TOPIC 4

REPORT

Subject : Bahasa Inggris 4

Semester : IV (Empat)
Week : 6-8
1. COMPETENCE UNIT : Report writing
2. COMPETENCE ELEMENT : A short investigation report
- A progress report
- A trip resort
- An occurrence report
3. PERFORMANCE : - Able to write different a short investigation report
- Able to write a progress report
- Able to write a trip report
- Able to write an occurrence report

A. SHORT INVESTIGATION REPORT

Most investigation reports are longer reports which examine problem or situation, identify the
cause, suggest corrective feasibility of each, and select which is most suitable. However, when a
minor of a local problem is examined, only a short informal investigation report is needed to
describe it. A very short investigation reports are usually issued as an inter-office memorandum or
occasionally as a letter.

The arrangement of short investigation report

The short investigation report’s arrangement is mostly organized in psychological organization
plan. It is divided intofive sections:
1. Summary section
This describes the investigation and the outcome very briefly.
2. Background section
This section describes the circumstances leading up to the investigation.
3. Investigation section
This describes what was done and what was found

4. Action section

This section describes what actions have been or need to be taken.

5. Backup section

This sections supporting data, calculation, illustration, etc.

Sample of a short investigation report :

MEMORANDUM

To : Jo Cornelius, Plant Manager Date : November 28, 2008

From : Tom White, Maintenance Electrician
Subject : Correcting Electrical Blackuots

I have traced the recent electrical power failure to a wiring error which created a power overload.
Although I have correction the problem, a better solution would be to install a separate power
panel for two of the air conditioners.

The failures started after the air conditioners were overhouled in September, and even they occured
only infrequently and at random intervals. On every occassion simply resetting the circuit breakers
corrected the failure, which made the cause difficult to identify.

As I suspected the air conditioners, I comprated the waring connections against the manufacturer’s
wiring diagrams but could find no fault. I then examined the four air conditioners in turn and
identified a disconnected load splitter behind the air conditioner No.2. The load splitter was
installed six years ago. To prevent the circuit from being overloaded there should be more than
two air conditioner compressors cut in at the same time. Apparently, the overhaul contractor failed
to reintroduce it into the circuit when reinstalling the air conditioners in September.

I have reconnected the load splitter, bit suggest we could obtain better performance from the air if
we were to install a power control box and connect two of the air conditioners to it. We could that
remove the load splitter. The cost would be $ 645, as detailed on the attached cost estimate.

May I have your approval to buy the neccesary parts and to the installation? Thank you.

Tom White

Explanation of the above investigation report :

In the report, Tom White place hhis informaton into five sectons :
1. Summary section
Tom identifies the problem, states its causes, reports that is has been resolved, and suggest
what else should be done.

2. Background section
Tom describes the events leading to the investigation.

3. Investigation section.
Tom describes his approach to the problem and what he has discovered.

4. Action section
Tom describes how he corrected the problem, but suggests a better alternative.

5. Back up section
Here, Tom revers to his backup information.

A. EXERCISE :

Situation :
“Elegant Tooth Paste” Amerika-Indonesia industry located in Bandung has porduced a new
tooth Paste product called “Bosodent”. This product uses a pump dispenser system that
other tooth pste industries do not. The product was first produced three months ago and has
been on the market since then. At the end on November, your production Manager –
 Charles Clifford received a report that the distributors in four Bandung districts did not
make further enquiries. The report also tell your manager that the Marketing Department
has done its to introduce your product to customers and distributors through advertisement
and distribution of the product. They require your department to find out whether the
sluggish enquiries are caused by production aspects. The enquiry should cover its design,
price, size, quantity, material, etc, at present the price of therpoduct is Rp 5.500.

The requirement from the Marketing Department arrived on Desember and your
department immediately takes action, this needs a week to be done from 4-11 December,
both for surveying the products condition in several supermarkets and shops and
interviewing the customers, supermarket managers, and shop’s owners.

You are an assistant to Mr Charles Clifford assigned to do the research. You planned the
task into two stages. The first stage is to see the product in the market and the second is to
do interview. The purpose of this task is to see what variables caused the sluggish enquiry.
You plan to visit shops and supermarket at random.

Instruction : Today 12 December, write an investigation report to your manager to tell about
your findings from the research. In your report you expect your manager can give clear picture
about the case to the board managers meeting.

