Recommendation and Feasibility Reports

There is a loosely defined category of reports that is very important in technical writing. These reports are variously called feasibility reports, recommendation reports, evaluation reports, assessment reports, and who knows what else. They all do roughly the same thingprovide carefully studied opinions and, sometimes, recommendations. There are some subtle differences among some these types, but there are absolutely no universally agreed-upon names for them: Feasibility report: This type studies a situation (for example, a problem or opportunity) and a plan for doing something about it and then determines whether that plan is "feasible"which means determining whether it technologically possible and whether it is practical (in terms of current technology, economics, social needs, and so on). The feasibility report answers the question "Should we implement Plan X?" by stating "yes," "no," but more often "maybe." Not only does it give a recommendation, it also provides the data and the reasoning behind that recommendation. Recommendation report: This type starts from a stated need, a selection of choices, or both and then recommends one, some, or none. For example, a company might be looking at grammar-checking software and want a recommendation on which product is the best. As the report writer on this project, you could study the market for this type of application and recommend one particular product, a couple of products (differing perhaps in their strengths and their weaknesses), or none (maybe none of them are any good). The recommendation report answers the question "Which option should we choose?" (or in some cases "Which are the best options?) by recommending Product B, or maybe both Products B and C, or none of the products. Evaluation report: This type provides an opinion or judgment rather than a yes-nomaybe answer or a recommendation. It provides a studied opinion on the value or worth of something. For example, for over a year the city of Austin had free bus transportation in an attempt to increase ridership and reduce automobile traffic. Did it work? Was it worthwhile?These are questions an evaluation report would attempt to answer. This type of report compares a thing to a set of requirements (or criteria) and determines how well it meets those requirements. (And of course there may be a recommendationcontinue the project, scrap it, change it, or other possibilities.) As you can see, these distinctions are rather fine; and they overlap. In real-world writing, these types often combineyou might see elements of the recommendation

report combine with the feasibility report, for example. Of course, the writers of these reports don't care which type they are writingand well they shouldn't! They're trying to get a job done.

Sample 1: Laptop Computers

Overview of the report. In this recommendation report, the writer compares several models of laptop against specific requirements and then recommends one. Introduction. Right away in the first two sentences this writer states the purpose of this report. For the remainder of the first paragraph of the introduction, he provides some technical background, discussing MMX technology and the advantages it provides. The second paragraph provides an overview of the contents of the reportspecifically, the main points by which the laptop computers will be compared. Options to be considered. In this section, the writer explains how he narrowed the field to the four laptop computers he plans to compare. In a longer report, he could provide more detail, specifically as to how their performance and value made them stand out. In any case, readers need to know how you narrowed the field of options down to the ones you actually compare. Second-level headings. Notice that this report has five second-level headingsfor the options section, comparisons section, the conclusions section, the recommendation section, and the literature-cited section. These headings are like the roman numerals in a traditional outline. (First-level headings are not used because they are just too elaborate for a relatively short report like this one.) Third-level headings. In this report, third-level headings are used for features, performance, and cost. Think of these third-level headings as the capital-letter items in a traditional outline. Bulleted lists with labels. Notice that the features and performance sections are divided into subsections which are discussed in bulleted-list items. Notice how the specific feature or performance item is italicized: this acts as an informal fourth-level heading and is a good technique for labelling important bulleted or numbered lists. Source citations. The bracketed numbers occurring throughout the report indicate the source of borrowed information, at each point where it is borrowed. Go to the end of the report to see what source 1 is. This is just one style of source documentation. You may be familiar with another style, the MLA, which use the author's name and page number in parentheses. Comparison sections. The comparison sections (those focusing on memory, weight battery, applications, processor, and cost) compare all four of the options one single point of comparison at a time. Thus, the cost section compares the four laptop computers strictly in terms of cost. This is called the point-by-point approach, which is usually more effective that the whole-to-whole approach. The other approach, the whole-to-whole, would discuss each laptop in a paragraph of its own, which would make it difficult to state the comparisons in any organized way. Individual conclusions. Each comparison section ends with a conclusion as to the best choice in terms of that one point of comparison. As a writer, you may find these conclusions to be so obvious that they needn't be stated. But remember that some readers are skimming; you the writer have to do all the work for themwhich includes drawing the proper conclusions from your comparisons and stating them directly (and typically at the end of each comparison section).

