What is Activity Report?
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Activity report is an overview of the worker’s activities over a period of time, it shows specific tasks, activities, assignments, projects, and so on that has been done. Its purpose is to provide a detailed overview of what a particular worker has been doing. The activity report can take the form of, for example, a monthly written report, or just an oral summary of the person’s activities during the past day.
Activity report is very similar to timesheet, only it is much more specific to provide more details. Whereas timesheet shows how much time a person has spent on the tasks, activities or projects from a predefined list, activity report contains more detailed breakdown of what the person specifically did.
Key information in an activity report
1. Project information
Any activity report should include key information that identifies the project, all members of the team, and the most up to date status on project’s progress (i.e., “we are just beginning the project,” “we are half way through producing the deliverable,” or “we are putting the final touches on our work”).
2. Project tasks
In addition to these identifying details, activity reports should articulate project tasks that have been completed, tasks currently underway, and what tasks are needed to complete the project in a timely manner. This information should communicate what each team member is working on so as to expedite the reader’s communicating of questions or concerns.
Your description of completed tasks, current activities, and responsibilities going forward should inform your reader of the project’s timeline and its estimated time of completion.
3. Describe any challenges
Activity reports should identify any challenges encountered, with particular reference to possible actions that can mitigate or avoid these obstacles in the future. Describing these difficulties will also provide reasoning for the project’s timeline and whether it is maintained or modified. Keeping managers and fellow employees in the loop on difficulties also provides an opening for you to ask for additional resources, time, or help on the work going forward.
4. Tone, style, and length
Although activity reports circulate in workplace environments through informal channels, it is important to write them in an appropriate and a professional tone because fellow employees and managers alike will read them.
Use clear, concise, and concrete language in discussing the progress of a project in order to avoid ambiguity on its current status.
Finally, keep activity reports brief. As they are informal messages that, hopefully, require no immediate action, you want your reader to skim through its contents quickly and efficiently. Using brief lists and avoiding excessive detail while using concrete language will ensure that your activity report effectively communicates your project’s status.
What form can the activity record take?
Usually, activity report takes the form of a table where individual activities or individual days appear in rows. The report may take the form of a paper document, an excel or other spreadsheet document or may be created in an application. Activity reports are frequently built into a web or mobile application, which is very effective since it makes the reports available 24/7, or as part of an attendance software.
The worker keeps record of his or her activities and for each one of them, they give a unit, eg the number of hours spent on working, the number of kilometres traveled, the number of operations performed, and so on. The activity report is typically approved by Superior or customer.