Your Findings :

The following are the data you gained from your research

a. Product condition in the market (4-6 December )

No SUPERMARKET FINDINGS
1. Borobudur The products displayed on the rear row-shelf of
confectionary section
2. Palguna No products’pin poster
3. Dago Gelalel No sphere shelf to display the rpoduct
 4. Kosambi plaza The display of the products next the other tooth paste
product (papsodent) with cheaper price Rp 4.000.

5. Buah Batu Centre No good light on tooth paste area

SHELF
PRODUCT TIME OF DISPLAY
No SUPERMARKET MANAGER AREA COMPLAINT
QUANTITY SELLING PLACE
LIGHTING
1 Borobudur Budi R. 2 dozen 3 days   -
2 Palaguna Lim Kio 3 dozen 3 days   -
3 Dago Galalel Sai Loe 2 dozen 3 days  -
4 Kosambi Buyung 1 dozen 3 days -
5 Buah Batu Pandia 1 dozen 3 days -
No. SHOP FINDINGS
1. Bandung Utara Only 1 (one) of 5 visited shops sells the products

2. Bandung Timur None of 5 visited shops sells the product

3. Bandung Selatan None of 5 visited shops sell the product
4. Bandung Barat None of 5 visited shops sell the product
5. Bandung Pusat All 5 visited shops sells the products, however they can
only sell half dizen per week on the everage.

b. Questionnaire Responses (7-11 December)

B. PROGRESS REPORT
Progress reports keep management informed of work progress on projects that span a length
period, which can vary from a few weeks for a small manufacturing contract to several years
for a bigger project such as construction of a hydro electric power station and transmission
system.
There are two types of progress report: Occasional and Periodic Progress report.
1. Occasional Progress report
They are written at random intervals and usually concern shorter projects. Sometimes they
are written near the mid project point. Occasional they are written to fore warm management
that problems have occurred and delays can be expected. But most often they are written as
soon as the project leader has a sufficiently clear picture of the work progress to confidently
predict a firm project completion date.

The arrangement occasional progres report

The report is generally organized to a psychilogy real plan and devided into four section.
1. Summary
The summary should comment briefly on he progress achieved and whether the project on the
schedule; it may also predict a project completion date. Its information is drawn from the
work done, schedule, and plants compartments.

2. Background
If the report will be read only by persons familiar with the project, them only minimum
background informatio is neccessary. But if it will be also be cilculated to other readers, then
the background should briefly describe the persons involved in the project, and the location
and dates ( i.e, it should answer the questions who?, where?, why?, and when?).
3. Progress
This contains information about problem encountered and what success the action
achieved.
4. Schedule
Schedule states whether the rpoject is ahead of, on, or behind schedule. If ahead of or behind
schedule, the difference should be quoted in hours, days or weeks.
5. Plans
This usually short section describes the writter’s report plan and expections for the remainder
of the porject. It should indicate whether the project will finish on schedule, and if not, predict
a revised completion date. There should be an obvious link between this section and the
previous sub-section (schedule).
6. Backup
The optional backup compartment contains data such as statistics, result of test, specification
and drawings. This supporting information is grouped and placed in “attachment”. Each
statement must be referred to in the background or progress section of the report, so that the
reader will know it is there.

Sample of occasional progress report

The following is the sample of occasional progress report. The writer (Marjorie Franckle) is
reporting her progress to Vic Braun, her Environmental studies Manger. Her progress report is
explained below:

1. The summary: it respont mainly that Marjorie’s study is running behing the schedule.
2. The background includes the planned work.
3. The progress contain the work has been done and the problems encountered by the writer.
Marjorie outlines the study has been delayed.
4. The schedule section is Marjorie is not sure how long it will take to find and interview people.
5. The final paraghraph is the plan section.
 MEMORANDOM

To : Vic Braum Date: 12 July 2008

Manager of Environmental Studies
From : Marjorie Franckle
Biologist
Subject : Progress: Study of Caribou Calving Grounds

My study of the calving areas used by the Porcupine herd of Caribou has been delayed by lack and
inaccessibility of data. I doubt whether i will be able to complete the study before 15 September.

The study is being done for the Department of transport to determine the boundaries and dates of calving,
so that specific areas can be designated as “Restricted Flying Zones” during the calving season. Currently
I am working out of Old Crow in the River and Yukon border.

I have defined the eastern and western limits of the North Slope calving area bordering the Beaufort Sea
(see attached map), and have identified three approach routes used by the Caribou during their north-bound
spring migration. These are:
1. Trough the Richardson Mountains in the east, along the Yukon/Northwest Territories border.
2. Through the Brooks range of mountains north of Old Crow.
3. Through the Brooks range in Alaska, between the canning.
In normal years most calving seems to take place in the Artic Wildlife Refuge in Alaska between early May
and early June. But if bad travel conditions delay the migration, calving occurs farther east along the coastal
plain or sometimes even in the mountain range while the herd is still migrating.