Summary table. This report is another example of how seemingly repetitive technical reports can be. The summary section repeats the conclusions drawn in the comparison sections. Now, this summary table repeats the key comparative information but in table form rather than textual form. Write reports to ensure that readers see the important informationwhether they are reading closely or just skimming. Some readers might do no more than read the recommendations and glance at the summary table. Other might question one of the conclusions and read just that related comparison section. As a writer, you have to design the report for all readersfrom the most hurried to the most deliberate. Conclusions. This report includes a a numbered list of the key conclusions drawn in the preceding comparison sections. These primary conclusions are based on the individual points of comparison: for example, one of the options was best in terms of memory. Secondary conclusions are those that address conflicting primary conclusions. Notice that one option is the best in terms of performance but also the most expensive. A secondary conclusion explains which option is preferred and why. Conclusions sections must end with a final conclusion which states which option is the overall best choice (but notice it is not the recommended choice). Recommendation section. It's important to create a separate recommendation section in which you state your recommendation. After all, some readers might want nothing more than to see the recommendationyou have to make it easy for them to find. Information sources. At the end of the report, we have the list of information sources. This report uses the number system in which the sources are numbered, and these numbers are used along with page references in the body of the report to indicate the source of borrowed information. That completes the comments for this example.

Comparison of Laptop Computers

The purpose of this comparison is to help prospective laptop purchasers in their decision. In today's mobile climate, the average person can make good use of a reliable portable computer; this report is designed to help in that search. Of the many perspective computers, only several brands have been selected for this comparison. Those that have been selected are Pentium computers that boast the new MMX technology. MMX technology lends itself to portable computers because of the added internal processor cache, graphics acceleration, and lower power usage. The first two features add to the speed of the machine and the last to the travelling lifetime.
This report will compare laptop computers on the basis of the following: (1) features, (2) performance in hardware tests, and (3) price.

Options for Laptop Computers

Of the many laptops available, some equipped with MMX, only four specific computers were chosen. These computers are equipped with MMX processors and stood out among other MMX computers for their performance as well as their value. Those chosen for this comparison are the Compaq Presario 1080, the Dell Latitude LM M166ST, the Gateway 2000 Solo 2200 166MMX, and the Micron Transport XPE P166. These computers all have Pentium 166 processors with a variety of other features that will be discussed in the following.

Points of Comparison
The industry of computers is an ever growing and continually more competitive market. Many computer manufactures are emerging with well made, reliable systems that make a valid argument for themselves. Several of these computers are discussed below.
Features. Many different features are available on today's computer, but only the standard, essential features will be discussed here. These features are grouped into subheadings below for ease of use.

Memory: Each computer has a processor speed of 166 MHz. The Compaq has the least amount of standard memory with 16 MB, with a maximum of 48 MB. Both the Dell and Gateway computers come with 40 MB installed with their maximums being 72 and 80 MB respectively. The Micron had the most standard memory at 48 MB, having a maximum at 80 MB also. The Micron machine rates best in this area [1:144-145]. Weight: For laptop computers, travel weight, that is the weight of all of the required equipment and carrying case, is very important. The Compaq and Dell come in with the lowest travel weight at 8.5 pounds. The Gateway came in right behind them with 8.6 pounds travelling. Of the four computers, the Micron was the heaviest, weighting in at 9.1 pounds. The Dell and Compaq are the best in the weight department [1:144-145]. Battery: Another key factor for laptop computers is the length of time they can operate away from an outlet. The Dell computer had the longest rated battery life with a rating of 4 to 5 hours. Compaq's computer had a rating of 3 hours while Gateway and Micron's laptops were rated with 2.5 and 2.25 hours, respectively. Dell's computer has the best rating for battery life [1:144-145]. Storage: All computers rely on their storage unit to operate for the use of programs and storing information. The Presario had the smallest standard hard drive at 1.4 GB. Both the Dell and the Gateway computers had 2.1 GB hard drives. Micron rates at the top for this category for its 3 GB hard drive [1:144-145].
Overall, the Latitude from Dell gets the best rating for this section. It's light weight and long battery life aid in portability, and while its hard drive and memory are average for this group, they are more than sufficient for good performance. Performance. The various machines were put through their paces to determine their comparative performance. The several different tests are listed below as well as the various computers' performances. The numbers don't mean much on their own and are best used in comparison.

