Completing Reports and Proposals

13: Completing Reports and Proposals1Chapter 13: Completing Reports and ProposalsLECTURE NOTESSection 1: Revising Reports and ProposalsLearning Objective 1: Describe the challenge of revising reports and proposals.The process of writing a report or proposal doesnt end with a first draft. As with all messages, there are four tasks involved in completing longer messages:Revising Producing Proofreading Distributing Formal reports and proposals are documents that require an extra measure of polish and professionalism; be sure to carefully select the elements you want to include in each of your documents. Carefully evaluateOrganization Style Tone Clearly say what you want and make sure that content isIn a logical order Responsive to audience needs Clear, concise, and compellingSection 2: Producing Formal ReportsLearning Objective 2: Identify the major components of formal reports.When the text quality meets expected standards, produce the report by incorporating various design and support elements, which may includeChartsIllustrationsOther visualsAny missing textual elements, such as previews and reviews The parts included in a report depend on the type of report, its length, your audiences expectations and requirements, and your organizations preferences. The components fall into three categories: Prefatory partsText of the reportSupplementary parts

Prefatory Parts of the ReportPrefatory parts are front-end materials that provide key preliminary information so that readers can decide whether and how to read the report. These prefatory parts are usually easier to prepare after the text is complete and consist ofThe table of contentsThe list of illustrations The executive summaryCoverMany companies have standard covers for reports, made of heavy paper and imprinted with the companys name and logo. Covers are typically labeled the following information:Report titleWriters name (optional)Submission date (optional) The title should be concise and compelling while still communicating the essence of the subject.Title Fly and Title PageThe title fly is a single sheet of paper with only the title of the report on it. The title page includes four blocks of information: The title of the report The name, title, and address of the person, group, or organization that authorized the The name, title, and address of the person, group, or organization that prepared the report The date on which the report was submittedIn some cases, the title page serves as the cover of the report, especially if the report is relatively short and is intended solely for internal use.Letter of Authorization and Letter of AcceptanceIf there is written authorization to prepare a report, consider including that letter of authorization in the report. If you wrote a letter of acceptance in response to that communication, accepting the assignment and clarifying any conditions or limitations, you might also include that letter in the reports prefatory parts. In general, letters of authorization and acceptance are included in only the most formal reports. Letter of TransmittalThe letter of transmittal is a specialized form of cover letter that is usually positioned right before the table of contents, introducing your report to the audience. The style is sometimes less formal than the rest of the report.If your readers are likely to be skeptical of something in your report, the letter of transmittal is a good place to acknowledge their concerns and explain how the report addresses those issues. Also, if conveying sensitive information to selected audience members, you can opt to include the letter in just those copies.Depending on the nature of your report, your letter of transmittal can follow either the direct approach for routine or positive messages or the indirect approach for negative messages. Table of ContentsThe table of contents is an outline form of the information in the report showing the following:Coverage of topicsSequence of informationRelative importance The headings used in the text of the report are the basis for the table of contents. Depending on the length and complexity of the report, you may need to decide how many levels of headings to show in the contents. To ensure accuracy, construct the table of contents after your report is complete, thoroughly edited, and proofed. This way, the headings and subheadings arent likely to change or move from page to page. List of IllustrationsIf you have more than a handful of illustrations in your report, or if you want to call attention to them, include a list of illustrations after the table of contents. Regardless of the system you use, be sure to include titles and page numbers. Synopsis or Executive SummaryA synopsis is a brief overview (one page or less) of a reports most important points, designed to give readers a quick preview of the contents. Its often included in long technical, professional, or academic reports.

The phrasing of a synopsis can be either informative or descriptive. An informative synopsis presents the main points of the report in the order in which they appear in the text. A descriptive synopsis tells what the report is about, using only slightly more detail than the table of contents. Many report writers include an executive summary instead of a synopsis. An executive summary is a fully developed mini version of the report itself. Many reports require neither a synopsis nor an executive summary. Length of the report is usually the determining factor. Text of a ReportThe heart of a report is composed of three main parts: the introduction, body, and close. Here are a few considerations to bear in mind as you prepare a formal report:Introduction. A good introduction prepares your readers to follow and comprehend the information that follows. It tells them what the report is about, why they should be concerned, and how the report is organized. Body. This section contains information that supports your conclusions and recommendations as well as your analysis, logic, and interpretation of the information. Close. The close of your report should summarize main ideas, highlight conclusions or recommendations, and list any courses of action that you expect readers to take or that you will be taking yourself. Supplementary Parts of the ReportSupplementary parts follow the text of the report and provide information for readers who seek more detailed discussion. For online reports, you can put supplements on separate webpages and allow readers to link to them from the main report pages. AppendixesAn appendix contains materials related to the report but not included in the text because they are too long or perhaps not relevant to everyone in the audience. Appendixes can includeSample questionnaires and cover lettersSample formsComputer printouts,Statistical formulas,Financial statements and spreadsheetsCopies of important documents, Multipage illustrations All appendixes should be mentioned at appropriate places in the text and listed in the table of contents.BibliographyInclude a bibliography, a list of the secondary sources you consulted when preparing your report. In addition to providing a bibliography, some authors prefer to cite references in the report text. Acknowledging your sources in the body of your report demonstrates that you have thoroughly researched your topic. IndexAn index is an alphabetical list of names and subjects mentioned in a report, along with the pages on which they occur. If