DOCUMENT TEMPLATES

Many people frequently produce report templates or outlines of documents, and they complete the documents according to those outlines.

You can provide report templates in many ways. You can develop master copies of templates and have people photocopy them as needed. People can then complete the report according to the template. Or you can store the templates on a diskette and distribute the diskette to those who need it. People will then complete the applicable template and print the document.

Templates not only provide standardization and facilitate reading of reports, but they also reduce the chance of miscommunication. When using templates, people will find reports more readable due to the improved organization. Templates also save time because people do not spend time developing a document from scratch; they only fill in the details according to the organization of the template.

for Developing Document Templates

• Identify the major segments of the document, usually consisting of an introduction, main body, and conclusion.
• Divide each segment into finer detail.
• Arrange the details within each segment into some logical order (e.g., spatial, time).
• Build the template using a word processing package.
• Use cut and paste to reuse parts of the template.
  • Note: Always archive the master file.