WRITING ANALYTICAL PROFESOR CHRISTIAN

REPORTS RUIZ DE LEON, MBA

ANALYTICAL REPORT
COVER PAGE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
INTRODUCTION
BODY
CONCLUSION
REFERENCES
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
IS A ONE PAGE SUMMARY OF THE ENTIRE REPORT
BROKEN DOWN SECTION BY SECTION , SAME AS IN REPORT
PERSON SHOULD BE ABLE TO READ THIS SUMMARY AND UNDERSTAND
THE ENTIRE REPORT.
INTRODUCTION

EXPLAIN THE
Problem / Opportunity
Solutions
Oportunities
BODY
PRESENT ALL RESEARCH INTO THE PROBLEM AND YOUR SOLUTION
INCLUDE RESEARCH CITATIONS TO SUPPORT YOUR HYPOTHESIS ON
THE SOLUTION
CONCLUSION
SUMMARIZE YOUR REPORT AND CONCLUSION
MAKE RECOMMENDATION ON WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE
PROVIDE STEP BY STEP IMPLEMENTATION
BENEFITS OF ANALYTICAL REPORTS:

QUICK ACCESS AND EASY TO UNDERSTAND DATA

BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF OPERATIONAL & BUSINESS ACTIVITIES
DATA VISUALIZATION ENABLES USERS TO VIEW & UNDERSTAND LARGE
AMOUNTS OF INFORMATION REGARDING OPERATIONAL AND BUSINESS
CONDITIONS.
ONE OF THE GREATEST ADVANTAGE OF DATA VISUALIZATION IS IT BRINGS
TRIABLE INSIGHTS TO THE SURFACE. UNLIKE ONE-DIMENSIONAL TABLES
AND CHARTS THAT CAN ONLY BE VIEWED, DATA VISUALIZATION TOOLS
ENABLE USERS TO INTERACT WITH DATA.
ALTHOUGH DATA VISUALISATIONS ARE EASIER TO UNDERSTAND AND
LOOK MORE ATTRACTIVE TO THE AUDIENCE, IT IS CRUCIAL TO ACHIEVE A
PERFECT BALANCE BETWEEN VISUAL APPEAL AND FUNCTIONALITY. DATA
VISUALISATION IS IN THE FIRST PLACE USED TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY OF
THE COMMUNICATED INFORMATION.
RESEARCH PLANNING
●WHAT IS THE PROBLEM? (AUTHENTIC AND
RESEARCHABLE)
●WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE? (THEY MUST HAVE THE
POWER TO SOLVE/IMPROVE THE PROBLEM)
●WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF YOUR REPORT? (WHAT DO
YOU EXPECT TO CHANGE)
●WHAT SPECIFIC AREAS WILL YOU RESEARCH? (WHAT
INFO DO YOU NEED TO SUPPORT YOUR IDEA?)
SORCES EXAMPLES
QUOTE: CONSUMER SPENDING IS EXPECTED TO RISE TO NEARLY $1 TRILLION BY 2020.
AUTHORS: GRANT HATCH, PIETER BECKER AND MICHELLE VAN ZYL
DATE: 2011
PAGE #: 4
TITLE: THE DYNAMIC AFRICAN CONSUMER MARKET: EXPLORING GROWTH
OPPORTUNITIES IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
SOURCE: HTTP://WWW.FINNPARTNERSHIP.FI/
PUBLISHER: ACCENTURE

1) MAKE AN IN-TEXT CITATION OF THE QUOTE ABOVE USING THE DIRECT QUOTE
FORMAT.
2) MAKE AN IN-TEXT CITATION OF THE QUOTE ABOVE USING PARAPHRASE FORMAT.
3) MAKE THE REFERENCE PAGE CITATION.
APA STYLE EXAMPLES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVLdyDceMsA

1) “CONSUMER SPENDING IS EXPECTED TO RISE TO NEARLY $1 TRILLION

BY 2020” (HATCH, BECKER, & VAN ZYL, 2011, P. 4).
--OR–
ACCORDING TO HATCH, BECKER, & VAN ZYL, “CONSUMER SPENDING
IS EXPECTED TO RISE TO NEARLY $1 TRILLION BY 2020” (2011, P. 4).
2) ACCORDING TO HATCH ET AL. (2011), CONSUMER SPENDING IS
PROJECTED TO REACH ALMOST $1 TRILLION OVER THE NEXT FIVE
YEARS.
3) HATCH, G., BECKER, P., & VAN ZYL, M. (2011). THE DYNAMIC AFRICAN
CONSUMER MARKET: EXPLORING GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES IN SUB-
SAHARAN AFRICA. RETRIEVED FROM HTTP://WWW.FINNPARTNERSHIP.FI
INTRODUCTION
ELEMENTS OF A REPORT INTRODUCTION

● Background - describe events leading up to the problem or need.

● Problem/purpose - explain the reason for the report’s existence and
what the report will achieve.
● Scope - describe what will be covered and not covered in the report.
● Organization - identify the main topics to be covered and in what
order.
● Authorization of the report - describes who asked for the report to
be written (sometimes)
● Establish tone and reader relationship - the audience of the report
 SENTENCE STARTERS FOR
INTRODUCTIONS
Purpose Organization of main ideas
1. In this report, we analyze… 1. It begins with....
2. This report contains… 2. Initially, the area of___ will be addressed...
3. In order to… this report offers 3. First…
recommendations for...
Establish tone and reader relationship
Scope 4. In order to provide management with...
4. The scope of this report ranges 5. For employees who are looking for...
from… 6. We want to inform investors of...
5. The report includes…
6. The information in this report
covers...
 EXAMPLES OF PURPOSE STATEMENTS

Analyze the first two problem and purpose statements. Then write the purpose
statements for the last two examples. Hurley. (n.d.). Writing Informational and Analytical Reports. Retrieved and adapted from
http://emedia.leeward.hawaii.edu/hurley/modules/mod4/4_docs/reports.pdf

Problem Purpose Statement

Our company's market share is steadily In the report, we explore new ways of
declining. promoting and selling our products and to
recommend the approaches most likely to
stabilize our market share.

Our current computer network lacks This report analyzes various networking
sufficient bandwidth and cannot be upgraded options, including recommendations of the
to meet our future needs. systems that will best meet our company's
current and future needs.
EXAMPLE INTRODUCTION
BUILDING THE BODY
OF THE REPORT
What goes in the body of a
report?
• In a group of 3:
1. Review the excerpt of the body of the report
2. List aspects that you can find:
• What structure does it have?
• What types of information?
• Besides words, what else do you see?
What goes in the body of a
report?
•Is your writing
credible?
•How do you build
credibility?
By using information from other
sources to back up your work!
When to cite?
• Whenever you are referring
to an text, idea, graph/table:
• that is not uniquely your own
• that has been drawn from
another source
you must “cite” that idea as
someone else’s.
How do you cite (in APA format)?

• Community policing involves

developing a relationship between
citizens and the police department
(Jones, 2005).

Author’s last
Year
name
 Written in two ways:
Guffey (2007) states that many management
decisions are based on information received
in a report.
Many management decisions are based on
information received in a report (Guffey, 2007).
Using a direct quotation
• “Community policing involves developing a
relationship between citizens and the police
department” according to one source (Jones,
2005, p. 48). Page number
• Jones (2005) argues that “community policing
involves developing a relationship between
citizens and the police department” according
to one source (p. 48).

Page number
Remember to
put this
information in
your
references
page!
BUILDING CREDIBILITY
How to use other people’s or organization’s facts and ideas to strengthen your own
(without plagiarizing!)
HOW TO BE CREDIBLE

Support your own thoughts and reasoning with:

● the opinion of authorities
● facts/statistics (from a reputable source)
● relevant examples
● your personal, first-hand experience or observation

Your thought
Your ideas need support!
Build supported-idea sandwiches Support
Your thought
HOW TO BE CREDIBLE

Support your own thoughts and reasoning with:

