It's report time! Like it or not, business professionals eventually find themselves writing many reports. Most reports place an emphasis on analyzing problems, assessing facts, suggesting solutions, stating progress or just providing information. Since these reports help management stay informed and make decisions, they are a vital part of the organization.
Reports can be simple or very complex. Some may be a single page while others are hundreds of pages. Routinely reports are delivered as typeset documents. However, technology continues to break traditional trends. Digital formats such as email, PDF files, slideshows, and apps are becoming more common methods of business report delivery. With the push to "go green", electronic methods are being adopted quickly as preferred standards.
Do you remember when email was not consider to be an "official" document? I do. Things had to be "in writing" with a signature. A printed email was not acceptable because it didn't contain that scribbled signature. Then one day, email became official without the scribble!
Reporting can become more efficient by incorporating technological aspects. For instance, hyperlinks to Web sources can provide depth and flexibility to traditional methods of reporting. Technology continues to move us toward more efficient ways of doing and thinking. Businesses are no longer limited to mortar and brick nor should they be limited in how they deliver business reports.