readers will need to access specific points of information in a lengthy report, consider including an index that lists all key topics including:Product and company names MarketsTechnical conceptsImportant personsSection 3: Producing Formal ProposalsLearning Objective 3: Identify the major components of formal proposals.Proposals addressed to external audiences, including potential customers and investors, are nearly always formal. For smaller projects and situations in which you already have a working relationship with the audience, a proposal can be brief and less formal. If youre responding to an RFP, follow its specifications to the letter, being sure to include everything it asks for and nothing it doesnt ask for.Prefatory Parts of the ProposalPrefatory parts include the:CoverTitle fly Title page Table of contentsList of illustrations Prefatory parts are handled the same way in a formal proposal as in other formal reports. However, with a proposal handle other prefatory parts a bit differently by including:A copy of the RFP or its name and numberThe synopsis or executive summaryThe letter of transmittalCopy of or Reference to the RFPRFPs usually have specific instructions for referring to the RFP itself in the proposal because the organizations that issue RFPs need a methodical way to track all their active RFPs and the incoming responses. Some organizations require that you include a copy of the entire RFP in your proposal; others simply want you to refer to the RFP by name or number. Follow the instructions in every detail. Synopsis or Executive SummaryAlthough you may include a synopsis or an executive summary for your readers convenience, these components are often less useful in a formal proposal than they are in a formal report. If the proposal is unsolicited, your transmittal letter will already have caught the readers interest. It may also be less important if your proposal is solicited because the reader is already committed to studying your proposal. Letter of TransmittalHow to handle the letter of transmittal depends on whether the proposal is solicited or unsolicited. If the proposal is solicited, approach the letter of transmittal as a positive message, highlighting those aspects of that may give you a competitive advantage. If the proposal is unsolicited, approach the letter as a persuasive message that must convince the reader that you have something worthwhile to offer. Text of the ProposalJust as with reports, the text of a proposal is composed of three main parts: the introduction, body, and close. The content and depth of each part depend on whether the proposal is solicited or unsolicited, formal or informal.Introduction. This section presents and summarizes the problem you intend to solve and your solution to that problem, including any benefits the reader will receive from your solution.Body. This section explains the complete details of the solution: how the job will be done, how it will be broken into tasks, what method will be used to do it, when the work will begin and end, how much the entire job will cost, and why you are qualified.Close. This section emphasizes the benefits that readers will realize from your solution, and it urges readers to act.

Section 4: Proofreading Reports and ProposalsLearning Objective 4: Describe an effective plan for proofreading reports and proposals.After assembling all the components of your report or proposal, revised the entire documents content for clarity and conciseness, and designed the document to ensure readability and a positive impression on your readers, you have essentially produced your document in its final form. Now review it thoroughly one last time, looking for:InconsistenciesErrors Missing components Proofing can catch minor flaws that might diminish your credibilityand major flaws that might damage your career. Check for:Typos Spelling errorsMistakes in punctuationDisplaced visuals Whenever possible, arrange for someone with fresh eyes to proofread the report, somebody who hasnt been involved with the text to this point. Section 5: Distributing Reports and ProposalsLearning Objective 5: Describe the decision process for distributing reports and proposals.Pay particular attention to the length and complexity of your documents. For physical distribution, consider these options:Professional courier Package delivery service Personal deliveryFor electronic distribution, use PDF files, unless word-processor files are specifically requested.If your company or client expects you to distribute your reports via a web-based content management system, intranet, or extranet, be sure to upload the correct file(s) to the correct online location and verify placement of these elements:Onscreen display of the report Graphics Charts Links After youve sent your report or proposal off to your audience, your next task is to wait for a response. If you dont hear from your readers within a week or two, you might want to ask politely whether the report arrived. If the RFP specifies a response window, however, do not inquire before that time has elapsed.COMMUNICATION DILEMMAS AT GARAGE TECHNOLOGY VENTURES (p. 437)1.Youve just received an intriguing executive summary from a start-up company whose technology reduces the cost of providing Internet service by nearly 30 percent, an amount that would spark interest from just about every Internet service provider in the world. The financial projections in the executive summary are realisticand quite positive. Even if this investment panned out only half as well as the numbers suggest, it would bring in a sizable amount of cash when the company eventually goes public. The patented technological solution is sound, too; you used to work as a network engineer, and these people know what theyre doing. There is just one problem: the submission is entirely anonymous. The document describes, in vague terms, four experienced technical and business specialists but without giving their names or their specific work experiences. A note attached to the plan apologizes for the secrecy but says the four principles in the new firm cant reveal themselves until they get financing and can therefore leave their current jobs. What should you do?a.Yes. This submission should be rejected. In any start-up venture the human capital is as important as the idea itself. Without knowing the backgrounds of the principals involved and their history of implementing business plans and managing organizations, the request for funding cannot be thoroughly vetted. Moreover, people this afraid of risk are not likely to make successful entrepreneurs.b.No. Youll damage your reputation if you do this.c.No. This would be unethical.d.No. A key aspect of any business communication challenge is understanding the writtenand unwrittenrules of the situation. These people dont get it.2.Review these grabs presented in three executive summaries. Discuss their strengths and weaknesses and decide which one of the three you would forward to Kawasaki and the other directors.a.No. This summary is wildly overconfident and completely lacking in any sort of substance. The board member claim is a far-fetched exaggeration and lends no weight to verifiable abilities that would appeal to sensible investors.b.Yes. This summary is factual, professional, and on point. It provides detailed, relevant information in a concise and clear fashion. This would be the most appropriate summary to forward on to Kawasaki.c.No. This arrogant, hard-sell