Writing in the Workplace

Proposals


A proposal in business is a type of document that offers a solution to a problem. The types of proposals we will be analyzing is internal, external, solicited and unsolicited proposals.

External Proposals
External Proposals apply to situations where a company relies on outside resources to operate. So when a specific project needs to be completed with a help of a service, then a proposal by the prospective outside source is drawn up to describe why the organization should use the service rather than hire another company or attempt to complete the project without outside help.

External Proposals can also either be solicited or unsolicited.

Solicited Proposals
These are proposals in which an organization wants to purchase a product or service. To do so, they have to publish one of the following:
 * An information for bid (IFB): used for common products such as office furniture. The organization would have to inform the manufacturer of specifications it needs.
 * A request for proposal (RFP): used for custom products that are not general available but is possible to manufacture when the outside contractor is given specific instructions to execute the task.

Unsolicited Proposals
A proposal that is unsolicited is when the proposal is submitted even though the receiver did not ask for it. These are often more challenging since the receiver is not expecting such a document so argument must be captivating enough for the proposal to be accepted.

Internal Proposals
These types of proposals are proposals that are submitted within the writer’s organization to offer an idea that will benefit the organization. For example, suppose you worked in a large office with one break room at one end of the floor. You might think to yourself that an additional break room on the other end would save time between trips to the break room. So you bring up the idea to your supervisor and he will ask you to write a

memo, asking for additional details to further convince him or her of the benefits of an additional break room

Reports
In the general sense, a report is a collection of data related to the subject of the report, presented in narrative or other formats. The purpose is to provide information to its reader.

Importance of Reports
In a busy corporate environment, the managers and executives need to to know what is going on inside the company. This information is crucial in making sure everything is running efficiently and they are not losing money. Various types of reports provide that information in a clear and concise way so that management knows just enough information to make changes or decisions to better the company.

The Process of Writing a Report

 * 1) Examine your Audience
 * 2) Research and Gather Relevant Information/Data
 * 3) Choose a Format
 * 4) * Common formats in a workplace are e-mails and memos. However, the format will depend on you organization.
 * 5) Draft the Report
 * 6) Revise, Edit, Proofread
 * 7) Go Back to Step 1 and Repeat

Progress and Status Report
An example of a report is a Progress Report. It details the events that took place so far in an ongoing project. A status report describes the happenings of an entire department or division.