50+ Sample Monthly Report Templates

What Is a Monthly Report?

As it can be challenging for a manager to oversee numerous projects and activities in an organization, monthly reports can help a manager’s job get easier. A monthly report is an official document that notes the project status, updates, and achievements done in a month. Such reports are written briefly yet comprehensively. Besides the actions taken and accomplishments involved in the company, the report also contains the goals for the next month. And what is covered in such reports depends on the manager, whether he or she needs updates on employee attendance, business budget, etc.

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The Census Bureau’s 2016 entrepreneur survey reported that about 5.6 million employer firms operated in the US.

Meanwhile, Statista confirmed that in the second quarter of 2020, Facebook remains the biggest social network globally, garnering around 2.7 billion monthly active users.

Also, the Gallup State of Global Workplace said that only 13% of employees are engaged with work.

Why Are Monthly Reports Important?

While there are annual and daily reports to cover, every workplace should realize how important monthly reports are. A monthly report is your reliable source to monitor whatever happens every month. More so, such reports mark transparency, accountability, and fulfillment of each activity done. Maybe an employer was too confident that the business was doing well for an entire month. However, the report results might prove that sales were going down due to the lack of workforce and training. Thus, insights are incorporated into the report.

Furthermore, monthly reports are beneficial to remind each employee to do their tasks. Without any monitoring, people might get lazy. The Gallup State of Global Workplace’s research survey even said that only 13% of employees are highly engaged with work. It is wrong to be too complacent because a manager would want to hear achievements, especially in a month where a lot can happen. Since a monthly report is required near the end of the month, then employees know very well not to dilly-dally at work.

The Elements of a Monthly Report

Monthly reports are highly detailed that they do not only benefit managers. Clients and other stakeholders may want to see a company’s monthly report to check if every department in business fulfilled their tasks or if there is good progress to an ongoing project. Besides knowing how detailed it is, do you ever wonder what specific details can be found inside the report? In this segment, we outlined the key elements of a monthly report.

Title Page: Ensure everyone who views your report can immediately understand what the whole document is about. To do that, write the title on the cover sheet or first page. Expect to label the report appropriately afterward wherein it won’t be a hassle for readers to understand the crucial details like the report type, employee details, timeline, etc.Table of Contents: It is no surprise that there should be a table of contents if reports are quite long. With the number of pages and corresponding titles for each significant page present, it will be easier for readers to find the precise details they need. Everything should be organized here, and that the pages are sequenced properly. Otherwise, it might not be a helpful reference already.Introduction: Provide a concise introductory statement to prepare anyone who checks the report about what to expect from it. Indeed, a title indicates that the document is a monthly report, but the introduction expounds the report further. Just write briefly what the report’s details are, the meaning behind certain symbols, charts, or visuals, and more.Executive Summary: The executive summary section of your report summarizes the major highlights that happened or were accomplished in the month. Also, the body of your monthly report, the executive summary should be detailed but specific. Break down which events happened first until last. Besides the satisfactory accomplishments, you may note the challenges as well. Challenges are the factors that need to be conquered, especially for the next months to come.Finance Details: Monthly reports may tackle financial statements and other money-related data. An example is how much was spent by the company within a month. That is highly necessary when some employees need to be refunded and other concerns. Receipts will be attached for evidence purposes too. And financial records must be double-checked since errors may be costly in business.Goals or Plans: You can write about the objectives and plans to fulfill for the upcoming months in the report. Ensure to finish all the pending goals remaining and that you prioritize the right plans. Not setting objectives may have the whole organization to lose track of what to focus on next time.Statement of Assurance: Some clients need an official statement of assurance from a monthly report. This element usually is relevant for projects that last more than a single month. Companies must state the assurance to complete the said project, and clients won’t have to worry about their demands. Therefore, businesses state assurance as a promise to complete the clients’ needs.Conclusion: What were the significant findings and results observed in a month? Those are what you need to jot down in the conclusion segment. Be sure to base actual results on the data you have. Biased conclusions are unwelcome because there should be proof for the records under a monthly report.Recommendations: After the conclusion, don’t forget to state your recommendations. Besides the plans, recommendations focus on how to make better results in the coming months. If bad results were seen in the conclusion, then state how to perfect it here. Conduct evaluation reports from the results until you can make sensible suggestions.Reference Page: The reference page is where you state the sources of your data. Write down your references from the names, contact details, and other info. Besides people, you can also list links, books, and other references you used to make the report.

How to Write a Monthly Report

You already know the monthly report’s elements, importance, and even its definition. Now apply what you learned further by actually making the report itself. To do that, you need to start downloading one of our sample monthly report templates. You can customize your preferred template and tailor the report to your management or business needs. And to write the monthly report excellently, please follow these four simple steps:

Step 1: Review Data from the Previous Weeks

You need to study and review the previous weeks’ data. And those details should cover a whole month. Data may come from employee attendance, financial records, and other references where some information will be needed to write the monthly report. After studying, list down the essential details. An example is to record each employee’s productivity scores, hours spent at work, and more. And the significant parts will be transferred to the template of your choice.

Step 2: Insert the Monthly Report’s Elements

Can you still remember the many elements of a monthly report discussed earlier? Don’t forget to include them in your monthly report. Such elements make up a complete monthly report anyway. However, you should know what to prioritize. Base on what your manager needs to report or whatever is necessary to cover in your job description. Maybe you don’t need to add reference pages or assurance statements if they are not part of your organization’s rules.

Step 3: Summarize and Organize All Info

Learn from the executive summary where summarizing should be taken seriously. You don’t need to add lengthy irrelevant details in the report anyway since the main takeaways are the ones essential to incorporate. Maybe if you run a competitive social media network, it becomes a problem when you find out that Facebook remains the world’s biggest social network. In your report’s challenges, don’t just say Facebook is number one without proof. Add facts like how records show Facebook has 2.7 billion monthly active users. Most importantly, organize the details. Know how to sequence the elements because you wouldn’t just begin with the conclusion before the introduction.

Step 4: Update the Report Regularly

Writing a monthly report is not a one-time basis only. It should be done per month, as its name suggests. Hence, you should update the report regularly if you are assigned for that monthly task. Watch out for possible errors because there would be conflicts if reports were left mistaken. And once you are happy with how the monthly report turns out, submit it to the supervisor.

FAQs

How many pages does a monthly report have?

A monthly report’s general format has one or two pages long. Pages may be longer if other additional files are submitted, like graphs, charts, and progress.

When do you submit monthly reports?

The date to submit a monthly report depends on the supervisor. But generally, a monthly report is submitted one week after the end of the month.

What is a monthly status report?

The monthly status report is an official document made every month that details a project’s progress to particular stakeholders. The report also summarizes the month’s significant highlights and activities that bring impact to the project.

With over four weeks, 30 days, 730 hours, or 43,800 minutes, a lot can happen in a month. Businesses should not simply waste time, as there should be accomplishments and progress to certain projects per month. For effective monitoring purposes, use downloadable and printable sample monthly report templates. Rest assured, you can already provide a quick summary of your organization’s monthly activities, achievements, plans, and more in just a short time. At the end of the day, with over a million companies to compete with, you will realize that a monthly report keeps a business afloat. Make every month count!