Thanks to the weekly status report, subordinates can send their summary of activities to their manager, to stay on top of things and be more productive.
The aim of weekly status reports is to allow employees to discuss their performance, and even highlight any requirements that they need, for the immediate attention of management, but must also remain clear and be delivered on time. The objective of the weekly report is to provide communication in an informative, honest and straightforward format. Top level management will really appreciate the key benefits of weekly status reports, as they can use the reports towards appraising how useful employees are, time management in meeting deadlines, and overall work ethic of the business as a whole.
There is a simple procedure to follow for preparing the best weekly report you can, and some examples are provided below:
For Marketing and Sales
1. Market/Sales Update.
2. On-going Projects and Milestones.
3. Dialog and discussions with existing and potential customers.
4. Market Trends and Diversification.
5. Sales figures relative to the business plan.
6. Customer complaints and feedback.
7. Summary
For Manufacturing
1. Weekly Accomplishments.
2. Projected Goals and Timelines.
3. Potential Risks in Meeting Objectives.
4. Staffing Requirements
5. Quality System Compliance
6. Training
7. Summary
Businesses can see in an instant overall progress, by reviewing the weekly summaries of what has already been achieved, and the next week’s lists detailing what is still required and forecast for the future. Some general rules apply for what can be added into a weekly report:
1. Get to the point immediately
2. If recommendations are included, summarize the logical steps towards resolution.
3. Do not include any biased statements or personality conflicts
Being able to see where minor changes can lead to significant improvements in a company, as well as simply creating a better overall awareness of business activities and progress within an organization, are the biggest reasons why weekly status reports are so essential. All businesses have the same general aim of survival into the future, that is to say that maintaining competition, profit generation and overall growth in the marketplace are all first and foremost in order for the business to operate.
Project status reports will not only serve to show to managers how your department has performed, but are also stored in the project management system on an individual basis, meaning managers can see how well you have performed at a glance.
Weekly status reports are summaries that the managers receive from their staff each week. Managers find the reports really useful, as they are often used as a benchmark for improving on current practices, as well as simply keeping the manager informed of the team’s efforts and productivity. The reports can vary depending on the business, as every business will require different information.
Ensuring that your boss is aware of what you have been doing is a major reason for why you need to be sending a project status report to them. Sometimes people feel like they didn’t accomplish anything when they really did. This is why it is so important for them to understand, using status reports, what they have achieved and overall will make for a happier, more efficient workforce. The weekly reporting facilitates looking ahead, so that they can set themselves goals for what they plan to complete in upcoming weeks.
These reports also allow us to silently brag about things that we did via the project management system. Maybe you did more than somebody working next to you and you are proud of being able to do that. You can tell your manager and they can see that without you having to make anybody feel bad.
As a point of reference, weekly status reports are important when it comes to appraisals. It also helps them to see who the most and least quantity of work is coming from and the quality also.
In fact, weekly status reports allow managers to assess the current work situation and decide whether changes are needed. Change may be a sensible move for managers to consider? Staff can get a good overall understanding of where they are as a team for project progress. Project management reports can help teams realize, are they going to be able to finish in the allotted amount of time or do they need to commit more time into it? The status reports will always vary from company to company, as all businesses work in different ways.