approach should be rejected. (And students cant be expected to know this, but the popularity statistic offered is fairly ridiculous and an instant credibility-killerleading travel websites such as Expedia have millions of visitors every month.)3.You are finalizing this years portfolio update report for the companys partners and investors, an important document that summarizes the performance over the last year of all the companies in which Garage has an investment stake. Accuracy and clarity are essential with this document, because the information it contains can lead to significant changes in investment and oversight strategies for the companies in the portfolio. Which of the following proofreading strategies should you use to make sure your report is free of errors?a.No. You certainly can and should use these tools, but they are only part of a solution, and you cant rely on them to do a thorough review.b.No. This is highly unprofessional and will harm your credibility.c.No. This would have the opposite effectwhen the text is fresh, the mind tends to subconsciously insert missing words and correct others errors. Consequently, you can read right past mistakes without seeing them.d.Yes. This strategy incorporates two important points: putting the text aside for a while so that you can review it with fresh eyes and using two proofers who can look at different aspects.4.Looking over past editions of the annual performance report, you see that it has always had the generic main title of Annual Performance Review, followed by a subtitle that summarizes the overall performance of the companies in the portfolio. Which of the following subtitles would be most effective and most appropriate for this years report, a year in which half the companies in the portfolio experienced major technical or legal setbacks, and only two met their revenue projections?a.No. This is too casual.b.No. While this statement might in fact be true, the sky is falling tone is too dramatic. The target readers are no doubt familiar with significant business challenges, so simply and directly characterizing the situation, as (c) does, is the appropriate way to go. c.Yes. This suggests the seriousness of the situation without going over the top.d.No. Like (b), this is overly dramatic.APPLY YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 441)1. For any report that is a persuasive message (such as business plans written to solicited outside funding), the executive summary is by definition a persuasive message because it is a summary of the larger document. In another sense, one might argue that every executive summary has a persuasive aspect because it endeavors to have readers accept the message of the overall report without taking the time required to read it in full.1. For particularly long and complex reports, the table of contents can become some extensive that the addition of a brief table of contents that lists only major section headings can help readers who want to find those major section breaks quickly.1. If in-text citations were used in the report to attribute specific pieces of information to other authors, including a bibliography does not eliminate the need to include those citations.1. For both audiences, the body of the report should contain the basic factsthe information obtained from the survey. This information should be presented in direct, objective terms so that both managers and employees can interpret it easily. The report for managers, however, will probably contain conclusions or recommendations omitted from the employees report. Any prefatory and supplementary parts would be determined according to the formality the writers believe to be necessary. However, no individual employees names should be shown in either version of the report, to preserve the anonymity of the respondents.1. In general, providing a list of similar projects would be expected by the organization that issued the RFP and an essential step in establishing or confirming your credibility as a builder. The RFP might list specific instructions on what to include. However, before providing names and contact information of specific individuals, you must be sure to get their permission to do so. If the RFP doesnt specify a format for providing the references, a statement of qualifications within the body of the proposal would be a good place to list similar projects. An extensive list of contact details is probably better suited for an appendix.PRACTICE YOUR SKILLS (p. 441)Message 13.AAny suggested revisions would need to be based on assumptions or conclusions about the purpose of the document and its intended audience. Students will probably notice that this document has a formal tone and appears to be aimed at policymakers and other professional audiences, not consumers. In fact, the sentence on the second page, The intent of the Dietary Guidelines is to summarize and synthesize knowledge about individual nutrients and food components into an interrelated set of recommendations for healthy eating that can be adopted by the public, offers a good example of the documents tone, clarifies the intent of the report, and suggests that the information is intended for parties who will convey it to the public.Exercises1. One possible revision: Success in this job depends on persuading other people to perform various tasks and ensuring that those tasks are completed. However, the position does not come with direct authority over those people, so tact and perseverance are essential.1. If the Electrovision report is for information only, it will contain no recommendations and so will need a new title, such as Electrovisions Travel and Entertainment Costs. Most headings will need to be changed to reflect the informational nature of the report, and the section titled Methods for Reducing Travel and Entertainment Costs will be removed. Students may identify additional details that must be changed. The new transmittal memo should focus on key findings without making judgments or recommendations.1. Student versions of this letter will vary. In general, it should be upbeat, stressing the groups gratitude for the County Arts Council grant, and should mention that the grant allowed the Friends of the Library to support literacy and boost library usage through a diverse set of activities and acquisitions. The letter should touch on highlights of the report and build goodwill because the writer hopes the recipient will continue providing grants in future years.1. Students should recognize elements such as these:Purpose: To give parents entertaining and engaging activities to promote the joy of readingTitle: The title clearly communicates the purpose of the report, and the subtitle provides clear clues to the content of the reportType of report: InformationalStructure: Students can pick up the structure from the Contents pageVisuals: The online version uses very few visuals, none of which add information value (PDF version contains no visuals)Online medium: Links make it easy to navigate to sections of interest9. To guide class discussion on this issue, youll want to draw your students toward professional behavior, even in the face of a potential ethical lapse on the part of the superior. Remind students that this situation may not actually be an instance of idea-stealing at all. Perhaps they can brainstorm other possibilities; for example, given the number of active minds and informal communication channels in a typical organization, it may be possible that somebody else independently suggested the same idea to the vice president. Or the boss mightve give full credit, but in the crunch of daily work, that fact was not transmitted back to you.You might ask students how they could determine more about the bosss behavior. Has she exhibited similar behavior in the past? Is she ignoring other communications or only this one? What about nonverbal signals (e.g., does the boss appear to be avoiding eye contact in the cafeteria, etc.)