Effective Business Memorandum

ALLAMA IQBAL OPEN UNIVERSITY,

ISLAMABAD
(Department of Business Administration)

Course: Marketing Management

Level: MBA
Course code: 8511

Assignment Title:

Effective Business Memorandum

Submitted To: Submitted By:

Mr. Syed Kamran Ali Shah M. Haroon Khan

(Mba Marketing, Roll Number: BU 549995)

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Effective Business Memorandum

Acknowledgements

In the name of Almighty Allah, the most gracious, the most beneficent by help of whom I
am able to complete my assignment which is about Effective Business Memorandum of an
organization. I am grateful to Allah almighty, for enabling me to fulfill this tiring, but interesting
job for the completion of my assignment.
No doubt Allah is the main source of knowledge and wisdom. It is a great blessing of
Almighty Allah, that He enables me because of His Holy Prophet (peace is upon him) I am
presenting my humble contribution for distribution of knowledge. I bow my head before
Almighty Allah who gave me courage, knowledge and confidence and to carry on assignment
and enabled me to accomplish it.
I would not be going to do justice in presenting this assignment without mentioning the
people around me who have been inextricably related with the completion of this assignment. I
would like to express my heartfelt thanks to our course teacher for his support and guidance,
which he rendered throughout the study to peruse this assignment. Finally, for any all too fallible
errors, omissions and shortcomings in the writing of the report only I am responsible for which
we hope that all concerning regards of this assignment will forgive us.

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Effective Business Memorandum

Abstract

Your ability to communicate effectively will directly impact your success at work. It's
crucial for you to know how to write and send correspondence that is concise and
understandable. The business memo is a brief document that addresses a specific group of people
and focuses on a specific purpose. A well-written memo will help you communicate efficiently
and achieve results. In addition to writing it properly, it's crucial to make sure your memo is sent
properly, to the people who need to read it the most.
An effective business memo is a short document used to transmit information within an
organization. Memos are characterized by being brief, direct, and easy to navigate. They are less
formal than letters but should maintain a professional, succinct style. Often, the purpose of a
business memo is twofold: to identify a problem and propose a solution. Other times, memos
may provide or request factual information.
Business memos are designed to accommodate busy readers who want to find the
information they need from the memo quickly and easily. In writing a business memo, you
should structure your memo to accommodate three kinds of readers:
• Those who read only the executive summary
• Those who skim the entire memo for its key points and a few details they're interested in
• Those who read the entire document for the details that support its major claims or
recommendations.

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Effective Business Memorandum

Table of Content

 Title page
 Acknowledgement
 Abstract
 Table of contents
 Introduction to the issue
 Practical Study of Organization
 Data collection method
 SWOT analysis (strength ,weaknesses ,
opportunities , threats)
 Conclusion
 Recommendations
 References

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Effective Business Memorandum

Introduction to the Topic_

Memorandum is popularly known as memo. The literal meaning of the word

memorandum is a note to assist the memory. Memos are the written internal communication
means for exchanging information relating to day-to-day functions within the organizations.

According to Lesikar and pettit, “Memorandum is a form of letters written inside the business”.

According to Stewart and Clark, “Memos are used to communicate with other employees,
regardless of where the employees may be located in the same organization.”

According to S. Taylor, “Memo is a written communication form one person to another (or a
group of people) within the same organization.”

So, memorandum or memos are an internal short note or letter in which information exchanged
among superiors and subordinates or same potion of employees in the organizational structure.

Purpose of Memo:
Memos can be used to quickly communicate with a wide audience something brief but
important, such as procedural changes, price increases, policy additions, meeting schedules,
reminders for teams, or summaries of agreement terms.

Memos are also used in a variety of workplace communication situations, from

documentation of procedures and policies to simple announcements. Below are some common
types of memos:

 Policies (changes and new)

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Effective Business Memorandum

 Instructions

 Procedures

 Announcements

 Trip reports

Memo Title:
The title of a business memo is the word MEMO or MEMORANDUM, in an appropriate
font style centered at the top of the first page. Printed in bold uppercase letters it informs the
reader that the document is an internal communication.

There are no hard and fast rules governing the size of the letters but the font you select
should be sized one or two points larger than that of the text found in the actual message.
Standard message text is 12, so select 14 or 16 on your toolbar. Try each one on for size and pick
one that pleases you.

