How to Write an Introduction for Changes in a Report
You may have submitted a report to an employer, research committee, supervisor, or perhaps board of trustees only to discover later that certain information was omitted, statistics were inaccurate, projections are no longer accurate, or circumstances have changed entirely. When such an event occurs, you will need to submit a revised report containing corrections, modifications, or addenda. However, in writing the introduction for a revised report, you should keep certain guidelines in mind in order to ensure that the information is not only presented professionally but also formatted correctly.
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Instructions
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Guidelines for Writing an Introduction to a Revised Report
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State for whom the revision is intended. Include or list everyone who will receive a copy of the report. If only the company’s president or senior officer is going to receive a copy, provide only that person’s name after the word “To,” followed by a colon, as in this example: To: Henry S. Davis, President. On the other hand, if the revision is intended for a board, do not name each individual on the board, but instead use this formatting: To: Board of Trustees.
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Following the names of the parties receiving the revision, supply your name, since you are the person submitting the revised report for consideration. Do not, however, use the designations “Mr.,” “Mrs.,” or “Ms.” Instead, provide only your name, preceded by the word “From” and a colon and followed by your official job title; for example, From: Martha M. Williams, Director of Human Resources.
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Provide the date of the new report followed by the subject. State the date the revised report is being submitted in the same format as described. Then supply the subject, which in this case is a revised report, since you noted irregularities or errors in the initial report or perhaps realized that cost projections were inaccurate. When formatting the subject, capitalize all words except short prepositions and conjunctions, such as Subject: Attached Revised Report on the Feasibility of Purchasing New Computers for Human Resources.
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In your text of your report, explain the problem or problems identified in the initial report. Make certain that you state the problem or problems clearly and concisely, for example: On June 12, 2010, a report was submitted concerning the feasibility and initial cost of purchasing ten new computers for the Human Resources Department. However, upon subsequent examination, several inaccuracies in the report were identified, namely, the projected cost not only for the 10 specified computers but also the installation of wireless Internet service by XYZ Communications.
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State the location of any changes. Do not expect the recipient or recipients to read through the entire report once again looking for any changes. Instead, state exactly where to find these changes, as in the following example: Revisions related to the cost of the ten new computers are located under the second heading (Projected Expenditure for Computers), subheadings two and three; and the revision related to installation services is located under heading three (Projected Wireless Internet Installation Expenses), subheading three.
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Write the conclusion. In order to end an introduction for changes in the report on a professional note, include a conclusion. One or two brief sentences are usually sufficient for this purpose. Something to this effect would be suitable: If you would like to discuss the changes in the report or, for that matter, the feasibility of any projected expenditures, I will gladly do so at your convenience.
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Tips & Warnings
Closely proofread the introduction and eliminate any errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, or sentence structure, since an introduction filled with careless errors will most definitely fail to make a good impression or to be taken seriously.
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