal requirements
submission and contact information
Self-Study Quiz: Learning Activity
Go to http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/pw/p_abstract.html and read the information on writing
abstracts. In your own words, explain the difference between informational and descriptive abstracts
and discuss the qualities of a good abstract.