Memo Structure:
The heading of a business memo consists of four distinct information fields and should
begin two spaces below the title. Each field is identified by a single word, followed by a colon,
printed in bold uppercase letters. Though not mandatory, it is generally accepted that their order
of appearance is as follows:

TO:

 The recipient's name goes here. It is generally accepted practice that titles such as Mr.,
Mrs., and Dr. are not used in this field. Formal situations do, however, call for using full
names. A title or position, such as Purchasing Agent, should follow if appropriate.

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Effective Business Memorandum

 When informal situations call for using a first name or a nickname, by all means, go
ahead. This is a judgment call that you should make based upon the relationship you have
with the reader.

 When two or three people are to receive the same memo all of their names may be placed
on the same line. They should appear either alphabetically or in descending order,
according to where they rank in a company's organizational chart.

 When the number of people meant to receive the same memo is too large, place only the
first or most important name on the line. The rest can then be named in a cc notation.

 On many occasions it is appropriate to use a generic term, such as Colorado, Wyoming

and Montana Sales Associates in place of a proper name.

FROM:

 Your name goes here. As with the recipient's name, titles such as Mr., Mrs., and Dr. are
not customarily used in this field. In formal situations, however, you should use your full
name, followed by a job related title, such as Public Relations Manager, if it helps
identify you to those with whom you are not acquainted.

 Again, as with the recipient's name, your decision on the level of formality is a judgment
call that should be based upon the relationship you have with the reader. If a first name or
a nickname is appropriate, by all means, go ahead.

 You should hand write your initials near the end of your printed name. It personalizes
your business memo while authorizing its contents.

DATE:

 To avoid any misunderstanding, the date should always be spelled out. It's a cultural
thing.

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Effective Business Memorandum

 In the United States the numerical representation 7/4/04 means July 4, 2004; in other
countries it means 7 April 2004.

 In a globally interconnected business world, accuracy on this point is essential.

SUBJECT:

 This field is important and needs to be precise and brief. It should indicate exactly what
the memo is about. The reader should understand, at a glance, to what the information or
instructions contained in the body pertains to.

 Trade Show as a subject doesn't cut it; it's too vague. Trade Show/Travel Budget is better,
but First Quarter Trade Show/Expense Account Rules is much more complete.

 Capitalize all key words. Articles, conjunctions, and prepositions should be capitalized
only when they occur at the beginning or end of your subject line.

Memo Body:

The body of a business memo, depending on its subject, can be as short as one or two
sentences or as long as several pages.

The longer the memo, the more important it is to select an organizational method that will
make the logical sense to your reader.

Keep in mind that a memo ceases to be a memo if it goes on too long. If it requires more
than two pages, review the content. You will want to see if you have gotten off-topic and strayed
into other subject areas.

If you have two subjects, send two memos. If not, and the memo is still long, you may
want to turn it into a report, or a summary of a report, and sent it out attached to a memo that
briefly describes what it is about.

A complex memo will include the following four elements:

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Effective Business Memorandum

Opening:

 Who, What, Where, When, Why? The opening sentence of a business memo should state
the objective, or reason for writing.

 The objective is the answer to some or all of the "W" questions a person might
reasonably ask after having read the SUBJECT line of a memo.

 Should one sentence not be enough to convey the objective, one or two more sentences
can supply the background information necessary for the reader to comprehend the
memo's purpose.

Summary:

 Following the opening, furnish the details; provide, describe, and analyze whatever
information or instructions are relevant to the subject at hand.

 The key is to present the details in an uncomplicated manner. The reader should be able
to quickly single out specifically what is most important for him or her to know.

 This can often be done in a bulleted list, however, it is important to avoid going
overboard. Lists by nature are short on context. They are great for simple messages but,
nevertheless, you must supply enough information for the list to make contextual sense.

 More complex messages can be broken into subsections with descriptive headings printed
in bold, underlined, or italicized.

Discussion:

 When necessary, follow your summary with a section rounding out the details of your
business memo. Include contextual material that specifically supports the information or
instructions you are providing.

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Effective Business Memorandum

 Remember that a memo is also a reference tool and may be called upon at any time to
provide a written snapshot of a previous event, action, or decision. Avoid being sketchy
with the details.