Windows applications: The various computers were tested and scored on the execution time of eight top-selling Windows applications. The Compaq had the lowest score with a 29.4. The final three scored fairly closely together with the Dell coming in at 36.6, the Gateway having a score of 37.5, ad the Micron having a score of 39.5 [1:140-141]. The Micron ranks at the top of this category.

Processor: These tests were run by exercising the processor and memory with test that mirror the processor usage of many Window programs. The Latitude has the lowest rating at 322. Next in order for performance was the Presario at 328. The final two machines are fairly the same in this test with the Gateway testing at 331 and the Micron at 332 [1:140-141]. The Micron comes in at the top of this category also. Battery: Battery life was tested by performing a combination of down time and heavy activity for the extent of the battery lifetime. The Micron and Gateway computers ranked at the bottom with 2 minutes 20 seconds and 2 minutes 19 seconds, respectively. Dell's Latitude was next with a battery life of 2 minutes 30 seconds. Finally, the Compaq was rated at 2 minutes 32 seconds [1:140-141]. The Compaq was at the top in this category.
In this battery of tests, the Micron appears to be the leader. Although the battery life is lower than two of the machines, the difference is not enough to negate the Transport's superior performance in the other tests. Cost. The computers were priced by the manufacturers suggested price, but the prices grow considerably when adding options. The Compaq Presario sells for $4,299 for the average mail order price. The Latitude priced at $3,999 direct. Gateway's system can be purchased for $4,724 direct. Finally, and most expensively, the Micron sells for $5,199 direct. Table 1. Laptop Computer Comparison

Compaq Presario

Dell Latitude

Gateway 2000 Solo

Micron Transport

Cost

$4,299

$3,999

$4,724

$5,199

Features

Memory (std./max)

16MB/48MB

40MB/72MB

40MB/80MB

48MB/80MB

Weight (lbs.)

8.5

8.5

8.6

9.1

Battery (hrs.)

4-5

2.5

2.25

Storage (GB)

1.4

2.1

2.1

Performance:(number is rank compared with the other computers, 1 is best)

Windows Apps.

Processor

Battery Life

Conclusions
Table 1 illustrates the preceding comparison of features, performance, and cost. From this information, the following conclusions can be stated: 1. The Dell is best in the features in terms of portability and average for the other areas. 2. The Micron Transport covers the other aspects with high end hardware, but is somewhat heavy and the battery life is short. 3. The Transport leads in most of the performance areas and is not far from the front in the area of tested battery life. 4. The Gateway computer performs very well behind the Micron machine. 5. The Micron computer is the most expensive with the Gateway computer being reasonably priced behind it. 6. Although the Micron and Dell laptop computers provide slightly better performance in certain areas, these advantages are not worth their higher price tags. 7. The Gateway laptop provides essentially the same features and performance as the Micron but at a lower price. 8. The Gateway laptop computer is the best choice based on the preceding conclusions.

Recommendation
Based on these comparisons, I would recommend the Gateway computer. It performed well in all of the tests and had good standard features for the price. Also, it was priced lower than the Micron laptop.

Literature Cited
1. "MMX on the Fly." Computer Shopper (July 1997), 138-145.

Reference: http://www.io.com/~hcexres/textbook/feas.html