Business Reporting and Research
Business Reporting and Research
(Business Reporting and Research)
Discussion 1
Think of a time (in your current or past place of employment) when you created a business report. If you have never created a business report, think of a potential situation relevant to your field of study in which a business report would be needed. What kinds of Internet research could you do to gather relevant information? What search terms would you use?
Discussion 2
What is the purpose of an executive summary? What items need to be included in an executive summary?
Student’s reply
I was a project manager at the time I wrote the business report. My team was implementing a technology known as Optical Character Recognition (OCR). OCR detects words on pages and converts them into electronic fields for other computer systems to ingest. The business area that was requesting the implementation of OCR wanted the OCR software to perform with 100% accuracy. The IT team felt this was unreasonable so I began doing some internet research around industry standards to discuss a reasonable expectation with the business area. I searched for terms like “OCR”, “OCR gold standard” and “OCR accuracy” and learned 65-75% accuracy was a more realistic target.
Requirement: I need two totally different short answers for each question (Total 6 answers)
(Business Reporting and Research)
Discussion 1 – Answer 1:
In my role as a healthcare administrator, I once needed to create a business report analyzing patient no-show rates and their impact on revenue. Internet research was crucial to find best practices for reducing no-show rates. I searched terms like “reducing patient no-shows,” “appointment reminder systems,” and “healthcare scheduling strategies” to identify effective solutions and industry benchmarks.
Discussion 1 – Answer 2:
As a nursing student, I envisioned a situation where I would need to prepare a business report evaluating the cost-effectiveness of telehealth services in rural areas. For research, I could look up “telehealth cost-benefit analysis,” “telehealth adoption in rural communities,” and “impact of telehealth on patient outcomes” to gather data and case studies to support the report.
Discussion 2 – Answer 1:
An executive summary serves to provide a concise overview of a report for decision-makers who may not have time to read the entire document. It should include the purpose of the report, key findings, recommendations, and any critical data supporting conclusions, allowing readers to quickly grasp the report’s value.
Discussion 2 – Answer 2:
The purpose of an executive summary is to summarize the main points of a report clearly and persuasively, enabling busy stakeholders to make informed decisions. It should include the report’s objective, a summary of findings, the methodology used, and any actionable recommendations or conclusions drawn.
Student’s Reply – Feedback 1:
Your example demonstrates an effective use of internet research to set realistic expectations for stakeholders. Including terms like “OCR industry standards” could further refine the search to identify benchmark data from reliable sources.
Student’s Reply – Feedback 2:
Your research approach is sound and highlights the importance of managing expectations with evidence-based data. For added rigor, exploring terms like “OCR performance limitations” or “factors affecting OCR accuracy” might provide deeper insights into achievable outcomes.