 Include names of people, times of meetings, actions previously taken, decisions made,
etc., whenever they bear directly on the subject of your message.

Closing:

 Closing remarks are an opportunity to restate your observations and analysis, make
recommendations, and propose solutions. You've put it in writing; now call for an action.

 If you expect cooperation, be considerate. As in any form of communication, a respectful

tone goes a long way toward achieving the results you desire.

Additional Notations:

A number of situations call for a business memo to be marked with additional notations.
They should be placed two spaces below the body of the memo.

When a memo references one or more documents that are enclosed by the writer, the
enclosure is noted in one of the following ways:

Enclosure: Wholesale Pricing Packet

Enclosures (5)

Enc. (or Encs.)

When a memo has been dictated to an assistant it should be initialed. Both writer and
assistant are acknowledged with their personal initials. The writer's initials appear in uppercase
letters and the assistant's will appear in lowercase letters in one of the following ways:

EIB: pjc

IMK/pjc

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Effective Business Memorandum

When copies of a memo are sent to named business associates or other interested parties,
those recipients are acknowledged with their full name as in the following example:

cc: Annie Getz

cc: Glenn Widget, Ida Mae Knott

Sample Business Memo:

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Effective Business Memorandum

Practical Study of an Organization

China mobile is the world’s largest telecom operator. Having a customer base of over 300
million customers, its network routes 700 million text messages every day and handles 250
million calls every hour.

ZONG is the first International brand of China Mobile being launched in Pakistan. It is
meant to empower and liberate the people of Pakistan in every nook and corner of the country.
The core sense of Zong is to allow people to communicate at will. Without worrying about
tariffs, network coverage, capacity issues or congestion.

Internal Communication:

Internal communication may be defined as an exchange of facts ideas, opinions that

individuals or departments of an organization relating to purely inside matters. Information
transmission of various pieces concerning what happens within an organization rather than its
relationship with the others outside an organization. This implies the concept of internal
communication. Thus internal inside communication is concerned which implies transmission
and reception of information clearly, accurately and speedily.

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Effective Business Memorandum

The internal communication system of the Zong is very effective because it is a

communication of indoor management. The outside people or external to the organization are not
concerned with it.

In zong internal communication helps employees to understand the organization’s vision,

values, and culture. It may involve staff members in issues that affect working life and keeps
staff informed on important decisions taken by management.

Internal Communications System in Zong:

An internal communications system can become a moderator of interaction between

official organizational representatives and employees.
The internal communications system should be responsible for developing and maintaining a
number of channels that allow effective communication to take place. The Zong internal
communication system includes the following pattern:
 Internet Website
 An informal session where employees can listen to and talk with the organizational
representative, such as a managing director, and a Town meeting.
 Conference Calls
 Internal newsletters/ broachers/ other printed tangible material.
 Email
 Message boards
 Group meetings
 Virtual meetings
 Memorandums

Memo is an internal short note or letter in which information exchanged among superiors
and subordinates or same potion of employees in the organizational structure. In zong
Memorandum helps employees to understand the organization’s vision, values, and culture. It
may involve staff members in issues that affect working life and keeps staff informed on
important decisions taken by management.
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Effective Business Memorandum

The memo system of Zong is highly effective and they are giving special attention to the
use of memos for an internal communication. Below are some effective points which Zong is
using while writing memos:
 Transparent and Timely
 Clear and Concise
 Informative and Independent
 Relevant
 Compelling

The main objectives of Zong Memorandum:

 To pass on or transmit instructions or requests along the lines of command, for example
from marketing director to Sales Manager, From HR to Floor Staff etc.
 To inform staff on new policies, arrangements, developments, processes etc.
 To request information from any employee in the company to assist in making decisions
for the company or provide feedback after analyzing situations.
 To encourage and reassure staff in certain circumstances and to persuade and motivate
them to work as individuals and as part of a team.
 To provide confirmations, responses and information.
 To pass on suggestions, ideas and developments along the chain of command.

