The goal of this exercise is to help you learn some ways you can apply Chapter 9's guidelines for beginning a workplace communication.

The Exercise

Analyze this beginning of the report in terms of the guidelines discussed in Chapter 9:

Guideline 1: Give your readers a reason to pay attention.
Guideline 2: State your main point.
Guideline 3: Tell your readers what to expect.
Guideline 4: Encourage openness to your message.
Guideline 5: Provide necessary background information.
Guideline 6: Adjust the length of the beginning to your readers' needs.
Guideline 7: For longer communications, begin with a summary.
Guideline 8: Adapt your beginning to your readers' cultural background.
Guideline 9: Ethics Guideline: Begin to address unethical practices promptly-and strategically.

Is this beginning effective? Why or why not?

The Beginning of the Report

Engineering Design Services (EDS) plans to upgrade its personal computer inventory to allow more flexibility within each of its divisions and to provide for a desktop-oriented operation. Along with new personal computers and supporting software, printers will be purchased for each division. Of course, these printers must meet the individual needs of each division, and their costs must meet established budget goals.

With over 300 printers available for personal computers on the market (over 100 new models last year alone), making the right purchase can be a tough job. Because selecting the right printers for the different office applications requires careful study, Northwest Engineering Consultants was contracted to research the market and provide a recommendation for EDS. In analyzing the printer problem for EDS, this recommendation report shows that the abundance of models is good news because new technologies and improvements in existing technologies offer a very large range of candidates. Therefore, the opportunity is excellent for EDS to tailor our recommendations to accurately meet the company's needs.

This report summarizes recent research done in advancing desktop printer technology, describes the major types of desktop printers available in today's market, and compares their functions, characteristics and performance. In addition the report recommends solutions to the printer puzzle at EDS and suggests specific types of printers to be purchased by each of your divisions. Finally, it suggests points for your buyers to consider when deciding which brand of printer offers the best way to get each printing job done.