X204 Business Communications: Business Reports Review

X204 Business Communications: Business Reports

Date: March 12, 2026
Institution: Kelley School of Business, Indianapolis

Today’s Agenda

• Review business report content
• See examples of sections
• Discuss tone, style, and design of business reports

Goal of a Business Report

• Purpose: The primary goal is to facilitate better decision-making.
• Key Components:
    - Built on thorough, precise, and reliable information and analysis.
    - Personal credibility is connected to:
      - How well facts, conclusions, and positions are provided.
      - Addressing the decision makers’ needs.
      - Reporting information honestly and transparently.

Improving Decision Making through Reports

• Types of Reports:
    - Proposals: Aim for persuasion in resource allocation, e.g., funding proposals, investment proposals.
    - Informational Reports: Provide facts, e.g., operating reports, trip reports, progress reports, compliance reports.
    - Analytical Reports: Help readers draw conclusions, e.g., feasibility reports, evaluation reports, recommendation reports.

Report Requirements

• Critical Thinking Elements:
    - Recommendations, conclusions, facts regarding business problems.

Report Structure and Formatting

1. Acknowledgments
2. Preface or Foreword
3. List of Tables and/or Figures
4. Table of Contents
5. Copyright Notice and Credits
6. Conclusion
7. Recommendations
8. Findings
9. Introduction
10. Title Page
11. Cover
12. Executive Summary
13. Letter or Memo of Transmittal
14. Attachments
15. Appendixes
16. Reference List or Bibliography
17. Front Matter: Title page, cover, executive summary, letter of transmittal.
18. Text: Introduction, findings, conclusions, recommendations.
19. Back Matter: Endnotes, appendixes, bibliography.

Analytical Report Sections for X204

1. Cover Page
2. Title Page
3. Table of Contents
4. Company Narrative
5. Executive Summary
6. Introduction
7. Findings
8. Conclusions
9. Recommendations
10. Endnotes

Examples of Business Reports

• UN WATER Analytical Brief:
    - Cover page elaborating on water security & global water agenda.

• Groupon Marketing Campaign for Cali's Low-Cal Frozen Yogurt:
    - Prepared by Cordelia Burrows, Marketing Intern, on April 10, 2012.

Executive Summary Overview

• Purpose: To summarize the key elements of the report.
• Content of Executive Summary:
    - Recommendation for Cali's: Offering a Groupon promotion will likely benefit their grand opening.
    - Research indicates Groupons provide effective low-cost advertising, particularly advantageous for new businesses needing visibility.

Groupon Mechanism Explained

• Groupons operate as "group coupons" activated when a sufficient number of customers agree to purchase them, or else, the deal is canceled without charges.
• Businesses partnering with Groupon typically do so to offer deep discounts, splitting revenues 50%-50% after processing fees.
  
    - Important note: While expiration dates exist for discounts, the Groupon retains value paid after expiration.

Comparison of Groupon vs. Traditional Advertising

• Advantages of Groupon:
    - Allow guaranteed exposure and a minimum number of responses.
    - Groupon models incentivize sharing for potential customers.
  
• Market Position:
    - Groupon vs. competitors like LivingSocial highlights Groupon's significant market lead, with more than twice the subscriber engagement based on studies.
  
    - Statistical evidence shows Groupon generated $3.1 ext{ million}$ in revenue in Boston over a one-month period compared to LivingSocial's $745 ext{ thousand}$.

Recommendations for Implementing Groupon at Cali's

1. Limit the number of Groupons available: Research suggests urgency increases sales.
2. Set a short redemption period: Counterproductive to offer lengthy periods; shorter periods drive quicker customer visits.
3. Restrict purchases per customer: Analysis indicates that limiting Groupons encourages buying but keeps customers motivated to return.
4. Low-risk purchasing options: Deals should encourage new customers to exceed the Groupon's value to ensure profitability.
5. Staff readiness: Adequate training and presence of staff are essential for successful customer service during promotions.

Report Body Elements

• Importance of Introduction: Defines report focus and necessary context.
• Problem Statement: Delineates the business challenge addressed by the report, ideally one that drives urgency and relevance for readers.

Poorly Written Samples (for Reference)

• Examples of poor clarity or language style in reporting that lack professionalism or coherent structure.

Data Visualization

• Graphs and Tables: Essential for illustrating relationships and trends clearly; tables organize data while graphs visually express dynamics.
• Recommendations for Data Presentation:
    - Use labels, appropriate scales, and ensure clarity in conveying values.

Conclusion Section

• Provides analytical insights into the advantages and disadvantages of the observed business opportunities.

Recommendations Section

• Must outline actionable solutions that stem directly from the conclusions drawn, validated by research and analysis.

Final Considerations

• Importance of maintaining a professional tone throughout the report, avoiding personal pronouns, and ensuring clarity and navigability.