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Effective Business Memorandum

Zong Memorandum Samples:

Memorandum

To: Human Resources

From: Rabia Hasan/HR
Date: Monday, November 19, 2018
Cc: Wang Haibo; Wang Chunting; Syed Mohammad Zain; Group HR Operations
Subject: Holiday Announcement | Eid Milad-un-Nabi | November 21,2018

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Effective Business Memorandum

Memorandum

To: Human Resources

From: Rabia Hasan/HR
Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2019 10:27 AM
Subject: RE: M3 Event | HQ & North 1 | 17th January, 2019

Dear Colleagues,
As communicated earlier, employees based in HQ and North-1 (Islamabad & Rawalpindi) can
leave early today at 1:00 PM to attend the M3 event.

Regards,
Human Resources

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Effective Business Memorandum

Memorandum

To: All Sales Team

From: The Manager, Sales
Date: March 20, 2019
Subject: Inappropriate use of time on Google Doodle games

Dear Coworkers,
It has come to my attention that many in the office have been spending time on the Google home
page micro games. This memo is a reminder to use your work hours for work.
I encourage a fun and competitive environment, and I recognize that we certainly won't be
profitable if you are unhappy or dissatisfied with your jobs. This is just a reminder to be careful
with your use of company time.

Thank you,

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Effective Business Memorandum

Memorandum

To: Human Resource Department

From: Rabia Hasan/HR
Sent: Tuesday, December 18, 2018
Cc: Wang Haibo; Wang Chunting; Syed Mohammad Zain; Group HR Operations
Subject: Reminder : OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION PROJECT AWARDS |
NATIONWIDE VOTING

Dear Colleagues,

The voting for Outstanding Contribution Project Awards is open till 4:00 pm today , 18th
December . Please follow the below link to vote for your TOP 15 projects.

https://zongersclub.zong.com.pk/index.php/team-survey/

Regards
Human Resources

Data Collection Method:

I have collected data from different books, articles, internet, and also through online
recorded interviews of the respective persons or employees of Zong Head Office in Islamabad,
Pakistan.

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SWOT Analysis:

The SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) is a very useful
business tool for business marketing and process planning but can be applied with ease in a
business memo process.

• Strengths

1- Inexpensive to create
2- Transparency of communication
3- Fast and Efficient delivery
4- Encourage critical thinking
5- Importance of memo as record of operations
6- Less disruptive then phone calls

• Weaknesses 

1- Length and Focus

2- Cost and delays
3- Formality
4- One way communication
5- Less important to the reader
6- Not suitable for illiterate people

• Opportunities 

1- Efficient way for business growth

2- Credibility of the organization improves

 Threats

1- Leakage of memos
2- The Rise of Ransom ware
3- Lack of secrecy

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4- Not suitable for external communication

Conclusion

A memo is a call for action on a particular issue, whether it is an announcement about a

new company product, new policies regarding expense reports, or a statement about how the
company is addressing a problem. By following these memo examples and addressing your
audience in clear, concise language, you'll be able to effectively communicate with your
coworkers in all your correspondence.

It is important to carefully consider the key point of the memo and who should receive it.
A memo that is written clearly using a friendly and professional tone avoids any opportunity for
misinterpretation. Memos can be the easiest piece of correspondence that an administrative
professional will ever have to write. It is important to just keep formatting standards at the
forefront and grammatical errors at a minimum. Always make it a point to edit and proofread
your memo prior to sending it out.

Your goal in writing a memo should be to get the message across and make it as easy to
understand and memorable as possible. You should consider using any tools that may aid
understanding, such as supporting documents or reports that can be attached.

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Recommendations:

 Present the main point first.

 Maintain a professional, succinct style.
 Create a very specific subject line to give the reader an immediate idea of the memo's (or
message's) subject and purpose.
 Attach Data and Documents
 Use an Appropriate Tone.
 Proofread Carefully.

References:
 CMPAK, ZONG HEAD OFFICE, CHAK SHEHZAD ISLAMABAD.

 https://supercopyeditors.com/blog/writing/effective-business-memo/

 http://georgiasoul.blogspot.com/2012/01/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-
memo.html#.XK2m79Izbcs

 https://freebcomnotes.blogspot.com/2016/11/memo-or-memorandum-meaning-
importance.html

 https://www.scribd.com/doc/24588271/Business-Communication-Project-ZONG

 https://www.niu.edu/wac/archives/files/memogdln.html

______________________________________________________________________________

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