Analyzing an Executive Summary

This executive summary comes from a corporate report on purchasing Android tablets for employees. The questions below ask you to think about the discussion of executive summaries in your textbook chapter on recommendation reports. Make sure to read the chapter before attempting to work on this exercise.

Executive Summary

On May 11, we received approval to study whether Android tablets could help our 20 engineers receive email, monitor their schedules, take notes, and access reference sources they need in the field. In our study, we addressed these problems experienced by many of our engineers:

• They have missed deadlines and meetings and lost client information.
• They have been unable to access important files and reference materials from the field.
• They have complained about the weight — sometimes more than 40 pounds — of the binders and other materials that they have to carry.
• They have to spend time keyboarding notes that they take in the field.

In 2017, missed meetings and other schedule problems cost the company over $400,000 in lost business. And our insurance carrier settled a claim for $50,000 from an engineer who experienced back and shoulder problems due to the weight of his pack.

We researched the capabilities of Android tablets then established these criteria for our analysis:

• The device must weigh less than 15 ounces.
• It must run on Android 6.0 or higher.
• It must have at least 3GB RAM.
• It must have at least a 2-GHz Quad Core.
• It must have Wi-Fi and LTE 4G connectivity.
• It must have at least a 10-inch screen.
• It must have a camera with a resolution of 8.1MP or better.
• It must be Microsoft Office compatible.
• It must cost $700 or less.

On the basis of our analysis, we recommend that the company purchase 20 Sony Xperia Z4 tablets, for a total cost of $11,180. These devices best meet all our technical and cost criteria.

Q1. How clearly do the writers explain the background? Identify the problem or opportunity they describe in this executive summary.

Q2. Do the writers discuss the methods? If so, identify the discussion.

Q3. Identify the findings: the results, conclusions, and recommendations. How clearly have the writers explained the benefits to the company?