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GUIDE TO USING BUSS1000 CONSULTING REPORT TEMPLATE
NOTE: The following formatting must be followed as part of your professional writing
requirements.
FORMATTING APA STYLE THROUGHOUT THE REPORT
For all text except headings and within figures:
• Times New Roman 12pt Font
• Double line spacing
• Standard margins
• Typing is left justified only (ragged right)
• Indent first line of every paragraph
• Being a Business Report – every section MUST use numbers as part of the heading.
This will help a correct ‘contents page’ to be created.
HEADINGS:
• The headings below are in the correct report order, but you are able to insert headings
or use different wording.
• Ensure if you change the name of the headings that it is appropriate for USBS
Consulting and a business report.
• Headings following the Introduction must use numbering (i.e., 1.0 Introduction) to
highlight to the reader that it is a new section or a section that is related to the one
previous.
• To help you with the contents page, its useful to use Microsoft’s Word’s ‘heading’
settings which is ordered by hierarchy i.e. Section 2.0 is Heading 1, Section 2.1 is
Heading 2, Section 2.1.1 is Heading 3. To learn more on how to do this, go here for
more information and/or you can watch this youtube video.
WORD COUNT:
• 2,000 words.
o Reference list is not included
o In-text citations are included
Template begins below
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Create a title page which includes:
• The client
• Prepared by USBS Consulting
• Your student number (do NOT insert your name in this assignment to ensure
anonymous marking occurs)
• Manager’s (Tutor) name
• Word count
• Submission date
TIP: a title page is always separate on its own page and comes first. Insert a ‘page break’
(don’t use spacing) to go to the next page. See here for how to do it.
Note: in the actual template doc, the title page does NOT have a header/footer as the
title page is the first page of the document.
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Table of Contents
Using Microsoft Word, auto generate your table of contents. You can find more information
here on how to do it.
TIP: Table of Contents should always be separate on its own page and comes after the title
page. It is one of the last things you create.
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1.0 Introduction
• Suggested word count 150-200 words
• This section is critical as it is where the reader is told all the important points made in the
report. It should comprise of a concise overview of the report and noting any
important assumptions made. (You will not have all the information you would like
- so you may need to make some assumptions).
You should include:
• a statement which states the ‘purpose of the report’,
• followed by a synopsis of your report outlining the major points identified, the
theory/concepts being examined/used, and the recommendation that is provided.
• It is important to be brief but also specific. Simply stating ‘a recommendation will be
provided for the company’ is not sufficient.
TIP: Write this section last after you have written the entire report.
2.0
• Total suggested word count: 600-700 words
• Suggested section name: ‘Review of Qantas’s role in society’.
• This section you may want to break down into various subsections based on the
organisation of your ideas/argument. An example would be:
2.1 CSR
2.2 CSV
2.3 Practices of Qantas
TIP 1: Ensure you use sound evidence you found in research, relying on a variety of sources,
and noting any bias that could exist. Be careful not to be repetitive and/or descriptive rather
than analytical.
TIP 2: You do not need an INTRODUCTION or CONCLUSION in the sections after 1.0.
Business reports use numbered headings to show the reader it is a new section, and the
previous section is now concluding.
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3.0
• Total suggested word count: 400-500 words
• Suggested section name: ‘Review of current best practices in industry’ however, you can
be more creative if you like.
• This section you may want to break down into various subsections based on the
organisation of your ideas/argument. An example would be:
3.1 Best Practice 1
3.2 Best Practice 2
4.0
• Total suggested word count: 600 words
• Suggested section name: ‘Recommendation’ however, you can be more creative if you
like.
• This section is where you identify, discuss, evaluate, and justify ONE recommendation.
Make sure you consider:
• feasibility (practical and achievable in the real world for the client, you may even
provide specific steps for successful implementation), and justification using
research and evidence to support your claims.
• any barriers/negatives/challenges to introducing the recommendation as part of your
evaluation, and
• benefits/advantages of implementing the recommendation.
• You may want to break down this section into subsections based on the organisation of
your ideas/argument. E.g. under 4.0 Section Heading, you could provide an overview of
the practice under 4.0, followed by subsections such as:
4.1 Implementation
4.2 Evaluation
TIP: Remember, if a recommendation cannot be realistically implemented or doesn’t
address the client’s requirements, then it can’t be considered a recommendation at all.
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5.0 Reference List
• This is an alphabetical list of all the references you have cited in the body of the
report. It is NOT a bibliography.
• Do not include details of any sources you have not used.
• Ensure the style used is correct and consistent with APA 7th ed., the required format for
BUSS1000.
• If sources appear in the reference list that were NOT used in the consulting report,
or are in the report but NOT in the reference list, there will be a marking penalty
and the report may be referred for an academic integrity investigation.
TIPS: A reference list should:
• Always start on a new page with each source set with ‘hanging’ format (second line
of a source onwards is indented). See here for instructions to do this.
• Have each source on a new line as if it is a new paragraph.
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6.0 Appendices (OPTIONAL)
• Include any tables or diagrams etc. that would add value to your consulting report.
Ensure that it is referenced accordingly and that it is referred to in the discussion. Do
not simply insert appendices for the sake of it where there is no discussion in relation
to how it supports your point.
• This section should start on a new page with each appendix to have a title and use of
heading numbering. For example:
6.1 Appendix 1 Loss & Figures Statement
6.2 Appendix 2 Global Carbon Emissions Output
TIP: You do not need to have appendices, its optional and should only be included if it
brings value to your report.