● the opinion of authorities
Weaker: It is important to consider employee morale
and motivation.
HOW TO BE CREDIBLE SUPPORTED-
Support your own thoughts and reasoning with: IDEA SANDWICH
your thoughts
● the opinion of authorities
 Stronger: It is important to consider employee morale and motivation. Jim
Murren, CEO of MGM Resorts International, believes that "creating teams that
have an understanding of not only what they are doing but, most important, why
they are doing it, is critical" (Villano, 2014, p. 17). Our company could benefit
by having regular reflection and goal-setting meetings to foster group identity
and cultivate motivation.
SUPPORT

your thoughts
HOW TO BE CREDIBLE

Support your own thoughts and reasoning with:

● facts/statistics (from a reputable source)
Weaker: Tracking information within your company
is really valuable and can enhance performance.
HOW TO BE CREDIBLE SUPPORTED-
IDEA SANDWICH
Support your own thoughts and reasoning with: your thoughts
● facts/statistics (from a reputable source)
 Stronger: Tracking information within your company is really valuable and can
enhance performance. A study published by Bain found that companies with the
most advanced data analysis tools were twice as successful financially as other
companies in their industry, and outperformed these companies on other markers
SUPPORT as well (Pearson & Wegener, 2013). As a smaller company, Hanson & Harvey
may not have the resources to engage in big data tracking, but some data
collection could be very beneficial.

your thoughts
HOW TO BE CREDIBLE

Support your own thoughts and reasoning with:

● relevant examples
Weaker: Livening the colors in a store can make it
more attractive and inviting to customers.
 HOW TO BE SUPPORTED-
CREDIBLE
IDEA SANDWICH
your thoughts
Support your own thoughts and reasoning with:

● relevant examples
 Stronger: Livening the colors in a store can make it more attractive and inviting
to customers. Lin Ward, manager of The Spa Spot, reports that her business
updated their interior wall colors from plain white to a seafoam green-based
scheme in 2013. After the update, their customer feedback surveys showed that
SUPPORT clients felt more comfortable within the space and were more likely to
recommend the service to others . They also had many more drop-in customers
than before the change (personal communication, October 3, 2015). Improving
aesthetics can truly make a difference.

your thoughts
HOW TO BE CREDIBLE

Support your own thoughts and reasoning with:

● your personal, first-hand experience or observation
 Weaker: Many staff members at KED believe that their
CEO’s wage is excessive.
 HOW TO BE CREDIBLE SUPPORTED-IDEA
SANDWICH
your thoughts
Support your own thoughts and reasoning with:

● your personal, first-hand experience or observation

 Stronger: Many junior staff members at KED believe that their CEO’s wage is
excessive. After speaking with secretaries, janitors, assistants, and interns, I
learned that many of these workers resent their CEO for making so much, and
feel that it is unfair, given their own financial struggles. It is possible that
SUPPORT employee loyalty and satisfaction at KED could be improved by decreasing the
CEO wage.
your thoughts
GOOD STUDENT EXAMPLES OF SUPPORTED
IDEAS
“The Montería construction market is very attractive because, according to DANE statistics, in 2014 the city
grew 2% in urban area per capita (CITE). For this reason, now is a good time to improve the services of the
company, and it will be more competitive.”

“As many as two in five managers fail in their overseas assignments, according to a recent survey by Right
Management. According to the 202 CEOs and senior professionals surveyed, 42% of managers fail when
they’re sent abroad. (Profit Guide, 2013), which is a disturbing figure, because it means that only slightly
more than half are able to succeed in this new, culturally aware global market.”

“Noisy Town Crossfit used to be the only center in Barranquilla which offered work-out classes, nutrition
advice, and personal training. However, with the opening of new fitness communities with superior
technology and equipment, their gym membership started to decrease and they lost many clients. Their
personnel went from producing COP $4346000 to $2134000 in a semester, and their annual profit was only
9% of their sales (CITE).”
*could be even stronger by being specific
THESE STUDENT IDEAS COULD BE In groups, brainstorm how
to support these ideas and
STRONGER build their credibility
1. “Today, the internet is one of the most powerful tools used in the whole world. More than 60% of companies use
job boards, making them the most important hiring tool. A web-based employment site would bring to the
company the opportunity to find employees in an easier way. If we start using this alternative, our company will
experience exponential growth.”

