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Writing a user research report: tips and template slides.

Decoding Research

Reports are one of the most common research deliverables. Their aim is to document and transfer insights to the wider organization. A report typically compiles other deliverables like mockups, personas, or journeys, making it the source of knowledge for a specific study.

When talking about reports we tend to think of a dense document covering tons of in-depth information. Yes, reports can be tedious. But they don’t have to be. In fact, they shouldn’t be. A poorly crafted report gets in the way of effectively communicating insights, which defeats the purpose of writing the report in the first place.

There are definitely other ways to share findings and choosing the right one depends on the study, outcomes, and the organization’s ways of working. However, If you are in fact writing a report, here are some best practices and tips that I have developed through years of conducting and consuming research reports. These help me convey findings in an engaging and memorable way.

The anatomy of a research report

I use a slide deck to create a ‘Slidedoc’ . Tools like Keynote, Google slides, Pitch, or PowerPoint make it easy to combine detailed text and visuals in the most flexible yet structured way. Unlike word documents, slides force us to break information into digestible pieces rather than presenting it as a long scroll. Plus, a deck can easily be adapted for a presentation.

A research report can be roughly broken into three parts: Study overview, findings, and next steps. I will describe each of these in detail while sharing sample slides.

*Note that the content of all slides below is fictitious.

1. Study overview: what we did (and why)

This section explains why we conducted research in the first place. Start with a one-line summary of the challenge and a detailed description. To highlight the study impact, I complement this with the underlying metrics (i.e. KPIs or UX Metrics), or objectives (i.e. OKRs). Connecting research with business drivers sets outcomes in the context of the organization’s strategy.

Keep in mind that uncovering the business impact should be a step when scoping the research. I know that framing a study in business terms is not that simple. As researchers, we are trained to identify and tackle user problems but are less familiar with recognizing business ones. There is no reason to be concerned. This is a muscle we can train. We have briefly touched this topic as part of a previous Decoding Research post .

Research scope

After setting the stage it’s time to explain the study itself. State the research goals. Follow with the objectives or research questions, which go one level deeper framing the specifics of what we set out to learn. All of these come straight out of your research plan.

You can include how the study integrates with the work of different teams by mentioning how outcomes will be utilized, which decisions will be made, and/or by whom (ie. list the stakeholders or teams involved).

Approach and participant profile

This section describes the methods used. Most readers are not researchers, so I limit the jargon and a link to the research plan for those interested in getting into the nitty-gritty. I usually make this slide more visual to illustrate the steps taken or how different methods worked together. This is also a good place to state any limitations or disclaimers that come with the approach taken.

Next comes an overview of participants. Share the number of people and the criteria considered. If you addressed different target groups or markets include the number of people per group.

2. Research findings: What we learned

Key insights or summary.

This is the first slide with findings and it should contain the main learnings and takeaways. It is probably the most important slide as some people won’t read any further. Therefore, I take great care crafting these statements to make sure the message is clear, direct, and sticky. Like with any summary, this slide is created last. After completing the bulk report, I take a step back and ask myself ‘what 3–5 learnings are critical for the team to know?’ . I also like to add a link to this slide directly from the table of contents for people who are just looking for the main takeaways.

I must admit that I have had studies where one summary slide is not enough. It is also fine to use two. However, if I find myself needing more slides for key insights is likely that I’m not being strict enough when identifying the most relevant learnings or not concise enough expressing their essence.

Detailed findings

The core. This section contains all learnings, in detail. At this point, slides take many different colors and shapes depending on the learnings. For instance, usability findings are usually communicated by showing each screen with the issues observed, while needs and behaviors are typically represented by personas or archetypes.

From many reports read and written, I have identified three common ways to document findings:

Descriptive slides for insights : An insight is a learning consisting of an observed behavior and its underlying motivation. Simply put, what is happening and why it’s happening. I tend to create one slide per insight using the insight statement as the headline. Many people just scan through the deck so they will get an overview of findings just by reading these titles.

The content of the slide details the learnings that support the insight, as well as any nuances, or opportunities. As a small bonus, I add recommendations, notices, or open questions to these slides, which provide the first glimpse of the next steps.

Artifact slides : Oftentimes research outcomes take the form of artifacts like archetypes, journeys, stakeholder maps, competitive analysis, etc. Some of these can be large and hard to fit into a report. A trick is to include a summarised version or high-level overview with the main conclusion and then link to the artifact file for details. Decide on the amount of content depending on the audience and how the report will be used.

Product feedback slides : Another common research outcome is product feedback. Whether it’s about the proposition, a set of concepts, or usability, I always show an image of the screen or section that the feedback relates to. This helps contextualize user input and avoid misinterpretation.

3. Next steps: What needs to happen next

Opportunities and recommendations.

Close the report with clear actions that the team can take. These can be for instance product opportunities, design improvements, or open questions that require follow-up research.

Oftentimes researchers restrain from or are uncomfortable with stating recommendations. However, as an expert and the person with most knowledge about the study learnings, the team will benefit and appreciate your indications of where to go next. Of course, it is not expected that you know how to solve all the issues encountered by participants. Be conscious of your limitations and only provide well thought recommendations.

Pro tips: Taking research reports to the next level

Add quotes or video snippets.

I dare to say this is not a pro tip but a best practice. Getting feedback directly from users is more powerful than simply reading about it. It’s the main reason why stakeholders should observe some of the sessions in the first place. Participant quotes or video snippets in a report bring back the richness of sessions to life.

Select quotes and video clips that capture the essence of the insight being shared. Add context by mentioning the participant type (ie. Active user, France) and the method if you used multiple ones (ie. diary study). Above all, be mindful of people’s privacy and data — don’t use names, don’t show faces, and don’t share personal information.

Make it visual

A picture speaks a thousand words. Using visuals to represent and convey findings help readers understand the information. They transform complex and intangible concepts into simple and tangible representations. Moreover, images make reports less dense, more engaging, and more memorable than plain text. This is critical to ensure insights don’t get shelved and forgotten but drip down into the organization.

To be clear, I am not suggesting adding random pictures to all slides. Selecting and crafting the right visual to illustrate a finding is key to convey the message correctly (and not every finding needs to be represented visually, that will just be overkill).

Common visual representations for insights are charts, timelines, or process steps. Sometimes I also doodle people to showcase a situation or emotion. If visual thinking is not your thing, don’t panic. There is no need to be an artist or illustrator. Look for examples or take one of Skillshare’s short courses if you want to start flexing those muscles.

Record yourself sharing the findings

Reports are dense. People don’t read. Stakeholders may miss your presentation. No problem, make a video! Tools like Loom are perfect to film yourself while going through findings (or record the video call while you present research findings to the team, killing two birds with one stone).

Share the video with the wider organization on slack and add it to your repository or intranet. As with a report’s table of content, outline the times where main topics are addressed for people looking for specific learning or topic. You can even make snippets to create a short version with highlights.

Sharing research findings is a critical task of a researcher’s role. There is no point in conducting a great study if findings will go unutilized. Reports don’t have to be tedious. Use a Slidedoc combining text and visuals to break learnings into digestible and memorable chunks. Guide readers, contextualize findings and trigger action by following a basic structure — from Study overview to Findings, to Next steps. And increase thereader’s engagement by adding quotes, session clips, visualizing insights, or even creating a video of yourself sharing highlights.

⭐ Try it yourself: Here are all the slides shared through this article. You can copy, adapt and use them! Please share your creations on our Instagram, account: decoding.research !

What are some of the tips and best practices you have developed to craft great research reports? Let us know in the comments.

🕵 Decoding.research is a space to learn more about user research through practical stories from researchers around the world. Follow us on Instagram at decoding.research.

🎙 Do you have a story to tell? Share your learnings with us! [email protected]

Written by Victoria Vivas and Maria Hock .

Written by Decoding Research

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Research report guide: Definition, types, and tips

Last updated

5 March 2024

Reviewed by

Short on time? Get an AI generated summary of this article instead

From successful product launches or software releases to planning major business decisions, research reports serve many vital functions. They can summarize evidence and deliver insights and recommendations to save companies time and resources. They can reveal the most value-adding actions a company should take.

However, poorly constructed reports can have the opposite effect! Taking the time to learn established research-reporting rules and approaches will equip you with in-demand skills. You’ll be able to capture and communicate information applicable to numerous situations and industries, adding another string to your resume bow.

• What are research reports?

A research report is a collection of contextual data, gathered through organized research, that provides new insights into a particular challenge (which, for this article, is business-related). Research reports are a time-tested method for distilling large amounts of data into a narrow band of focus.

Their effectiveness often hinges on whether the report provides:

Strong, well-researched evidence

Comprehensive analysis

Well-considered conclusions and recommendations

Though the topic possibilities are endless, an effective research report keeps a laser-like focus on the specific questions or objectives the researcher believes are key to achieving success. Many research reports begin as research proposals, which usually include the need for a report to capture the findings of the study and recommend a course of action.

A description of the research method used, e.g., qualitative, quantitative, or other

Statistical analysis

Causal (or explanatory) research (i.e., research identifying relationships between two variables)

Inductive research, also known as ‘theory-building’

Deductive research, such as that used to test theories

Action research, where the research is actively used to drive change

• Importance of a research report

Research reports can unify and direct a company's focus toward the most appropriate strategic action. Of course, spending resources on a report takes up some of the company's human and financial resources. Choosing when a report is called for is a matter of judgment and experience.

Some development models used heavily in the engineering world, such as Waterfall development, are notorious for over-relying on research reports. With Waterfall development, there is a linear progression through each step of a project, and each stage is precisely documented and reported on before moving to the next.

