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What Stands in the Way of Good Reporting?
Home » Management » The Art of Good Reporting » What Stands in the Way of Good Reporting?With so many web-based and software-driven reporting tools, good reporting is much easier than it used to be. However, there are still obstacles that stand in the way of good reporting. Accuracy is important, but it must be balanced with many other factors. Report writers must be able to generate reports in a timely manner, that are written in a readable style, stay on point with the assigned topic and be able to draw impartial conclusions.
A news reporter than turns in a story about an event two weeks after it happens, is neither timely or on point. The first reports from newspapers and television news shows will be that an event has taken place. The facts of what really happened will not come until much later.
Business report writers who rely on this same principal, and only give the most basic information, most likely will be job hunting sooner than they had planned. In order to achieve total accuracy in a quick and efficient manner, businesses use computerized data and report-writing tools developed to work within the framework of their existing technological capabilities. By using computers, and relying on accurate data entry from beginning to the end of each process, reports can be generated daily to keep a business on track.
Another obstacle to good report writing is a backlog of endless and sometimes meaningless reports. It is not necessary to keep a constant watch on the efficiency of conveyer belt three every minute of every day, but a monthly or quarterly report will provide an ongoing record of production and whether or not there are problems which need to be addressed.
Report writers, however, do have the same obligation to be objective that news reporters do. Inserting personal opinions or slanting the research and conclusions to match personal goals and objectives negate the intent of the report, making it unusable by management. Worse yet, biased reporting can lead to false or inaccurate conclusions, which can be detrimental to the life of the business.
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- What are the Elements that should be Included in a Business Report?
- What Stands in the Way of Good Reporting?
- What Differentiates Between a Report and a "Good" Report?