How do you write a technical report that delivers real value? Some people believe that writing a technical report is just a routine task for technical staff, because these reports often document statistics and figures associated with complex technical terms. This is a misconception, as these reports are an integral part of the decision-making strategy within various companies. Therefore, they must be characterized by clarity and flexibility in analyzing numbers and statistics, and provide a comprehensive vision that helps enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of related decisions.
Since writing technical reports is not limited to technical staff, in this article we will explore the steps for writing a technical report that delivers real value, not just a set of data and figures.

How do you write a technical report that delivers real value?
Define and understand your target audience
Before you begin writing any technical report, you must work to identify the target audience. Not everyone within an organization has the same background, and each group of individuals within an organization needs a specific vision.

Business owners and executives: These people don't want to know the technical details, but rather the big picture, the results, and the financial impact. This allows them to make strategic decisions based on these reports.
Technical managers and team leaders: These people want to know the technical details, the methodology followed by the teams, the challenges they faced, and how they were resolved.
Technical staff: These people need to know all the details, the methodologies used, the codes, and the errors. This is important documentation for any problems they may encounter in the future.
Report Structure
Writing a technical report, like any other business report, must have a well-structured structure that makes it easy for the reader to navigate through its sections and understand its content.

Executive Summary: This is the first and most important section of the report. However, it should be written after the rest of the report is completed. It summarizes the objectives and main findings, along with some recommendations related to some of the points mentioned in the report.
Introduction: This section aims to clarify the context of the report. Why was it written? What problem does it seek to solve? What are the main objectives? Technical Analysis: This is the most important part of documenting any technical report. This section explains and documents the data, figures, and graphs related to the technology. It also explains the methodology used in any technical analysis related to the technology.
For example, if you are documenting a technical report on application performance, you can display graphs showing response time, error count, memory usage, and other data. Don't forget to use tables and graphs, which can facilitate understanding complex technical data.

Results: This section presents the results obtained through the technical analysis of the technology. Don't simply present and document the results in the form of numbers and statistics without explanation.
For example, instead of saying "Response time increased by 20%," explain the reason for this increase. Say "Response time increased by 20% after the last update." This helps clarify why you reached this result and where the problem lies.

Recommendations: Based on the results obtained after the technical analysis, provide clear, specific, and actionable recommendations. For example, instead of saying, "The application's performance needs to be improved," say, "We recommend working on improving application performance by: optimizing database queries, using a caching system, or upgrading the server."

Conclusion: This is a paragraph that summarizes the main points reached in the report.
Write with precision and clarity.
Because the data related to any technical report is often characterized by difficult terminology, which makes it difficult to understand, especially for those outside the field, the report must be precise and clear in its writing and documentation of the technical analysis.

This can be achieved by avoiding the use of long sentences as much as possible, replacing them with short, direct sentences. Use bulleted lists when explaining any technical analysis steps to facilitate reading and clear understanding.

Quality of data documentation.
The purpose of documenting any technical report is not only to make strategic decisions. It also serves as a guide that anyone can refer to after a period of time to see what was implemented at a given stage, and for many other reasons.

Document the methodology: Ensure a complete explanation of how Collect and analyze data in precise steps.
Document the tools: Don't forget to specify any tools or techniques used.
Document the decisions: If a specific decision was made during the work, explain the reason for it and the resulting results.
Review and Proofread
After you've finished writing the report and the steps involved in the technical analysis, don't send it immediately. Instead, carefully review what you've written.

Review the content: Make sure everything you've mentioned is correct, especially in the results and recommendations sections.
Check the language: Ensure there are no spelling or grammatical errors, and that the language used is clear.
Seek a second opinion: You can ask a teammate or manager to review, read, and proofread the report.
Why are technical reports important?
Technical reports are not just data, numbers, or technical analysis steps that are documented. They are an important tool that contributes to improving work and making various decisions.

Enhancing decision-making: The purpose of any technical report is to provide accurate and clear information about complex data and statistics, enabling managers and stakeholders to... Businesses make important decisions based on real numbers and insights.
Improved communication: Reports improve communication by sharing and transferring technical information across technical teams to departments.