My problem has been to identify which migration routes are most used, clear-cut dates when calving occurs,
and the earliest and latest dates that the caribou have been known to enter the coastal plain. Only a few
residents have observed calving, and I have been trying to identify who they are and to interview them.
This lack of real information has delayed my study by at least 15 days.

For the next two or three weeks I will be traveling with an interpreter to interview Inuit in very small
communities north of Old Crow and as far as Aklavik. During this period it is unlikely you will be able to
contact me.

Marjorie Franckle
EXERCISE

Spirit Liquid Petroleum Gas Company was instructed to quip their company with safety
equipment appliances and to give training on safety to their field crews by bot Jakarta fire brigade
and police headquarter officers. The instruction was made because to company is classified as not-
well-equipped to run such a business. The instruction is based on the evidence of the Jakarta
Selatan Police District’s investigation report telling that the fire on one of he company’s customers
houses was caused by the lack of safety equipment (appliances). The incident was the fault of one
of the company’s (Jakarta Selatan District). It is officially the company head office’s
responsibility.

A week after the incident the company runs a two-week training on safety for all their field
crews from 5 branches located in five Jakarta districts. The training is coincidentally held in South
Jakarta branch where you are the person who is in charge of the business operation. Each branch
is under a Sales Supervisor. The decision to run the training in your base is because your base is
now installing the safety appliances such as Gas Leakage Detectors and Air Condition
Disseminators and also Rehabilitating the gas tank house. It is expected that training participants
might be able to gain some real experiences and do some “real simulations”.

Today is the last day of the first week of the training session. You are reporting the running
of the training program, rehabilitation, and installation to the Personnel, Technical, and Marketing
Manager based in the head office. The following are the training program, rehabilitation, and
installation schedules:

Rehabilitation and Installation Training Schedule

Week Day Subject Hour Week Job Done

I Monday Theory of Safety 7 – 9 a.m. I Rehabilitation of
gas tank house.
Tuesday Safe and Dangerous -
working areas.
Wednesday Preventive actions in
the unsafe working
areas.
C. OCCURENCE REPORT

An occurrance report tells about an event that has happened, explains how and why it
occurred, and describe what effect the event had and what has been done about it. Sometimes it
also suggests that corrective action be taken or what should be done to prevent the event from
reoccurring.

The arrangement of occurrence report:

The report is mostly arranged in pyschological organizational plan. The in pyschological plan
contains the following sections:

1. Terminal section
This is the summary of the event in which it explains very briefly what happened and the
effect it had.
2. Background
It explains the background of the event in which it tells when it happened, where it
happened, how it happened, and who is responsible.
3. Text
It presents the discussion and action taken.

Sample of Occurrence Report

In the following occurence report Abu Bakar Andartomo, a Sales Supervisor at Gapai LPG
Distributor is describing a fire caused by blast of a gas tank. The report is delivered to his manager
Richard Harris. The report contains four main parts:

1. In summary statement he explains very briefly what happened and the effects of it.

2. In the background part he answers the questions that Richard Harris likely to ask:

 When did the fire happen?

 Where did it happen?
 Who is responsible?
 How many causalties are?
3. In the event he describes exactly what happened and explain why the event can be avoided.

4. In the outcome he answers the question what action was taken about it.

INTER-OFFICE MEMORANDOM

FROM : Abu Bakar Andartomo DATE : August 15, 2008

TO : Richard Harris SUBJECT: Fire

Due to the explosion of our delivered gas tank, one of our customers’ kitchens caught fire and it
damaged part of the kitchen. It causes us to compensate the customers’ total loss of Rp
20.000.000,-

The fire happened on Friday morning at about eleven o’clock in a home belongs to a doctor at
Jalan Raya Pasar Minggu No. 23 in Air Force Residential Complex. However, the fire brigade and
the local people immediately put out the fire before it spreads to other parts of the house and
neighbours. No casualties occurred.

The fire was caused by the explosion of a gas tank which was about to be hooked up. The blaze
could have not been extinguished unless the supplier put it out by water.

Yesterday afternoon I contacted our insurance company and asked them to check the incident. This
morning the insurance company agreed to compensate our customer’s loss. We are now checking
all gas tanks in the store under two police and three fire brigade officers’ supervision. Since the
incident the office has been closed. We will open the office when the condition allow us to do so.

