How to Write a Technology Annual Report
In the fast-paced world of technology, it can be difficult to keep up with all of the developments in the field. Writing an annual report can help customers, employees and others keep up with the advances in your industry or were achieved by your company. Tech workers are sometimes too involved with their own work to keep up with daily industry news, but everyone has time to read an annual report. As with any sizable writing project, the idea of composing this kind of report can be a daunting one, but it offers benefits.
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Instructions
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Compile all of the data that you will need to include in your report. Technology changes so fast and can be so complicated that you need as much time as possible to absorb what will go into your report. You will need to contact the scientists developing the technology in addition to the salespeople making it available to the public and those in management as well.
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Examine other examples of annual reports in the technology sector. While no two reports will be the same, you will be able to gain inspiration by seeing what other companies do with their documents. For example, the tech company Seagate features a standard financial 10-K report, but invites readers to examine a company snapshot and a list of milestones the data storage firm has achieved over the years.
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Decide who your audience will be. Prospective investors are likely at the top of the list, but as Driek Desmet and Tor Mesøy note in McKinsey Quarterly, a technology annual report is a requisite intracompany tool in bringing the hard science and business divisions of your company together. The audience also dictates some of the decisions you will make. An annual report that is geared specifically to consumers must be written in simpler terms. This audience also typically requires a lot more explanation of scientific concepts.
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Divide your report into sections that follow a logical pattern. When the reader opens up your annual report, he should see the most important information first. The annual report should be partitioned into easily digestible sections. Instead of being overwhelmed by the idea of writing a whole report, you can focus on each section at a time. For example, an annual report from Agilent Technologies begins with a letter from the President and CEO, followed by an overview of the different products manufactured by Agilent in the previous year and their values, a list of corporate officers, a stock performance graph and financial statements. Customize the number and kinds of sections to your specific needs.
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Compose each section, bearing in mind that you should use powerful words that convey the organization's strength. For example, the text in the 2009 annual report for Exide Technologies features some fairly punchy verbs. The company is "seizing the initiative," and is "dedicated to the development and pursuit" of innovative applications. These kinds of phrases cause a reader to take notice.
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Proofread your final draft very carefully; small errors look far more embarrassing when they appear in any professional report. Your word processor's spell check can help a great deal; however, be sure you also follow a low-tech approach by reading the prose aloud so your ears catch the errors your eyes don't.
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