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Business report writing

Learning objectives

This resource will help you:  

  • Understand what business reports are and how they are used.
  • Identify the structure and key elements of formal business report writing.
  • Plan and gather information effectively for your business report.  
  • Learn how to synthesise and reference information in your report.  

What is a business report?

A business report synthesises relevant data, analyses, statistics, and research findings about a company in an accessible and helpful way for future decision-making processes (Zaric, 2024). 

The purpose of a business report is to:

  • Provide information to your targeted audience.
  • Analyse and solve problems.
  • Make proposals or recommendations for change.
  • Present the findings of an investigation or project.
  • Record progress.

Typical components of a business report include:

  • Information, not arguments or persuasion.
  • Headings and sub-headings.
  • Tables and figures, where appropriate.
  • An executive summary or an abstract.
  • Recommendations and appendices, where appropriate. 
  • Concise and precise language.

Business reports are used to assess learning at university because they:

  • Provide an opportunity for you to learn to plan and gather information.
  • Help you develop an understanding of the structure and elements of formal report writing.
  • Help you develop graduate skills, including problem-solving, decision-making, analytical abilities, and communication.
  • Prepare you to write business reports beyond university.

How do I write a business report?

This video (5:53 min) provides an overview of the purpose and components of business reports. 

How do you structure a business report?

The table below indicates what is generally included in each section of a business report. 

Table 1: Summary of content needed in each component of a business report.
Components Some pointers
Title page
  • Title should be brief and specific.
  • Also include the name of the author/s, who the report was prepared for, and the date.
Executive summary
  • Provide a succinct overview of all the important points from the report, including:
    • Purpose/aim and scope of the project.
    • Approach and method used.
    • Main findings.
    • Recommendations (if required).
Table of contents 
  • List the report's contents with page numbers.
  • Should demonstrate how the report is organised.
Introduction    
  • State the purpose of the report.
  • Identify who commissioned the report or who requested it be compiled.
  • State the report scope (what it covers) and limitations (what it does not cover).
Body    
  • Present factual, objective and referenced information here.
  • Discuss and analyse this information.
  • Present information in a logical sequence with appropriate headings, sub-headings and a numbering system.
  • Write in full sentences in prose (avoid using dot points).
Figures and tables
  • Should only be included if relevant.
  • Must be referred to and discussed in the body text.
  • Position figures close to the paragraph you discuss them.
  • Number each figure consecutively and ensure each figure has a title.
Conclusion
  • Restate the purpose of the report.
  • Summarise the report findings.
  • Evaluate the main findings in the context of the investigation.
  • Check that the conclusions drawn are consistent with the aims given in the introduction.
  • Do not introduce new information here, and do not use direct quotes or citations.
Recommendations
  • Recommend further actions based on decisions/actions made from the conclusions. 
  • Should be brief statements (dot points). 
Reference list    
  • Make sure you reference appropriately to your discipline.
Appendices 
  • Present additional material that is relevant to the report but not crucial, or too detailed, to include in the main discussion/analysis in the body of the report.  
    • This material can include charts, tables, extracts, graphs, letters, questionnaires, statistics, and computer program information.  
  • Begin each appendix on a new page and ensure each appendix contains only one major piece of information.  
  • Label or number the appendices sequentially.  
  • Should be individually referenced and included in the list of references.  
  • Must be referred to in the body. 

 

Example business report

Have a look at the example business report below. As you navigate through, try to identify each component of a business report listed in Table 1, and take note of the overall academic writing style and formatting.

Template of a business report

This template can be used as a guide to assist you in writing a business report. Note: always check and adhere to your assessment information in Canvas, as your Course Coordinator may provide you with a different template or require specific formatting to use for your report instead.

Activity: Improving an executive summary

Consider the below example of an Executive Summary. 

The Touch Detective device is an innovation based on an existing Australian innovation of touch screens. It is really "important to have good security at the airport" (www.wikipedia.com). ​We all know how problematic this has been over the past few years. This report will discuss:​

  • the need for innovations in Australia​
  • and explore the Touch Detective​

It will draw conclusions about how valuable the Touch Detective is and it will become clear that every country should invest in this fantastic new innovation that I have developed. It’s interesting to note that it was difficult to find academic sources on airport security. Since everyone is an individual, it is useful to reflect on different opinions about the need for airport security.

Based on the information presented so far in this Library Guide, answer the following questions:

  1. Is this a good or poor example of an Executive Summary? Why?
  2. What changes in style, formatting, and wording would you make to improve it?

Once you have answered these questions, navigate to the 'Activity Answer' tab above to check your work!

Question 1: This is poor example of an Executive Summary because it:

  • Does not mention or highlight the purpose, method, main findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
  • Uses dot points.
  • Cites an unreliable source, Wikipedia, in the second sentence. The in-text referencing style is also incorrect.
  • Uses colloquial and verbose language in a conversational style.
  • Relies on personal opinion rather than evidence and uses first person pronouns, for example "We all know how problematic..." and "I think you have to...".
  • Uses contractions, such as "It's".

Question 2: The Executive Summary could be improved to something like below:

The purpose of this report is to examine the process of creating a new innovation from an existing Australian innovation. The Touch Detective is an innovation based on adapting the concept of a touch screen to include security features. It is designed to be used at airports where security is a problem. Research for this report includes a review of websites containing information on touch screens, an exploration of international security issues and application techniques. A concept map was used to assist the thought process for the innovation development. Findings of this investigation show that there is a strong need for added security in the airport context, and that adaptation of the touch screen is a convenient way to do this. Adaptations considered useful include a fingerprint recognition device, a controlled image camera, and links to a communication network database via satellite. The Touch Detective will add value by providing extra security for the public and business in a vulnerable high traffic area. Overall, the report concludes that the Touch Detective has potential for improving the security at airports. It is recommended that further research and trialling is done on the various adaptations to the touch screen, and that government involvement be sought to continue research and development.

Additional resources

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References

University Writing and Speaking Center (n.d). How to write a business report. 

Zaric, S. (2024, May 3). How to write a business report: A step by step guide with examples. The Databox Blog.

Subjects: Academic Skills
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