Unit 10.4        Informal Report

No interview in this unit! Instead, here is a brief article in which a senior manager reports on the process of moving a company from a city centre site to a new location outside the city. Some of the key words in the report are missing. Choose the right word from the three options given below each part. 

The first step was to identify a need for expansion. This was done by consulting _________ within the company and also commissioning a feasibility study which looked into projected demand over the next decade. This made it clear it was essential - sooner or later - to make the move from our base in the city. 

deeply

highly

widely

The next step was to locate the ideal premises for our expanded operations. We had several meetings at which I encouraged what we call ‘blue-sky thinking’. I was determined to  ___________ that we had  ________  the potential of other regions of the country as well as different parts of the city. In the end, we produced a shortlist of three preferred options which all had good transportation links and offered a range of business sites within our budget.  

We then decided to _________ the whole staff. We anticipated a good deal of resistance, given the fact that some of our staff would have to travel an extra 30 km or more to get to work, depending on which option was chosen. However, when we explained the rationale behind our decision and the potential benefits of the relocation, we found a good deal of positive interest in the idea as well as many practical suggestions.

Having got the staff behind the plan in general, we then _________ a detailed evaluation of the three possible sites for relocation. We were under some time pressure, not only because of the need to end the period of uncertainty within the company but also because I didn’t want to miss out on one or two sites which seemed ideal for our purposes. 

underwent

undertook 

understood 

The __________ of this detailed _________ was clear.  Albany came out on top overall, not only because of the sites on offer, but because we saw the region as matching our own profile as a young growing company. It was only after our decision was made that we discovered that one of our major suppliers was making a similar move to the region – an added bonus for both of us.

At this stage, a planning and implementation committee was __________. Their role was to draw up a detailed plan for the relocation which had to take place only six months later. Each member was _________ a responsibility for a specific part of the plan. In hindsight, I feel we could have paid more attention to the human resources angle at this stage, as senior management were so preoccupied with the forthcoming move that other aspects of our work tended to be overlooked.

The period prior _________ the move was a particularly hectic one, as it coincided with our busiest period of the year. If I could change one thing about the whole project, it would have been my decision to call in an outside consultancy to take over the project during the last two months. I did this because I felt that it would free up senior management at a critical time. Unfortunately, a number of misunderstandings _________ during the handover which meant that instead of saving time and effort, my decision ended up causing a good deal of unnecessary stress and anxiety.
 

And so it was that during the month before the relocation, I decided to __________ direct management of the relocation with the original project team. This was actually a relief for all of us and the final _________ of the project was, unexpectedly, the most enjoyable aspect of the whole year of decisions, plans and meetings. There were a few minor technical problems on the day, but I must say that the move was very smooth – a tribute to the professionalism and motivation of all the staff. Looking back at the whole thing now, from our spacious new site, it’s hard to believe that we could have managed for so long in our cramped and old-fashioned old premises.