Report writing Ex 4: Sample answer: (235words)

　　Reassessment of job satisfaction: SuePearson(PR Dept.)

　　Introduction

　　This report sets out to use Workset colours toassess the accuracy of my job description as PRofficer and to suggest a number of changes.

　　Findings

　　It is clear that there is a difference between theway the company views the job and the reality as I perceive it. Firstly, a number of areas whichdemand a significant proportion of my time are not mentioned in the official job brief. Thesegment on the pie chart which provides most cause for concern is the pink sector; this relatesto my attendance at a number of meetings which I can contribute little. Another significantarea is the grey segment; this refers to the unscheduled time I spend sorting out computerproblems. I feel these activities are hampering my core work. As can be seen from the piecharts, the time I spend actively working to meet the goals agreed with my line manager is lessthan envisaged.

　　Conclusions

　　The above discrepancies clearly indicate that my current job brief is inaccurate.

　　Recommendations

　　I would recommend that my official job brief should be updated using the Workset colours.It would also be valuable to consider the proportion of non-core colours in the pie chart andto investigate whether work in these areas could be carried out by someone else more suitedto these tasks.

　　Flexible working Ex 5:

　　Sample answer: (250words)

　　Resource Planning Manager: Assessment ofSuitability for Home-based Working

　　Introduction

　　The purpose of this report is to assess thesuitability of my position as Resource PlanningManager for home-based working.

　　Findings

　　My working pattern and that of my colleaguesvaries from week to week. During certain periods alarge proportion of my time is spent doing fieldwork. This is followed by office-based collatingand recording the data collected. Once the results have been recorded, I proof-read the colourcopies of all reports and maps.

　　As regards communication with colleagues, department meetings are held once afortnight. At other times, the individual members of the team communicate either face-to-faceor by phone, depending on their location. Apart from official meetings, the same results can beachieved whether I am in the office or working elsewhere.

　　Conclusion

　　It is clearly that I could be able to undertake the duties while working from home for a largeproportion of my time. Clearly, some days would be spent in the office for face-to-facecommunication with colleagues. It would also be necessary to use the technical facilities attimes. However, in order to be able to work effectively from home, I would need to be providedwith a networked computer and printer.

　　Recommendations

　　I would suggest that I should be given the necessary equipment to work partially fromhome for a trial period. After this time, further consultation should take place in order toreassess the situation.

　　Replying to an enquiry Ex 7: Sample answer: (219words)

　　Dear Mr Zampieri

　　With reference to your letter dated 14 June, inwhich you requested information about A Cut Above,please find enclosed details about our company andthe services we offer.

　　Our aim is always to provide our clients with thebest combination of food, entertainment andlocation. By choosing A Cut Above, you can relaxand enjoy your special occasion while we do all thework. Events catered for by A Cut Above include corporate functions such as conversationsand Christmas balls and also family celebrations such as birthdays, weddings and anniversaries.

　　A Cut Above offers a variety of services from simply providing a gourmet menu to helpingyou choose the right venue and organise entertainment. We specialise in using our experienceto meet your needs. To help us achieve this aim, we always arrange a meeting with a newclient well before the date of any event in order to discuss the various possibilities.

　　As you can appreciate, we are unable to give quotations before our initial briefing with aclient as price per head varies with the choice of menu.

　　To arrange a meeting or for any further information, please do not hesitate to contactmyself or Elena Polidoro on 01623 713698.

　　A Cut Above looks forward to hearing from you.

　　Yours sincerely

　　Sinead Welsh

　　Describing graphs Ex 4: Sample answer: (132words)

　　The share price of IBM and AOL showed aupward trend from June until the end of1998.However, while AOL shares then continued torise steadily over the next three months, the price ofIBM shares fell slightly. By March 1999 both shareswere worth about $100.

　　AOL shares then shot up, almost doubling invalue within four weeks. They reached a high of $180in mid-April before collapsing to just over $100 pershare at the beginning of May. There was a slightrecovery during that month however, despite this by June 1999 the price of AOL shares wasonce again about $100. In contrast, despite minor fluctuations, IBM shares made a steadyrecovery over the three month period, finishing at just over $100, almost equal to AOL..

　　Suggested answer: (127words)

　　The last years of twentieth century saw theInternet being used by more and more companies asa business tool. In 1997 e-commerce was verylimited earning a revenue of less than $25 billion.However, since then, there has been a steadygrowth worldwide. This trend looks set to continueinto the next century with revenue from e-commerce rising to reach almost $200 billion by2003.

　　Like e-commerce, e-business has shown steadygrowth with revenue tripling in the period 1997 to 2000, rising from about $50 billion to $150billion. However, during there is predicted to be a far more dramatic increase in e-businessrevenue over the next three years. It is thought that by 2003 revenue from e-business willhave reached over $800 billion worldwide.

　　..

　　Business practices in China Ex 3: Sample answer: (244words)

　　Dear Chen，

　　I was very pleased to receive your letter. Asrequested, I enclose some advice about visitingMilan.

　　There are lots of good hotels near the Fiera and Irecommend the Hotel Wagner; it is about a ten-minute walk from the trade fair and also has themetro and train connections. The public transportsystem here is quite reliable and I do not think youneed to hire a car; the traffic in Milan can be a bit chaotic.

　　Finding somewhere to eat in the evening should be easy. There are plenty of restaurantsand pizzerias near the hotel. My favourite is Nove Cento, which serves excellent seafood pasta.

　　It is difficult to know what to recommend for sightseeing as the city has so much to offer.If you are interested in art, then the world famous ‘Last Supper' by Leonardo da Vinci is a shorttrain ride from the hotel or you could visit the Brera art gallery. There is also the Duomo,Milan's huge gothic cathedral. If you are interested in football, there should be midweek matchfeaturing either AC or Inter Milan. Alternatively, you could visit the fashion area around viaMontenapoleone.

　　Thank you for inviting me for a meal one evening during you stay. I would be very happyto accept.

　　I look forward to hearing from you nearer the time. We can then make the arrangementsfor where and when we are going to meet.

　　Best regards

　　Maurizio