1. Writing a good technical report Lamar University 10/21/2015

2. Writing a good technical report – definition A good technical report provides concise technical information that guides a decision making process or documents an event for future reference. It typically includes an executive summary, problem definition or event, background information, alternatives considered, conclusions, recommendations and costs / pricing involved if applicable. It may be also a technical document for public use, but this type of reports are not discussed in this seminar.

3. Writing a good technical report – typical challenges I don’t know what to write I don’t have time to write a report It will take me too much time to write the report That’s not how we work here I better email you the information Nobody will read that report I will get challenges based on what’s written in the report Why do we need to put that in written? We are judged in the way we write, but the ability to express good ideas in writing is a safe way to stand out in any organization

4. Writing a good technical report – steps involved What do you want to say? → summarize your objectives clearly in single sentences. Who is the intended audience of the report? → Tailor the report to your audience and why they want it. Are all the details covered? → gather information and decide what to include in the report, since including too many details may be overwhelming and distracts the attention from the main issues.

5. Writing a good technical report – steps involved Is it clear enough for decision making? → recommendations have to be clear and aligned with the different groups and organizations. Style and clarity? → add your style but follow company’s rules. Use plain English (‘at this moment in time’ = ‘now’, ‘this heat exchanger is too hot’ = ‘this heat exchanger is operating beyond its normal operating range’). Is it reader friendly? → put yourself in the shoes of the reader. Report layout is critical on how it’s received, read and understood.

6. Writing a good technical report – steps involved Is it a bullet-proof report? → no mistakes, no omissions, it has been reviewed by a peer or supervisor. It matches the intent of the report. Have you received feedback? → allow few days for audience to go through the report and gather feedback about it. Learn from the feedback for writing the next report.

7. Writing a good technical report – examples Provide your comments to the following reports

8. Comments or questions?