Abu Bakar Andartomo

EXERCISE:

Situation:

You are Mr Tua Mangihut and are working in an America – Indonesia Joint Venture company
(Gigantic Spirit Electric Appliances). You are posted in the company sales agent as a Sales
Supervisor there. Today, you have a problem with your customers who want to buy your product
due to the price error advertised in today’s morning newspaper.

The following data are about the product and the error you have:

1. Product : Electric stove

2. Type : DX 304
3. The sale price of product : Rp 996.000,-
4. The newspaper ads price : Rp 969.000,-
5. Sold : None
6. Loss : None

Action to the occurrence:

1. You explain to the customers about the error.

2. You advertised a price correction in the afternoon newspaper.

Instruction: Write a memo report to your immediate boss Mr James Knox (the Marketing
Manager) about the occurrence!
D. TRIP REPORT

Trip report are written whenever people leave their normal place of work to do something
elsewhere. Their reports can cover mainly kinds of event such as:

 Installation or modification of equipment

 Assistance on a field of study
 Attendance at a conference, seminar, workshop or meeting
 Repair to a client’s equipment or field instruments
 Evaluation of another firm’s buildings, facilities or methods

Conference or Seminar Report

The purpose of this report is to inform other management personnel of significant

happenings, decisions, or topics discussed in the conference, seminar, workshop or meeting. The
report is presented (written) by a company’s delegated under his/her superior’s instruction.

The arrangement of conference or seminar report

It can be arranged in a logical or psychological organizational plan. The text organization

may follow one of the following orders or a combination of them. The following are the
explanations of the orders:

a. Order of criteria (topics)

In this section you write the criteria (standards, factor or characteristics) on which a
decision rests as main topic headings.
b. Order of time (chronology)
In this section you present the next following the sequence of events.
c. Order of location
Here, you describe something following the different places where of occurred.
 d. Order of Importance
In this section you present the most important ideas, events, or topics and procced to the
less important points
e. This section emphasizes
This section emphasizes what the sources of information. You can apply this organization
if you are sure that the readers’ greatest interest.

However, the other writers organize the Field Trip Report into the following sections:

1. Summary
This is drawn primarily from the background and the job the writer had, e.g. attending the
seminar, installation of equipment, evaluation of a firm’s building, facilities, or methods.
2. Background
This brings together all the bits and pieces of information relating to the trip. It describes who
went, where, why, and when the job was done.
3. Job Description
A trip report describes an installation, modifications, repair work, the guidelines are:
a. describes routine work that goes according to plan as briefly as possible, particularly if
there is an instruction or work specification which can be referred to, and/or attended.
b. describes unexpected work, unusual events, or problems in some details, and particularly
explain how a difficult situation has been resolved.
4. Outcome
It gives an answer to a question coming from the readers, sometimes it can be difficult to
identify exactly where the outcome section starts. Some people might say it starts at the
beginning of the report, or job description section. Other writer might say it start after the
writer describes the unexpected work, unusual events, or problems in some detail.

Samples of A Trip Report

The following are the two samples of TRIP reports. The former report’s arrangement is the
combination of three orders (topics, time, and source). The latter report’s organization is by order
of source, logically.
1. A Manager’s Report on Regional Conference

MEMO REPORT

To : Martha Gerbman Date : July 10, 2008

From : Mathew Dunken Subject : Open House and Promotion

The following is a report on the items we discussed during our recent meeting in Bangkok
regarding our XL products. They are about the scheduled open houses, our promotional
programs, the sign and identification of uor products. The names of those who are asked to be
responsible for the various parts of these are listed in the right side.

A. Open House
1. Employees’ Meeting-Thursday, June 29 Terry Moran
a. Families will be invited, sandwiches and refreshment provided.
b. This will provide an opportunity to run the tours being conducted on successive days.

2. Ribbon-cutting Ceremony- Friday. June 30 June Donaldson

a. Dignitaries to be invited need to agreed upon. We generally agreed that, as this
occasion present as exceptional opportunity to publicize the growth of new and
nonpolluting industry in our state, as well as an opportunity to gain state regional
publicity for the expanding capabilities of our company in the XL products business,
an effort should be made to include those state officials most capable of gaining of this
type of publicity.
b. Additionally, press invitations need to be extended and press realeases need to be
developed.

3. Distributors Event-Saturday, August 1 Martha Gerbman

a. Begin tour at 10.a.m. followed by lunch at Ritz Plaza Hotel
b. Develop a program to impress upon the distributors out program for XL product
Division.

B. Promotion Program Frieda Dinson

 1. The XL product brochure was reviewed and relatively minor changed agreed upon.
Another draft will be sent to bill Campbell will prepare and forward guarantee copy to
agency, this project is to proceed as rapidly as possible. The agency will prepare a list
of names for the pre-finished RM product line.

2. Introduction Brochure Eric Brown

a. We agreed that a brochure to familiarize costumers with the operation of the XL
will be desirable.
b. We agreed that the procedure used formerly in materials showing photographs of
the various personnel will be a good approach. Agency will develop layout.
c. Those to be included in this brochure will be Tyna Green, Martha Gerbman, Pete
Mallon, Erick Brown, and Jhon Raney, the sales secretary.

57

3. Advertising and Direct Mail Frieda Dinson & Matt Leaning

a. A Direct mail program directed to builders needs to be developed, perhaps in
conjunction with local distributors.
b. We agreed that advertising regions should be expanded to cover the entire region.
This project will be further developed.

C. Signing and Identification Matt Deanig

1. Unit Signs
White cardboard unit sign which will ford over the top edges of XL product displayed will
be printed at the Print shop. Design approved was forwarded to The Print Shop for
production and delivery to the plant by June 23.
2. Property Signs
Building and property signs were agreed an and convered in a separate memo.

Mathew Dunkin
2. An Assistant Manager’s Conference Report

MEMORANDUM

To : Anthony Bloome Date : October 2, 19-

From : Verna Bennet Subject : St. Louis Regional Conference

Here is a brief summary of the St. Louis meeting that I attended September 30 on coin services at
military installation. Since you are mainly interested in the presentation of John Klinest, Wardman
Jones, and Kathy Cummings, I am focusing this report on their contributions to this conference.

John Klinest’ Presentation

John Klinest conducted our meeting and introduced the subject. Because of the current situation
of military posts, coin service at these posts will be problem for years to come.

It’s important to improve our service due to.

1. The need is there. The present military situation requires more coin service.

2. Many of the young men and woman on these posts are making their first real acquaintance
with public telephone service. Their opinions of our service now are likely to be lasting.

A series of slides shown by Klinest pointed out that coin conditions around the country from very
bad (standing in mud puddles to use coin kiosks) to very good.

Wardman Jones’s Presentation

Wardman Jones talked about some of the revenue characteristics of military coin service.

(Three paragraphs follow, including itemized facts and figures).

Kathy Cummings’s Presentation

Regarding the traffic consideration, these were enumerated by Kathy Cummings. She emphasized
that …………………………………………………………………… (Three paragraps follow,
including itemized facts and figures).

Plan of Action

Jhon Klinest recommends the formation of an interdepartmental district team to evaluate our coin
service at (names) and report its findings to higher management. The team will use the attached
checklist.

Verna Bennet

EXERCISE:

Situation:

You are Ms Michelle Antoniette, personnel Assistant of Spirit Electric Appliances, who was
selected to attend The Roaming Group Seminar. You are assigned to evaluate the seminar
whether it was suitable for in-house use. The assignment was given by Mr Audrey Rivers
before you attended the seminar.

The seminar was held at the downtown Holiday Inn from 1.00 to 4.00 p.m. yesterday 29 April.
At the seminar you got a folder consisting of to formats: They are as a public seminar and as
a kit for in-house presentation. The former is the one that you attended while the letter is sold
for. The cost is Rp 600.000 per person for the public seminar and Rp 1.600.000 for the in-
house presentation and it contains sufficient materials to rain 40 employees which is equivalent
to about Rp 40.000 per person.

According to your impression the atmosphere of the seminar is relaxed. The participants were
actively involved for more than 75% of the time.
The seminar has three one-hour programs:

1. The first hour

- The seminar leader demonstrate techniques for improving meeting Performance
- The participant take part in two meeting simulations by dividing the participant into
two groups and each groups is given a role.
2. The second hour
The first group plays the simulation and the second group evaluates the group’s
performance and vice versa.
3. The third hour
- The group reserves their roles each other and do the same things as in the second hour.
- The seminar leader sums up after each meeting and points out the groups’ strengths
and weaknesses.

You found the seminar to be an excellent learning experience, because you had realistic,
recognizable role to play, and the topics for the two meeting simulations were interesting and
relevant. You therefore, suggest your department purchases the Roaming Group’s meeting.
By gaining experience in the seminar you are positively capable on ruming in-house workshop.

Instruction: Send your manager a memorandum in which you write the evaluation of the
seminar!