2. “It is important to understand how powerful a good advertisement strategy can be when it comes to creating new
products. Focusing on advertising can help the business increase its sales in Barranquilla. Internet presence,
especially in social media, is extremely recommended to new businesses as well as to established ones. This way,
the consumer has more of a say in the business, making them feel informed and included. If the customer has a
good experience, this can be shared by word of mouth, resulting in an increase of sales.”

3. “One of the leading glass manufacturers in Colombia, Tecnoglass´s foundation program was created with Energy
Solar S.A. as a collaborative project. It mainly focuses on improving quality of life for employees, their families,
and the most vulnerable members of their communities. Since Tecnoglass has so many low-income employees, it
tries to help give them an overall better quality of life.”

4. “Many organizations take a trial-and-error approach to preparing their expatriate for international assignments.
They take qualified leaders and managers who have domestic success and then expect them to succeed overseas.
There are 5 steps that can be used to prepare your managers for the challenge of the international culture that they
are approaching.”
THESE STUDENT IDEAS COULD BE
STRONGER
1. “Today, the internet is one of the most powerful tools used in the whole
world. More than 60% of companies use job boards, making them the
most important hiring tool. A web-based employment site would bring to
the company the opportunity to find employees in an easier way. If we
start using this alternative, our company will experience exponential
growth.”

● Today, the internet is incredibly powerful.

● Cite the fact. Watch the superlative.
● Specify why easier. Give an example.
● Too strong of a statement, provide an example.
THESE STUDENT IDEAS COULD BE
STRONGER
“It is important to understand how powerful a good advertisement strategy can be when it comes
to creating new products. Focusing on advertising can help the business increase its sales in
Barranquilla. Internet presence, especially in social media, is extremely recommended to new
businesses as well as to established ones. This way, the consumer has more of a say in the
business, making them feel informed and included. If the customer has a good experience, this
can be shared by word of mouth, resulting in an increase of sales.”

● validate the second sentence with an example of statistic.

● validate the second sentence, who is it recommended by?
● provide proof that the customer feels that way.
● validate that positive reviews increase sales, and that positive reviews
come from social media
THESE STUDENT IDEAS COULD BE
STRONGER
“One of the leading glass manufacturers in Colombia, Tecnoglass´s
foundation program was created with Energy Solar S.A. as a collaborative
project. It mainly focuses on improving quality of life for employees, their
families, and the most vulnerable members of their communities. Since
Tecnoglass has so many low-income employees, it tries to help give them an
overall better quality of life.”

This needs to be cited. The first sentence likely comes from their own
company website, making it weaker. It should be validated from a third party.
Give data about the number of low-income employees, if available.
THESE STUDENT IDEAS COULD BE
STRONGER
“Many organizations take a trial-and-error approach to preparing their expatriate for international assignments. They take qualified
leaders and managers who have domestic success and then expect them to succeed overseas. There are 5 steps that can be used to
prepare your managers for the challenge of the international culture that they are approaching.”

Quantify or give an example of such organizations

Provide grounds that such expectations exist

Where did these steps come from?

COMMON PHRASES FOR INTRODUCING A
QUOTE OR IDEAS.

1. According to ___
2. [Author] claims that ___
3. [Author] writes that ___
4. [Author] states that ___
5. As stated in [title] ___

*For lists, tables, or graphs, you can write

[Author] provides the following:
PARAPHRASING AND DIRECT QUOTING

You and a partner will receive one quote from six sources. Work with your partner to write a
“Supported-Idea Sandwich” for each of the six quotes. Following the steps below:

Step 1: Read the quote.

Step 2: Write a topic sentence or claim related to the quote.

Your thought
Step 3: Paraphrase or introduce your quote.
Support
Step 4: Add another original sentence below the quote (premise). Your thought
Step 5: When finished, change quotes with another group. Repeat steps 1-4.
PARAPHRASE

“As long as service providers are trained to align their professional goals with their own personal
development, the inward motivation to consistently deliver quality customer service can be
sustained, and can go a long way in helping a company build its brand and develop customer
loyalty.”

Title: Taking It Personally

Author: Candace Ali

Year: 2009

Page #: 33
PARAPHRASE

“The gross domestic product (GDP) of emerging market countries, as a group, has been growing at
roughly double the rate of advanced economies in recent years.”

Title: International Diversification Through Emerging Market Investment: Selection of Appropriate

Portfolio Strategy

Authors: Ravinder Kumar Arora, Himadri Das & Pramod Kumar Jain

Year: 2011

Page #: 737-738
PARAPHRASE
“Our biggest lesson from the Vanguard integration is that our company can execute a major
acquisition without risk to our fundamental values and culture.”

Title: Enterprise’s Leader on How Integrating an Acquisition Transformed His Business

Authors: Andrew C. Taylor

Year: 2009

Page #: 44
PARAPHRASE

“The container sizes need to be standardized so that the containers can be most efficiently stacked -
literally, one on top of the other - and so that ships, trains, trucks and cranes at the ports can be
specially fitted or built to a single size specification.”

Title: Containers

Authors: World Shipping Council

Year: 2016

Page #: no page
DIRECT QUOTE
“[O]n closer inspection the Guatemalan logistics decision making, as shown by the data presented
in this manuscript, places relatively greater emphasis on information (INFOSTR), coordination
(LCE), customer service (CSC), and relatively less emphasis on cost efficiency (PROCSTR) and
reducing complexity faced by customers (MKTGSTR), to achieve competitiveness than US
logistics managers.”

Title: An Empirical Study Comparing Guatemalan and US Logistics Strategies

Authors: Michael A. McGinnis, John E. Spillan, Nicholas Virzi

Year: 2012

Page #: 91
DIRECT QUOTE QUOTE

“The reason is that the developed market stock returns are very low and therefore at very low
levels of return they are able to perform better when combined with the emerging market
investments.”

Title: International Diversification Through Emerging Market Investment: Selection of Appropriate

Portfolio Strategy

Authors: Ravinder Kumar Arora, Himadri Das & Pramod Kumar Jain

Year: 2011

Page #: 737-738
USING VISUALS IN BUSINESS
REPORTS
1. What is the title of this graph?
2. What are the units of the x-axis? What are the units of the y-axis?
3. Describe the change from 2008 to 2009.
4. Describe the change from 2009 to 2010.
5. Describe the overall trend for the entire period.
1. What is the title of this table?
2. What is the title of column 1? What is the title of column 2?
3. What is the name of the item in line (row) 1?
4. Compare line item 2 with line item 3.
5. Which two line items have the greatest impact on savings?
INTRODUCING VISUALS

● According to Figure 1, …
● Figure 2 below...
● Table 1 above…
VERBS TO REFER TO VISUALS

Figure 1 shows the average cost of starting a small business in ten

Latin American countries.
to show Figures 2 and 3 display the average cost of starting a small
business in North America and Europe, respectively.

to display Figure 4 lists the fifteen most common types of small businesses
opened in Latin America in 2014.

Figure 5 represents the number of new small businesses expected

to list in Latin America in 2015.

to represent
 OTHER WAYS TO REFER TO VISUALS

The cost of opening a coffee shop is significantly lower than opening

as + past a restaurant, as shown in Figure 1.

participle + On average, starting a new business in North America or Europe is

15% more expensive than in Latin America, as displayed in Figures 2
and 3.
in/by
Graphic design companies were the 7th most common new small
business in Latin America in 2014, as __________ in Figure 4.

There are 28,000 new small businesses forecasted for 2015, as

___________ by Figure 5.
COMPARISONS

Comparative adj. + than

1. Restaurants are more expensive than coffee shops.
2. The cost is higher in North America than in Latin America.
3. Graphic design companies are _____ popular _____ electronic repair shops.
4. Figure 4 indicates that there will be a _______ (great) number of graphic design
companies in 2015 ______ 2014.
 COMPARISONS

Key patterns One syllable Two Syllable, Others

● add -er for one-syllable End in -y
adjectives
big busy expensive
● add -er for two-syllable
adjectives ending in -y
bigger busier more expensive
biggest busiest the most
● use more before all others expensive

new heavy serious

newer heavier more serious
newest heaviest the most serious

high lazy modern

higher lazier more modern
highest laziest the most modern
 SUPERLATIVES

Key patterns One syllable Two Syllable, Others

● add -est for one-syllable End in -y
adjectives
big busy expensive
● add -est for two-syllable
adjectives ending in -y
bigger busier more expensive
biggest busiest the most
● use most before all others expensive

new heavy serious

newer heavier more serious
newest heaviest the most serious

high lazy modern

higher lazier more modern
highest laziest the most modern
COMPARISONS

Other comparison phrases

1. There were 30% more graphic design companies in 2014 compared to 2013.
2. In comparison, 2015 is expected to have more small business openings than was seen in
2014.
3. By comparing the costs of small businesses across multiple regions, we find that Latin
America may have greater entrepreneurial potential than Europe.
4. By comparing Latin America to North America, you can see that the average cost of
starting a small business is lower.
USE INFORMATION FROM VISUALS
TO WRITE AN ANALYSIS
Figures 2 and 3 show that starting a small business North
America or Europe is 15% more expensive than in Latin
America. Also, Figure 5 represents a high number of new small
businesses expected to open in Latin America in 2015. This
suggests that Latin America would be a strategic region for
entrepreneurs looking for new locations.
WRITING
RECOMMENDATIONS
AND CONCLUSIONS
WHAT TO INCLUDE

1. Summarize key points

2. Emphasize benefits of recommendations
3. List action items
a. Spell out exactly what should happen next and provide a schedule with specific task assignments.
 RECOMMENDATION
LANGUAGE

Use modal verbs: could, would, should, can

1. I believe sales could improve by implementing…

2. The use of social media marketing would likely lead to…
3. Management decisions should be taken…
4. By opening a new branch, the company can grow...
SENTENCE STARTERS AND
TRANSITIONS

As a result of my analysis, Therefore,

Based on my analysis, As a result,
Based on these findings, Because of…,
In accordance with the In conclusion,
research,
RESEARCH PLANNING

●WHAT IS THE PROBLEM? (AUTHENTIC AND RESEARCHABLE)

●WHO ARE YOU? (THINK ABOUT ETHOS. WHO WOULD BE A
CREDIBLE AUTHOR?)
●WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE? (THEY MUST HAVE THE POWER TO
SOLVE/IMPROVE THE PROBLEM)
●WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF YOUR REPORT? (WHAT DO YOU
EXPECT TO CHANGE)
●WHAT SPECIFIC AREAS WILL YOU RESEARCH? (WHAT INFO DO
YOU NEED TO SUPPORT YOUR IDEA?)
 SOURCES EXAMPLES
QUOTE: CONSUMER SPENDING IS EXPECTED TO RISE TO NEARLY $1 TRILLION BY 2020.
AUTHORS: GRANT HATCH, PIETER BECKER AND MICHELLE VAN ZYL
DATE: 2011
PAGE #: 4
TITLE: THE DYNAMIC AFRICAN CONSUMER MARKET: EXPLORING GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES
IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
SOURCE: HTTP://WWW.FINNPARTNERSHIP.FI/
PUBLISHER: ACCENTURE

1) MAKE AN IN-TEXT CITATION OF THE QUOTE ABOVE USING THE DIRECT QUOTE FORMAT.
2) MAKE AN IN-TEXT CITATION OF THE QUOTE ABOVE USING PARAPHRASE FORMAT.
3) MAKE THE REFERENCE PAGE CITATION.
APA STYLE EXAMPLES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVLdyDceMsA

1) “CONSUMER SPENDING IS EXPECTED TO RISE TO NEARLY $1 TRILLION BY 2020”

(HATCH, BECKER, & VAN ZYL, 2011, P. 4).
--OR–
ACCORDING TO HATCH, BECKER, & VAN ZYL, “CONSUMER SPENDING IS EXPECTED
TO RISE TO NEARLY $1 TRILLION BY 2020” (2011, P. 4).
2) ACCORDING TO HATCH ET AL. (2011), CONSUMER SPENDING IS PROJECTED TO
REACH ALMOST $1 TRILLION OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
3) HATCH, G., BECKER, P., & VAN ZYL, M. (2011). THE DYNAMIC AFRICAN CONSUMER
MARKET: EXPLORING GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA.
RETRIEVED FROM HTTP://WWW.FINNPARTNERSHIP.FI