Chapter 12 - 2Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 12 Writing Reports and Proposals.

Chapter 12 - 2Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 12Chapter 12

Writing Reports and Proposals

Chapter 12 - 3

Learning ObjectivesLearning Objectives

1. Explain how to adapt to your audiences when writing reports and proposals and describe the choices involved in drafting report and proposal content

2. Identify five characteristics of effective writing in online reports and explain how to adapt your writing approach for wikis

Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 12 - 4

Learning ObjectivesLearning Objectives

3. Discuss six principles of graphic design and identify the most common types of visuals used to present data, information, concepts, and ideas

4. Explain how to integrate visuals with text effectively and how to verify the quality of your visuals


Chapter 12 - 5

Composing Reports and Composing Reports and Proposals: Adapting to Your Proposals: Adapting to Your

AudienceAudience


Chapter 12 - 6

Drafting Report ContentDrafting Report Content


Chapter 12 - 7

Report IntroductionReport Introduction


AuthorizationAuthorization

Scope of CoverageScope of Coverage

Sources and MethodsSources and Methods

LimitationsLimitations

Opportunity or PurposeOpportunity or Purpose

BackgroundBackground

Terms and DefinitionsTerms and Definitions

Report OrganizationReport Organization

Chapter 12 - 8

Report BodyReport Body


Explanations of problem or opportunity

Facts, statistics, and trends

Results of studies or investigations

Discussion and analysis of potential actions

Advantages, disadvantages, costs, and benefits

Chapter 12 - 9

Report BodyReport Body


Procedures or steps in a process

Methods and approaches

Criteria for evaluating options

Conclusions and recommendations

Support for conclusions and recommendations

Chapter 12 - 10

Report CloseReport Close


Chapter 12 - 11

Problem Solving Report Problem Solving Report (Excerpt) Focus on (Excerpt) Focus on RecommendationsRecommendations

TO: Board of Directors, Executive Committee membersFROM: Alycia Jenn, Business Development ManagerDATE: July 7, 2014SUBJECT: Website expansion

In response to your request, my staff and I investigated the potential for expanding our website from its current "brochureware" status (in which we promote our company and its products but don't provide any way to place orders online) to full e-commerce capability (including placing orders and checking on order delivery status). After analyzing the behavior of our customers and major competitors and studying the overall development of electronic retailing, we have three recommendations:

1. We should expand our online presence from "brochureware" to e-commerce capability within the next 6 months.2. We should engage a firm that specializes in online retailing to design and develop the new e-commerce capabilities.3. We must take care to integrate online retailing with our store-based and mail-order operations.


Chapter 12 - 12

Drafting Proposal ContentDrafting Proposal Content


IntroductionIntroductionIntroductionIntroduction

BodyBodyBodyBody

ClosingClosingClosingClosing

AttentionAttention InterestInterest

DesireDesireActionAction

SolicitedSolicitedProposalProposal

UnsolicitedUnsolicitedProposalProposal

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Guiding the ReadersGuiding the Readers


Previewsand Reviews

TransitionalDevices

Headings and Links

StructureStructure

Key PointsKey Points

ConsistencyConsistency

WordsWords

PhrasesPhrases

ParagraphsParagraphs

IntroductionsIntroductions

OverviewsOverviews

SummariesSummaries

Chapter 12 - 14

Technology forTechnology forReports and ProposalsReports and Proposals


Embedded and Linked Documents

Electronic Forms

Electronic Documents

Multimedia Documents

Proposal-Writing Software

Chapter 12 - 15

Drafting Online ContentDrafting Online Content


1. Build trust with intended audiences

2. Adapt content for global audience

3. Use the inverted pyramid style

4. Use a concise, skimmable format

5. Compose effective links

Chapter 12 - 16

Collaborating on WikisCollaborating on Wikis


Forgo traditional expectations

Edit and improve each other’s work

Use templates and formatting options

Apply the appropriate tools

Practice in the “sandbox”

Chapter 12 - 17

Collaborating on Wikis Collaborating on Wikis Wikis at IBMWikis at IBM


Chapter 12 - 18

Understanding Visual Understanding Visual Design PrinciplesDesign Principles


Visual Design

Principles

Chapter 12 - 19

When to Use VisualsWhen to Use Visuals

Purpose and Application•To clarify: Support text descriptions of “graphic” topics: quantitative or numeric information, explanations of trends, descriptions.•To simplify: Divide complicated descriptions into components that can be depicted with conceptual models, flowcharts, organization charts, or diagrams.•To emphasize: Call attention to particularly important points by illustrating them with line, bar, and pie charts.•To summarize: Review major points in the narrative by providing a chart or table that sums up the data.


Chapter 12 - 20

Selecting the Right Type of Selecting the Right Type of VisualVisual

Communication Challenge

• To present individual, exact values

• To show trends or relationships with variables

• To compare data• Show frequency or

distribution of parts to a whole

Effective Visual Choice

• Table

• Line or Bar Chart

• Line or Bar Chart

• Pie Chart


Chapter 12 - 21

The Parts of a TableThe Parts of a Table


Source: (In the same format as a text footnote).*Footnote (for explanation of elements in the table).

Subhead Subhead

Row headRow head Subhead Subhead

Total

Subhead

Multicolumn Head*

XXX

XX XX

XXX

XXX

XXXXXX

XXX

XX

XXXX

XX

Single-Column Head

Chapter 12 - 22

Using Line and Surface Using Line and Surface ChartsCharts


RelationshipsRelationships

TrendsTrends

VariablesVariables

201120102008 2009

70%

60%

50%

40%

Chapter 12 - 23

Average Kiln TempsAverage Kiln Temps


0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

8:00AM

9:00AM

10:00AM

11:00AM

12:00Noon

1:00PM

2:00PM

3:00PM

4:00PM

5:00PM

Kiln A Kiln B

Chapter 12 - 24

CommuniCo CommuniCo Staff Computer SkillsStaff Computer Skills


Chapter 12 - 25

CommuniCo Preferred CommuniCo Preferred Communication MediaCommunication Media


Chapter 12 - 26

Percentage of Time SpentPercentage of Time SpentOnline By Age GroupOnline By Age Group


10%

24%

30%

21%

15%

Age 25-34 Age 35-49 Age 18-24 Age 8-17 Age 50+

Chapter 12 - 27

Presenting Information, Presenting Information, Concepts, and Ideas Concepts, and Ideas


Flow ChartsOrganization Charts

DrawingsMaps

PhotographsDiagrams

VideoAnimation

Chapter 12 - 28

FlowchartFlowchart


No

No

Yes

Yes

Chapter 12 - 29

The Chain of CommandThe Chain of Command


Chapter 12 - 30

Data VisualizationData Visualization


Chapter 12 - 31

Geographic Information Geographic Information SystemsSystems


Chapter 12 - 32

Drawings, Diagrams and Drawings, Diagrams and Photographs Photographs

• Diagram or photograph

• Learn basic image-processing

• Photos should have communication value

• Be aware of copyright and model permissions


Chapter 12 - 33

InfographicsInfographics


Chapter 12 - 34

Using Animation and VideoUsing Animation and Video


Chapter 12 - 35

Producing and Integrating Producing and Integrating VisualsVisuals


EmphasizeKey Points

Reference VisualsPosition VisualsTitles, Captions,

Legends

Reference VisualsPosition VisualsTitles, Captions,

Legends

Balance Illustrations & Words Balance Illustrations & Words Facilitate

EasyReview

Chapter 12 - 36

Verifying Visual QualityVerifying Visual Quality


Chapter 12 - 37

Summary of ObjectivesSummary of Objectives


Chapter 12 - 38Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall