MODULE 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 report
- 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 or 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 into five sections:

58
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 done or need to be taken.

5. Backup section

This contains supporting data, calculation, illustration, etc.

59
Sample of A Short Investigation Report

MEMORANDUM

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

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

I have traced the recent electrical power failure to a wiring error which created a power
overload. Although I have corrected 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 overhauled in September, and even they
occurred only infrequently and at random intervals. On every occasion simply resetting the
circuit breakers corrected the failure, which made the cause difficult to identify.

As I suspected the air conditioners, I compared the wiring 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, but suggest we could obtain better performance from the
air conditioners if we were to install a new power control box and connect two of the air
conditioners to it. We could then remove the load splitter. The cost would be $ 645, as
detailed on the attached cost estimate.

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

Tom White

60
Explanation of the above investigation report:

In the report, Tom White places his information into five sections:

1. Summary section

Tom identifies the problem, states its causes, reports that it has been resolved, and

suggests 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 refers to his backup information.

61
 EXERCISE:

Situation:

“Elegant Tooth Paste” America - Indonesia industry located in Bandung has produced a

new tooth paste product called “Bosodent”. This product uses a pump dispenser system

that other tooth paste industries do not. The product was first produced three months ago

and has been on the market since then. At the end of November, your Production

Manager - Charles Clifford received a report that the distributors in four Bandung

districts did not make further enquiries. The report also tells your manager that the

Marketing Department has done its best 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 the product is Rp 5.500,00.

The requirement from the Marketing Department arrived on 3 December 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 shops’ 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.

62
 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. Palaguna No products’ pin poster
3. Dago Gelalel No sphere shelf to display the products
4. Kosambi Plaza The display of the products next the other tooth paste
product (pepsodent) with cheaper price Rp 4.000,00.
5. Buah Batu Centre No good light on tooth paste area

NO SHOP FINDINGS
1. Bandung Utara Only I (one) of 5 visited shops sells the products
2. Bandung Timur None of 5 visited shops sells the products
3. Bandung Selatan None of 5 visited shops sells the products
4. Bandung Barat None of 5 visited shops sells the products
5. Bandung Pusat All 5 visited shops sells the products, however they can
only sell half dozen per week on the average

63
b. Questionnaire Responses ( 7 - 11 December )

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 Gelalel Sai Loe 2 dozen 3 days  -
4 Kosambi Buyung 1 dozen 3 days -
5 Buah Batu Pandia 1 dozen 3 days -

64
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 hydroelectric power station and

transmission system.

There are two types of progress report:

 Occasional

 Periodic Progress Report.

 Occasional Progress Report

They are written at random intervals and usually concern shorter projects. Sometimes

they are written near the mid project point. Occasionally 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 work progress to

confidently predict a firm project completion date.

The arrangement occasional progress reports

The report is generally organized according to a psychology real plan and divided into

four sections.

1. Summary

The summary should comment briefly on the 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 plans compartments.

65
2. Background

If the report will be read only by persons familiar with the project, then only

minimum background information is necessary. But if it will also be circulated 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 project 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 writer’s report plans and exceptions for the
remainder of the project. 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
“attachments”. Each statement must be referred to in the background or progress
section of the report, so that the reader will know it is there.

66
 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 Manager. Her progress

report is explained below:

1. The summary: it reports mainly that Marjorie’s study is running behind 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 paragraph is the plan section.

67
 MEMORANDUM

To : Mr. Vic Braum Date: 12 July 2008

Manager of Environmental Studies
From : Ms. 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. Through 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 ranges 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

68
 EXERCISE

Spirit Liquid Petroleum Gas Company was instructed to equip their company with

safety equipment appliances and to give training on safety to their field crews by both Jakarta

fire brigade and police headquarter officers. The instruction was made because the 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 the company’s customers’ houses was caused by the lack of safety equipment

(appliances). The incident caused the customers located on Pasar Minggu area to suffer loss.

Even though 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 Jakarta Selatan 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:

69
Rehabilitation and Installation Training Schedule

Week Day Subject Hour Week Job Done

I Tuesday THEORY OF 08.00 – I Training Program
SAFETY 11.00 a.m.

Wednesday SAFE AND 08.00-11.00 Rehabilitation of

DANGEROUS a.m. gas tank house
WORKING AREAS

Thursday PREVENTIVE 08.00-11.00 Installation of

ACTIONS IN THE a.m. Safety Appliances
UNSAFE
WORKING AREAS.

Instruction:
Write your progress report to the Personnel, Technical and Marketing Manager of the
company!

70
C. OCCURRENCE REPORT

An occurrence 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 psychological organizational plan. The psychological

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 occurrence 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:

71
 - When did the fire happen?

- Where did it happen?

- Who is responsible?

- How many casualties 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.

72
 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 customer’s 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

73
  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!

74
D. TRIP REPORT

Trip reports 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 delegate under his/her superior’s instruction.

The arrangement of conference or seminar report

It can be arranged either 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, factors or characteristics) on which a

decision rests as main topic headings.

b. Order of time (chronology)

In this section you present the text following the sequence of events.

c. Order of location

75
 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 proceed to

the less important points

e. Order of familiarity

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.

76
 4. 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

starts 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.

77
1. A Sales Manager’s Report on a Regional Conference

MEMO REPORT

To : Martha Gerbman Date: July 10, 2008

From : Mathew Dunken Subject: Open Houses 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 signs and identification of our 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 be agreed upon. We generally agreed that, as this

occasion presents 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 product business,
an effort should be made to include those state officials most capable of gaining this
type of publicity.

b. Additionally, press invitations need to be extended and press releases need to be

developed.

3. Distributors Event - Saturday, August 1 Marta Gerbman

a. Begin tour at 10.a.m. followed by lunch at Ritz Plaza Hotel

78
 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 changes 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 John Raney, the sales secretary.

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 Deaning

1. Unit Signs

79
 White cardboard unit sign which will fold over the top edges of XL products 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 on and covered in a separate memo.

Mathew Dunken

80
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 service
at military installations. Since you are mainly interested in the presentations of John Klinest,
Wardman Jones, and Kathy Cummings, I am focusing this report on their contributions to
this conference.

John Klinest’s 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 a 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).

81
Kathy Cummings’s Presentation

Regarding the traffic considerations, these were enumerated by Kathy Cummings. She
emphasized that …………..……………………………………………………..

(Three paragraphs 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

82
 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 two 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 latter 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 train 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 participants take part in two meeting simulations by dividing the participants into

two groups and each group is given a role.

83
2. The second hour

The first group plays the simulation and the second group evaluates the first group’s

performance and vice versa.

3. The third hour

- The group reserves their roles each other and do the same thing 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

kit and use it to help your company’s managers and supervisors hold more efficient meeting.

By gaining experience in the seminar you are positively capable on running in-house

workshops.

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

seminar!

84