? Is this the only communication that has gone unanswered (e.g., maybe the boss is going through a personal or professional crisis and hasnt had time to respond to any messages)?The simplest and safest first step would be to ask the boss (in a neutral way) if the report met her needs and whether she has any questions. If she simply forgot or hasnt had time to get back to you, then the situation could be resolved without further worry. For example, she could say that she shared your ideas with the vice president (who decided to implement them immediately), but she was caught up in a family crisis and forgot to share this news with you. Or, she might explain that the vice president was already working on a similar plan when she presented your ideas.If this conversation doesnt give you a satisfactory answer, then you need to decide how to proceed, based on whatever you learned from the exchange. Students can brainstorm the options one might take in this situation, such as asking the boss directly if she passed your report on to the vice president, going over the bosss head to complain to a superior, asking a trusted party for advice, or simply letting this episode pass without mention. As the teams explain the rationale behind their solutions, you might get other teams to play devils advocate and challenge their assumptions. For example, if a team decides the boss should be confronted directly, ask members what they would do if the boss were to deny taking credit (even in the face of irrefutable evidence to the contrary) or provides an innocent explanation you hadnt thought of. If a team suggests that the employee should simply forget the incident and let the boss take credit to preserve the status quo, ask members what kind of future that employee could expect in the company. Will the boss take advantage of every good idea? Will the employee become invisible at promotion time? And if a team decides to complain to the bosss superior, ask members how the employees working life will be once the boss learns of this action and what the superior will think of an employee who wasnt able to resolve this matter on his or her own.CASE SOLUTIONS and guidelines (p. 443)Here are possible solutions or solution guidelines for this chapters cases. 13.1. Message Strategies: Informational ReportsStudents choosing the direct approach to recommending that Paper Products adopt an e-learning program should present the advantages before the disadvantages and include some facts to support their recommendations. Those recommending that Paper Products not adopt an e-learning program should present disadvantages before advantages, and also include some facts to support their recommendations. Regardless of the students recommendation, the report should be concise and to the point. Not every item listed should be presented. Students recommending the program might want to include some examples of companies that are successfully using e-learning as a way to stimulate ideas for programs at Paper Products, Inc.13.2 Message Strategies: Analytical ReportsTempers are no doubt flaring across the company and people are surely demanding answers, so both timeliness (to proceed toward a resolution as quickly as possible) and accuracy (to avoid fueling the fire with misinformation) are paramount in this report. Here are a number of suggestions for students, based on the three-step writing process:Analyzing the situation: Because the assignment from the CEO is merely to provide information about the situation and not to solve the problem, starting with a clear statement of purpose is vitalboth to guide the writing effort and to remind the CEO when he or she reads it. Even though the audience is just a single person and the report is requested, sketching a brief audience profile will be helpful since the student (in the role of the new HR manager) doesn't have a long history with the CEO. In addition, a clear work plan will help the report writer make the best use of limited time.Gathering information: The CEO asked for a report on available information, so students wont need to allow for additional information gathering, such as an employee survey. However, in their role playing, some students may provide additional hypothetical information, such as industry-wide averages or insights from a previous job.Selecting the right medium: Confidentiality is the overriding concern in this case and theres already evidence of vulnerabilities in the companys electronic communication network, so a printed memo with no copies and hand-delivered to the CEO is probably the best choice.Organizing: A direct approach is called for since the report is primarily about delivering information, and the CEO requested it. To organize the information, a comparison approach will be most effective, and students should also keep the numeric and narrative information separate to avoid confusion. If students choose to add information beyond that shown in the two tables, it should be presented after the salary data and responses from the two managers.Adapting to the audience: Since the report writer is a new employee, his or her response to this crisis is likely to be a career-defining moment. The CEOs assessment of that response, positive or negative, will help establish perceptions that could last years. Consequently, the report needs to clearly and directly meet the audiences needs, while confronting the problem head-on. Complaining about the information leak or criticizing the companys computer systems will detract from the purpose of the report and therefore generate a negative reaction from the audience.Composing the report: The report should be written in a calm, neutral style. A voice of reason is doubly appreciated during a time of crisis. Any insights the writer can find that might help define a solution should be offered as well, such as noting that while the range of salaries for engineers is considerably broader than the range for marketing staffers, the averages are not terribly far apart across the two departments. This suggests that a few top performers in the engineering group are paid far above the average, which might not be out of line at all.Revising, producing, proofreading, and distributing: The primary concerns here are accuracy and confidentiality.13.3 Message Strategies: Analytical ReportsFrom Case Tables 13.3 through 13.5, students should be able to identify a possible sweet spot in the data: kitchens, bathrooms, and home offices are the most frequently tackled rooms; $10$20k is the most common budget range; and the tasks that are (1) of most interest to heavy-hitter DIYers and (2) probably covered less extensively by publications that focus on more-superficial tasks would include conceptual design, demolition, framing, plumbing, and possibly finish carpentry and tile work (although these last two might be considered lighter tasks and therefore might be covered adequately by other publications).The follow-on research task, then, is to see whether a magazine market really exists for homeowners who want to extensively remodel kitchens, bathrooms, and home offices (as well as other rooms, but these would be the big three) with fairly sizable budgets in projects where they would tackle conceptual design, demolition, framing, and plumbing. Moreover, since consumer publications rely heavily on advertising, the research also needs to identify how many advertisers want to reach such a market. Lastly, the report should indicate how well or poorly this market is currently being served by other publications (students will need to make up this information).The funding request portion of the report needs to make a strong case for pursuing the additional research, based on preliminary indications of the size of the market, the number of advertisers involved, and the competition.13.4 Message Strategies: Analytical ReportsThis report will require students to compare multiple sources of information on a fairly complicated topic, so organization and clarity of presentation will be critical. When they find differences of opinion, students should identify why the sources have different advice before identifying which opinion they find most convincing. For example, a source written before the recent credit crisis and one written after it could have markedly different advice and still be valid in the context of the times in which they were written.13.5 Message Strategies: Analytical ReportsStudents should get creative with this one and identify as many ways as possible to increase poetry sales. However, the report should be more than just a list of ideas; it should summarize the research findings and link possible sales ideas to reasons uncovered in the research. For example, if some people were turned off by the classic poetry they were forced to read in school, one idea could be publish compilations that show the wide range of contemporary poetry.13.6 Message Strategies: Analytical ReportsThe content of these reports can vary widely, depending on the companies students choose. No matter which five franchises students choose, however, thorough research is the key to success in this exercise. They need to identify not only the franchising requirements but the nature of the work as wellto make sure theyre suited to it and can convince investors of their suitability. A comparative report such as this can make good use of both narrative descriptions (brief histories of each company, for instance) and tabular data (such as financial requirements).13.7 Message Strategies: Informational ReportsStudents should be able to identify a variety of methods employers are using to contain rising health care costs. They should look at both direct financial savings (e.g., switching to higher-deductible insurance plans) and indirect methods (e.g., workplace safety and wellness programs that improve employee health and thereby reduce the need for medical care).13.8 Message Strategies: Analytical ReportsSales and service professionals have found a variety of ways to use the iPad and other tablet computers in their work, so students can explore these areas for examples. One clever way to find ideas would be to search the Apps store on iTunes to find business-oriented apps for the iPad (look in the Business, Productivity, Reference, and even Travel sections).13.9 Message Strategies: Informational ReportsThis report is a straightforward writing project; here are several suggestions to assist students:Statement of purpose: Make sure to focus on the information that buyers needand only that information. The history of online buying, the market dynamics of car retailing, lists of features to look for in the car itself, and other factors might be interesting, but theyre not central to this task.Audience profile: Online shoppers are a diverse lot; some are be quite comfortable with shopping online, whereas others are compete novices. In addition, many consumers are intimated by the car-buying process in general, no matter where it takes place, and this anxiety will add to the uncertainty. Because the stated use of the report is introducing consumers to the basic concepts, students should be sure to cater to the needs of the beginners in the audience (as opposed to more-advanced online shoppers).Organization: The organization should be simple and logical. Here is one possibility using a three-part structure:I.What you canand cannot doonline (set audience expectations for what they'll be able to accomplish using an online car-buying service)II.How the process works (walk the audience through the process so the understand what will happen and when; a flowchart diagram is a good visual possibility)III.How to get started (answer the OK, now what do I do? question, telling people where to go online to get started; a table of websites such as that provided in the case would be helpful here)Adapting to the audience and composing the report: Clarity and simplicity are at a premium in a report such as this. Students should keep the target audience in mind and avoid the jargon that Internet-related writing falls into too frequently.13.10 Message Strategies: Informational ReportsStudents have two creative challenges in a report involving this much data (of course, many business reports have many times this much): presenting the data (in graphical or tabular format) and providing narrative summaries of the data. Although tables do present all the necessary data, other types of visuals would make the most compelling points more instantly recognizable. For instance, the data in Case Tables 13.7 (carpool habits), 13.8 (use of public transportation), 13.9 (impact of improvements to public transportation), and 13.11 (telecommuting) could be effectively presented as pie charts or bar charts. Table 13.10 (distance traveled) is a good candidate for a map that shows concentric distance rings around the company location (e.g., a ring at 1 mile, a second ring at 3 miles, etc.), with data labels indicating the number of employees who live in each ring.For the second challenge, interpreting the data and providing concise narrative summaries, students should focus on the aspects of each data set that are most relevant to the transportation challenge. These highlights include such observations as the following:Case Table 13.7 (carpool habits): Only a third of the workforce carpools regularly, so this option might yield some significant improvements.Case Table 13.8 (use of public transportation): More than a quarter of the workforce never use public transportation for their commutes, but as Table 14.9 shows, the range of reasons is diverse and not solvable with any one change.Case Table 13.9 (impact of improvements to public transportation): subsidized fares and improved safety (both of which are potentially costly options) are the two most important ways to improve employees use of public transportation, but more than 8,000 employee won't use mass transit under any circumstances, so it's not a total solution to the problem.Case Table 13.10 (distance traveled): Only 17 percent of employees live within three miles of work, so walking and bicycling are not viable options for most of the workforce.Case Table 13.11 (telecommuting): Only 28 percent of employees believe that their jobs are compatible with telecommuting in any regular way. Perhaps some change in job design could increase this percentage and make telecommuting a more viable choice.

13.11 Message Strategies: Informational ReportsNote: Heres a completed example that compares Boeing and Airbus. The information in this report is dated, but it provides a useful example of report writing and organization.Airbus and Boeing: A Comparison of Two Airline and Aerospace RivalsIntroductionBoeing has been defined by its sheer technical bravadoand at times by its almost willful disregard for financial realities. The Seattle company designed the B-52 in a single weekend and launched the 747 jumbo jet in spite of the many observers who declared it financial suicide. Boeing is the worlds largest aerospace company and the largest exporter in the United States. It has built some 85 percent of the worlds jetliners and has dominated commercial aviation since the 1950s (Zuckerman, Jet Wars C1). But in 1999, the once unthinkable happened: As Figure 1 shows, rival Airbus sold twice as many planes as Boeing (Prado A14). Figure 1. Number of airplane orders for Boeing and Airbus

Source: Adapted from Laurence Zuckerman, A Wing-and-Wing Race, New York Times, 1 December 1999, C1, C2; Gail Edmondson, Janet Rae-Dupree, and Kerry Capell, How Airbus Could Rule the Skies, Business Week, 2 August 1999, 54; Paulo Prada and David Gauthier-Villars, Airbus Sales Hit a Record $17.2 Billion, Wall Street Journal, 30 January 2001, A14; Laurence Zuckerman, The Jet Wars of the Future, New York Times, 9 July 1999, C1, C5.Airbus was founded in 1970 as a consortium of four European partners with homes in Great Britain, Germany, France, and Spain. Airbus would never have gotten off the ground without subsidies from the partners governments. In 2001, confident that Airbus could finally stand on its own, the partners turned it into a single private company. Like Boeing, Airbus manufactures a full fleet of planes. Unlike Boeing, it has no jumbo jet. As a result, when it approaches an airline with a package deal, it has no big plane to clinch the sale (Taylor 103).Differing Approaches to ManufacturingAirbus and Boeing build their planes differently. At Airbus, large airplane components, such as wings, cockpits, engines, and landing gear, are produced by suppliers all over the world and flown in giant cargo jets to a final assembly building in Toulouse, France. There, a handful of employees operating giant machines snap the large plane sections together. The finished aircraft are sold by Airbus Industrie, a sales and marketing joint venture owned by the partners (Zuckerman, Wing-and-Wing C1). Many once-loyal Boeing customers now find innovative Airbus designs to be technologically superior and more comfortable for passengers. Besides offering wider planes that accommodate wider passenger seats, more overhead bin space, and more aisle space, all Airbus jets share the same cockpit design. This uniformity allows pilots to easily shift from flying one model to the next, which can slash pilot training from 30 days to less than 8 and save airlines millions of dollars annually (Michaels, Spread Wings as a Company A15). Until recently, Boeing customized a cockpit for every model and built airplanes like customized houses: Airlines could select from 109 shades of white paint or 20,000 galley and lavatory configurations. Worse yet, Boeing relied on a manual numbering system to track the 4 million parts and 170 miles of wiring needed for any one airplane (Useem 153). Compared to Airbus, Boeings assembly lines were a beehive of activity, and its systems were woefully inefficient. Boeing is now rebuilding its operations and systems, but only after learning its lesson the hard way (Michaels and Cole B1).Competitive Tactics Backfire for BoeingWith Airbus gaining ground in the mid 1990s, Boeing decided to deal this challenger a crippling blow. Banking on its ability to overhaul operations, cut production costs by 25 percent, and double production of its profitable 747 line, Boeing offered customers deep discounts on smaller jets to win multi-aircraft orders. But its plan backfired. The company was besieged with more orders than it could deliver on time. Production problems, management turmoil, and a market slowdown (spurred by the Asian economic crisis) collided head-on with Boeing's planned system upgrades, sending the aerospace giant into a tailspin. The company took years to recover, and the crisis triggered a massive reengineering attempt (Reinhard 62; Useem 148160). Boeing is now following in its rivals footsteps by outsourcing the manufacturing of more components. The goal is to transform Boeing into a company focused on design, marketing, and assembly while letting others build the parts, says one Boeing spokesperson (Squeo A8).Opposing Views of the FutureBoeing and Airbus have very different visions of the future of aviation. Airbus believes that the number of people traveling between the worlds biggest airports will grow faster than airport capacity, boosting demand for a new generation of gigantic planes. Airbus projects that the market potential for a superjumbo is about 1,500 planes. So it is spending $12 billion to develop the worlds biggest passenger jet, which it claims will revolutionize air travel just as the 747 did (Zuckerman, Jet Wars C5). The wide A380 superjumbo double-decker will seat 555 passengers (and can be configured to seat 800), surpassing Boeings 416-seat 747-400. The A380 will showcase the latest technology and use light-weight composite materials currently found in military aircraft, making the A380 cheaper to operate per seat-mile than Boeings 747-400 (Tagliabue C1). But the superjumbo will fly no faster than todays jets. Table 1 compares the Boeing 747-400 with the Airbus A380.Table 1. Airbus hopes bigger will be betterBoeing 747-400www.boeing.com/Airbus A380www.airbus.com/

Aircraft length225 ft.239 ft.

Aircraft height63 ft.79 ft.

Seats416555-650

Flight range8,380 miles8,798 miles

Fuel capacity57,285 gallons85,900 gallons

Cost per seat-mile3.46 cents3.25 cents (based on 555 seats)

Max. takeoff weight875,000 pounds1,190,000 pounds

Source: Adapted from John Tagliabue, Airbus Industrie Is Considering a Very Big Bet, New York Times, 14 July 2000, C1, C6; Daniel Michaels, Giant Jet Gets Orders It Required, Wall Street Journal, 30 November 2000, A17, A19; Alex Taylor III, Blue Skies for Airbus, Fortune, 2 August 1999, 102108.Not worth it, says Boeing chairman Phil Condit. After taking a close look at the superjumbo, Boeing concluded that it couldnt make the plane pay (Michaels and Cole B4). Boeing sees demand for new jets in the 400 plus category ranging between 400 and 1,000 units over the next 20 years. The company plans on servicing this growth with its current 747 model and a new longer-range version that could fly an additional 775 miles without sacrificing airspeed or cargo capacity (Zuckerman, Supersonic C1). In fact, Boeing thinks the Europeans have gotten themselves in a terrible jam. They just wont be able to meet their commitments, says Joe Sutter, the engineer who led the design team that produced the original 747 (Zuckerman, Wing-and-Wing C1). Airports would need to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to upgrade terminals and taxiways to service the A380 and its two levels of jetways. Furthermore, the superjumbos huge capacity limits its use to only the most densely traveled routes (Michaels, Airbus Clients Worry A21). In contrast, Boeing is betting that airlines will begin using moderately smaller planes to fly passengers directly between smaller cities, bypassing congested hub airports. The company anticipates that new airports will be developed to accommodate passenger needsespecially in trans-Pacific and intra-Asian markets. So instead of building a superjumbo, Boeing will spend about $10 billion to develop a near-supersonic plane that will be able to fly 20 percent faster than todays conventional planes without breaking the sound barrier and without increasing operating costs. The Sonic Cruiser 20XX will save one hour of flying time for every 3,000 miles flown, which could change the way the world flies (perhaps as dramatically as the introduction of the jet engine) (Squeo A8).Market GamblesBoth Firms Bet the CompanyIf the Airbus vision is right, the newcomer will likely steal some of the most lucrative sales from large markets such as Japan, where Boeing holds a commanding market share. For instance, if the Japanese buy the A380, Airbus could become the undisputed world leader in the market for big jets, ending Boeings 30-year jumbo-jet monopoly. Furthermore, if it turns out that customers like the A380 better than Boeings current 747 or its planned long-range version, they may be tempted to buy their smaller jets from Airbus as well as their larger jets (Edmondson 54).On the other hand, if Airbus has misjudged the market demand for superjumbos, the company and its backers would be facing a financial catastrophe. For one thing, developing the proposed A380 could zap resources from existing lines, which would hurt the company's overall competitiveness at a time when Boeing is devoting its engineering efforts to squeezing costs out of planes and manufacturing processes while developing a smaller plane for faster travel (Michaels, Airbus Clients Worry A21). If Boeing is on target with its vision for the future of air travel, it will head off the serious Airbus challenge that has already upset the U.S. producers market dominance. But if Boeing has miscalculated, it will sacrifice large profits, as well as the huge jumbo-jet market that, until now, it had controlled entirely. In good years, roughly half of Boeing's profits came from sales of the companys 747, the uncontested queen of the skies and flagship of most of the worlds major airlines. Designing a new superjumbo would take years; therefore, if it turns out that Boeing's vision is wrong, the U.S company would be hard pressed to catch up (Useem 158160). Both Boeing and Airbus are making one of those bet-your-company decisions. Airlines buy planes well in advance of market demand, and then they fly them for decades. You make decisions and then you dont find out whether they make sense until ten years later, says Boeings Sutter. But thats what lifes about in the airplane business. Reference ListCole, Jeff. Flight of Fancy. Wall Street Journal, 3 November 1999, A1, A10.Cole, Jeff. Wing Commander. Wall Street Journal, 10 January 2001, A1, A12.Edmondson, Gail, Janet Rae-Dupree, and Kerry Capell, How Airbus Could Rule the Skies. Business Week, 2 August 1999, 54.Holmes, Stanley. Boeing Jettisons a Plant. Business Week, 2 February 2001, 14.Michaels, Daniel. Europes Airbus Ready to Spread Wings as a Company. Wall Street Journal, 23 June 2000, A15.Michaels, Daniel. Flying High. Wall Street Journal, 25 September 2000, R18, R19.Michaels, Daniel. Giant Jet Gets Orders It Required. Wall Street Journal, 30 November 2000, A17, A19.Michaels, Daniel. Some Airbus Clients Worry About Jumbo Jets Impact. Wall Street Journal, 24 July 2000, A21.Michaels, Daniel, and Jeff Cole. Taking Tons Off the Worlds Biggest Passenger Jet. Wall Street Journal, 19 January 2001, B1, B4.Prada, Paulo, and David Gauthier-Villars. Airbus Sales Hit a Record $17.2 Billion. Wall Street Journal, 30 January 2001, A14.Reinhardt, Andy, John Rossant, and Frederik Balfour. Boeing Gets Blown Sideways. Business Week, 16 October 2000, 62.Squeo, Anne Marie. Boeing Plans to Build Smaller, Faster Jet. Wall Street Journal, 30 March 2001, A3, A8.Tagliabue, John. Airbus Industrie Is Considering a Very Big Bet. New York Times, 14 July 2000, C1, C6.Taylor, Alex III. Blue Skies for Airbus. Fortune, 2 August 1999, 102108.Useem, Jerry. Boeing vs. Boeing. Fortune, 2 October 2000, 148160.Zuckerman, Laurence. A Wing-and-Wing Race. New York Times, 1 December 1999, C1, C2.Zuckerman, Laurence. Boeings Planned Jetliner to Be Almost Supersonic. New York Times, 30 March 2001, C1C2.Zuckerman, Laurence. The Jet Wars of the Future. New York Times, 9 July 1999, C1, C5.13.12 Message Strategies: Analytical ReportsThese research and reporting tasks vary in terms of both complexity and the degree of speculation required to answer the questions, so you may want to consider assigning a specific question that matches the needs and interests of your class. Whichever question they pursue, students should take care to keep facts and opinions separate (although both may be required to answer the question) and to draw a clear boundary between actual and speculative data (such as past sales data versus forecasted future sales).13.13 Message Strategies: Analytical ReportsStudents might find it helpful to plot the history of Apples product launches over the past decade or two to discern how the company has changed it course and how it either helped initiate or responded to shifts in consumer behavior. Correlating these events with the companys financial results year by year should produce some instructive observations.In addition, students can contrast Apples strategy with the strategies taken by other companies along the way, including Microsoft, IBM, Dell, and Sony. 13.14 Message Strategies: ProposalsThe proposal for a presentation workshop involves two key challenges: communicating the value of an intangible product and tailoring the pitch to make it relevant to the specific target buyer. Thorough research is the first step to meeting both challenges. Students should focus on how the presentation will yield meaningful results for the target customer, and various businesses can have dramatically different needs for presentation skills. For instance, if the focus is on making sales presentations, a company that sells a large number of relatively simple and low-cost products or services has different presentation needs than a company that sells a small number of complex, expensive products or services every year. The former probably doesn't have the time to customize every sales presentation, whereas the latter might invest days or weeks in customizing a presentation for a single customer. By studying the company's website and other available information, students should be able to surmise, in at least a general sense, the types of presentations that the company is likely to give. (Of course, the focus might not be on sales presentations at all, but rather on product training, new employee orientation or some other business presentation need.)Since the case didn't indicate that a company had requested the proposal, students should proceed on the assumption that the proposal is unsolicited. Consequently, the proposal should include a section that highlights the importance and value of effective presentation skills (thereby clarifying the need for the workshop).Students can gain insight into the necessary content and structure for this proposal by following the chain of questions that a typical target customer is likely to ask upon receiving a proposal such as this:1. Do we really need help with our presentation skills? (If the prospect doesn't already sense the need or can't be convinced of the need in the first few sections of the proposal, he or she isn't likely to continue reading.)2. Assuming we have a need, is a workshop the right solution? (The prospect might believe that self-paced video training, Toastmasters, or some other alternative is the way to go instead. Again, if he or she may not think that a workshop is the right solution, the proposal needs to address this hurdle before continuing.)3. If a workshop is the right solution, how do we know that this particular trainer is the right person to teach us? (Assuming the prospect senses the need and agrees that a workshop is the way to go, now its time for the presentation coach to explain why he or she is the right trainer for the job.)By following this chain, students can quickly see that its futile to sell the trainers qualifications before the potential client is aware of the need or in agreement that a workshop is the right solution. Using this insight, students can formulate a step-by-step persuasive argument that starts from the basic customer need and proceeds toward the specific solution being offered.13.15 Message Strategies: ProposalsUnlike the scenario in Case 14, in which the target customer may not be aware of (or agree with) the need for the proposed solution, most school boards should be keenly aware of the controversy over junk food and unhealthy beverages in today's schools. The primary challenge in this case is maintaining focus, since the brothers have identified many different benefits for a number of different constituencies. One good way to organize the proposal is by constituency. Heres a sample outline, starting with a description of the program, followed by benefits to three major groups of people:I Description of the proposed programII Benefits to students (healthier snacks, job training, removal of many forms of brand advertising from school campuses)III Benefits to school administration (share of the businesss profits)IV Benefits to the community (healthier children, fewer worries for parents, support for local farmers)V Request for action (such as an opportunity to make a presentation at the next school board meeting)13.16 Message Strategies: ProposalsThis scenario is an effective reminder that finding good ideas usually isnt the problem in todays business worldits turning these good ideas into reality amidst the many competing demands for time, energy, and money. Mentoring is a wonderful idea, but it takes time and energy away from other important activities.Some points for students to keep in mind:This is a solicited proposal (although not being written in response to a formal RFP), so it doesn't need the same justifications that an unsolicited proposal requires.Although the proposal is solicited, it should clarify exactly what is being proposed, since any two people could have dramatically different ideas of what constitutes a mentoring program and why one would benefit the company.Whatever program students design, it must benefit the company overall and it must have buy-in at the highest levels of the organization to have any chance of getting off the ground. In times of tight budgets, programs that cant show a connection to the bottom line tend not to get funded.Measuring the benefits of a mentoring program can be difficult, since many of the benefits are not directly quantifiable (e.g., its difficult to point to improved executive etiquette and say how much it has increased sales). By studying the identified problems (e.g., employees who make social gaffes in front of customers), the program leaders will need to devise ways to judge improvements in this behavior. Making sure that the subjects covered in regular performance evaluations are addressed in mentoring relationships is a good start; this will ensure that people are motivated to work on the skills that their bosses judge them on.The imbalance of supply (executives available to mentor) and demand (employees who want mentors) is likely to be a permanent situation given the pyramid shape of all organizations. One possibility is to treat entry into the mentoring program as a reward for top performance. The program needs to carefully consider rewards for mentors and to make mentoring an official part of their job responsibilities, rather than an extracurricular activity they're expected to do on top of everything else. By implication, this means taking something else off every mentors plate in order to free up enough time to mentor effectively. The proposal needs to address this as well, perhaps by hiring another person at the executive level and distributing the executive team's responsibilities over this larger group to give each person more free time.Some sort of matchmaking service is needed to pair employees with the right mentorsand to judge when a match isnt working.Copyright 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall