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Writing Guide

Materials Management

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY TUTORIAL

 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARIES DEFINITIONS

 

REFERENCES

Executive Summary Tutorial

A ONE PAGE Executive Summary is required

• Style books refer to what is called an abstract
• The Business World uses what is called an Executive Summary

Guides for writing an effective Executive Summary:

1. The Executive Summary must be short (i.e., one page).

• An Executive Summary which is too long defeats its purpose
• An Executive Summary which is too short omits essential content

2. The Executive Summary must be a self-contained unit.

• The Executive Summary must stand independent
• Most likely the Executive Summary will be separated from the report and be published or circulated independently.

3. The Executive Summary must satisfy your clients needs.

• The Executive Summary must contain a statement of the problem,the limitations placed upon it, results, conclusions, and recommendations.

4. The Executive Summary must be objective,precise, and easy to read.

• State the purpose or objective (sometimes called the thesis) of the problem clearly and early in the Executive Summary
• Clearly define assumptions and terms throughout the Executive Summary
• Reference visual aids included in the Executive Summary
• Display visual aids if they are referenced in the Executive Summary

5. Rewriting is far more important than writing. Points to remember:

• Spell check your document
• Define all terms, do not assume your client "knows"
• Have a third party read your work as a reality check
• Tell your "Story," sell and educate your client about your analysis
• Walk your client through the Executive Summary
• Link sections and ideas together
• Restate conclusions/recommendations in words and in numbers
• Concise and effective Executive Summaries are never written, they are rewritten

6. The Executive Summary should contain:

• Headings,
• Well-developed transitions between sections,
• Comparison and/or summary sections, and
• Visual aids if applicable.

Visual aids such as graphs, charts, decision trees, and/or spreadsheets are highly recommended and should be used to help describe and define technical sections, comparisons, results,and/or recommendations.

Executive Summaries Definitions

The following are a sample of what leading business writing scholars and practitioners have stated regarding Executive Summaries. Please, read them and use the references to improve your Executive Summaries and overall writing tasks.

"An Executive Summary is a fully developed 'mini' version of the report itself, intended for readers who lack time or motivation to study the complete text."

- Writing Long Reports, John Thill and Courtland Bovee

"The Executive Summary, also called the synopsis,epitome, and précis, is the report in miniature. It concisely summarizes all of the report's essential ingredients. It is designed chiefly for the busy executive who may not have time to read the whole report."

- Report Writing for Business, Raymond Lesikar and John Pettit

"The Executive Summary is your most effective and important selling piece and deserves all the effort and attention you can give it. Remember, the client may receive dozens of proposals and may use the Executive! Summary as an initial screening process"

- Handbook for Writing Proposals, Robert Hamper and Sue Baugh

"The Executive Summary should state the report in a nutshell-generally, it could include the purpose objectives of the report, background, procedures or approach to the report, findings, and summary, recommendations, and conclusions (if any)."

- How to Create High Impact Business Reports,Joyce Kupsh

"Always include this [Executive Summary],whether you are asked for it or not. Some readers will go no further, so it is important that you get the message across to them clearly. They are likely to include the more senior people who may have to take decisions based upon you report. It is vitally important to get it right."

- How to Communicate in Business: A Handbook for Engineers, David Silk

The following is a sample of an executive summary's structure Problem ID State the Purpose of the Research:

 

1. Definition of the Problem -- Development of a Thesis

 

2. Modeling of the Problem -- MS in Action

 

3. Initial Model Solutions/Conclusions -- Results of MS in Action

 

4. Review and Iteration -- Does everything look okay? Reality Check

 

5. Implementation Recommendations -- Results discussed, recommendations made

References

Hamper, Robert J., and L. Sue Baugh, Handbook for Writing Proposals. Lincolnwood, Illinois: NTC Publishers Group,1995.

Holtz, Herman, The Consultant's Guide to Proposal Writing: How to Satisfy Your Clients and Double Your Income. New York: John Wiley and Sons,1998.

Kupsh, Joyce, How to Create High Impact Business Reports. Lincolnwood, Illinois: NTC Publishers Group,1996.

Lesikar, Raymond V., and Pettit Jr., John D.,Report Writing for Business. New York: Irwin, 1997.

Sant, Tom, Persuasive Business Proposals: Writing to Win Customers, Clients, and Contracts. New York: American Management Association, 1992.

Silk, David, How to Communicate in Business: A Handbook for Engineers, IEE Management of Technology Series 17,1995.

Smith, Charles B., A Guide to Business Research: Developing, Conducting, and Writing Research Projects. Chicago: Nelson-Hall Publishers, 1991.

Tebeaux, Elizabeth, Design of Business Communications: The Process and the Product. New York: MacMillan,1990.

Thill, John V., and Bovee, Courtland L.,Excellence in Business Communication. New York: Prentice-Hall,1998.