Report writing is as much a science as it is an art. Building a report will almost always require you to create “clusters” of information in some logical, structured, ordered way. This means taking discrete types of information and arranging this information in separate compartments for easier reading. This deliberate order engages the reader in a much better way than simply spreading bits of information across various parts of the report. Here are some kinds of “clusters” that can be used in report writing:
1- Chronology, or time sequence, is easy to use in report writing because it follows the natural order of events. For example, you’re writing a departmental report and find that your main point is that staff productivity rose steadily from 2007-2010 even during the recent tough times. To report this, you break your data into annual segments starting from 2007. This is the kind of sequence used in CVs and job applications or in reporting of sales or production data.
2- Categorization employs objects, such as the products or services, dealers, geographical regions, etc. Categorization helps to bring detail into sharp focus to enable better decision making. This is often used when justifying a recommendation. For example:
-Benefits to employees
-Benefits to partners
-Organizational competitiveness
3- Comparison is useful when a choice has to be identified and justified – for example a choice between 2 vendors. Here you need to focus on criteria that are most relevant to the organization, for example:
-Track record of vendor
-Product pricing
-Warranty and Support
4- Process can be useful in situations where there is a need to look at various stages of how something should be done. For example, in propagating best practice, we need to:
-identify pockets of excellence
-understand the methods they use for team work and results
-setup a pilot in the new branch to use these methods
-assess results and review
5- Problem/Solution first describes a problem then explains the action required or taken. For example:
-implementation challenges – project management
–supply chain issues – centralized warehousing
–lack of skills – outsourcing
-etc
You may also create other new “customized clusters” or “derivative clusters” that are similar to the clusters described above. Examples are Strengths and Weaknesses, Quantitative vs. Qualitative (comparison), Past vs. Present (comparison or chronology) etc. Thinking about how to organize your information in clusters before diving into the report generates better content and structure.