ANALYTICAL REPORTS

The purpose of analytical reports is to analyze, to understand, to explain – to think through a

problem or an opportunity and figure out it affects the company and how the company should
respond. Analytical reports fall into three basic categories:

 Reports to assess opportunities. These assess risks and required decisions and actions in
order to take advantage of an opportunity.
 Reports to solve problems. Managers often assign troubleshooting reports when they
need to understand why things are not working properly and what needs to be done
to fix it. Failure analysis reports study events that happen in the past with the hope of
learning how to avoid similar problems in the future.

 Reports to support decisions. Feasibility reports explore the ramifications of a decision

that is about to be made. Justification reports explain a decision that has already been
made.

If you determine that the nature of the report is analytical, then the next step is to define the
problem specifically. To help define the problem your report will address, consider these
questions:

 What needs to be determined?

 Why is this issue important?

 Who is involved in the situation?

 Where is the trouble located?

 How did the situation originate?

 When did it start?

One you have defined the problem, the next step is to engage in problem factoring –identifying
a cause/effect relationship. This inference or speculation of the cause is called a hypothesis, a
potential explanation that must then be tested.

I. Focusing on Conclusions

When writing for audiences that are likely to accept your conclusions, use the direct approach.
Be sure to support your conclusion with solid reasoning and evidence.

II. Focusing on Recommendations

A slightly different approach is useful when your readers want to know what they should do in
a given situation (as opposed to what they should conclude). Use the direct approach, and
unfold your recommendations in five steps:
  Establish the need for action in the introduction by briefly describing the problem or
opportunity.
 Introduce the benefit(s) that can be achieved if the recommendation is adopted, along
with any potential risks.

 List the steps (recommendations) required to achieve the benefit, using action verbs for
emphasis.

 Explain each step more fully, giving details on procedures, costs, and benefits; if
necessary, also explain how risks can be minimized.

 Summarize your recommendations.

III. Focusing on Logical Arguments

When readers are skeptical or hostile to the conclusion or recommendation you plan to make,
use an indirect approach that logically supports your conclusion or recommendation. The two
most common logical approaches are the 2 + 2 = 4 approach and the yardstick approach.

A. The 2 + 2 = 4 Approach

The 2 + 2 = 4 approach convinces your readers that everything adds up to your conclusion or
recommendation. The main points in your outline are the main reasons behind your
conclusions or recommendations.

B. The Yardstick Approach

The yardstick approach uses a number of criteria to decide which option to select from two or
more possibilities. With this approach, you begin by discussing the problem or opportunity, and
then list the criteria that will guide the decision. The body of the report then evaluates the
alternatives against those criteria.