The pace of the business world is faster than the speed at which your authors can produce and disseminate reports. So how do companies strike the right balance between creating and acting on research reports?

The answer lies, again, in the report's defined objectives. By paring down your most pressing interests and those of your stakeholders, your research and reporting skills will be the lenses that keep your company's priorities in constant focus.

Honing your company's primary objectives can save significant amounts of time and align research and reporting efforts with ever-greater precision.

Some examples of well-designed research objectives are:

Proving whether or not a product or service meets customer expectations

Demonstrating the value of a service, product, or business process to your stakeholders and investors

Improving business decision-making when faced with a lack of time or other constraints

Clarifying the relationship between a critical cause and effect for problematic business processes

Prioritizing the development of a backlog of products or product features

Comparing business or production strategies

Evaluating past decisions and predicting future outcomes

• Features of a research report

Research reports generally require a research design phase, where the report author(s) determine the most important elements the report must contain.

Just as there are various kinds of research, there are many types of reports.

Here are the standard elements of almost any research-reporting format:

Report summary. A broad but comprehensive overview of what readers will learn in the full report. Summaries are usually no more than one or two paragraphs and address all key elements of the report. Think of the key takeaways your primary stakeholders will want to know if they don’t have time to read the full document.

Introduction. Include a brief background of the topic, the type of research, and the research sample. Consider the primary goal of the report, who is most affected, and how far along the company is in meeting its objectives.

Methods. A description of how the researcher carried out data collection, analysis, and final interpretations of the data. Include the reasons for choosing a particular method. The methods section should strike a balance between clearly presenting the approach taken to gather data and discussing how it is designed to achieve the report's objectives.

Data analysis. This section contains interpretations that lead readers through the results relevant to the report's thesis. If there were unexpected results, include here a discussion on why that might be. Charts, calculations, statistics, and other supporting information also belong here (or, if lengthy, as an appendix). This should be the most detailed section of the research report, with references for further study. Present the information in a logical order, whether chronologically or in order of importance to the report's objectives.

Conclusion. This should be written with sound reasoning, often containing useful recommendations. The conclusion must be backed by a continuous thread of logic throughout the report.

• How to write a research paper

With a clear outline and robust pool of research, a research paper can start to write itself, but what's a good way to start a research report?

Research report examples are often the quickest way to gain inspiration for your report. Look for the types of research reports most relevant to your industry and consider which makes the most sense for your data and goals.

The research report outline will help you organize the elements of your report. One of the most time-tested report outlines is the IMRaD structure:

Introduction

...and Discussion

Pay close attention to the most well-established research reporting format in your industry, and consider your tone and language from your audience's perspective. Learn the key terms inside and out; incorrect jargon could easily harm the perceived authority of your research paper.

Along with a foundation in high-quality research and razor-sharp analysis, the most effective research reports will also demonstrate well-developed:

Internal logic

Narrative flow

Conclusions and recommendations

Readability, striking a balance between simple phrasing and technical insight

How to gather research data for your report

The validity of research data is critical. Because the research phase usually occurs well before the writing phase, you normally have plenty of time to vet your data.

However, research reports could involve ongoing research, where report authors (sometimes the researchers themselves) write portions of the report alongside ongoing research.

One such research-report example would be an R&D department that knows its primary stakeholders are eager to learn about a lengthy work in progress and any potentially important outcomes.

However you choose to manage the research and reporting, your data must meet robust quality standards before you can rely on it. Vet any research with the following questions in mind:

Does it use statistically valid analysis methods?

Do the researchers clearly explain their research, analysis, and sampling methods?

Did the researchers provide any caveats or advice on how to interpret their data?

Have you gathered the data yourself or were you in close contact with those who did?

Is the source biased?

Usually, flawed research methods become more apparent the further you get through a research report.

It's perfectly natural for good research to raise new questions, but the reader should have no uncertainty about what the data represents. There should be no doubt about matters such as:

Whether the sampling or analysis methods were based on sound and consistent logic

What the research samples are and where they came from

The accuracy of any statistical functions or equations

Validation of testing and measuring processes

When does a report require design validation?

A robust design validation process is often a gold standard in highly technical research reports. Design validation ensures the objects of a study are measured accurately, which lends more weight to your report and makes it valuable to more specialized industries.

Product development and engineering projects are the most common research-report examples that typically involve a design validation process. Depending on the scope and complexity of your research, you might face additional steps to validate your data and research procedures.

If you’re including design validation in the report (or report proposal), explain and justify your data-collection processes. Good design validation builds greater trust in a research report and lends more weight to its conclusions.

Choosing the right analysis method

Just as the quality of your report depends on properly validated research, a useful conclusion requires the most contextually relevant analysis method. This means comparing different statistical methods and choosing the one that makes the most sense for your research.

Most broadly, research analysis comes down to quantitative or qualitative methods (respectively: measurable by a number vs subjectively qualified values). There are also mixed research methods, which bridge the need for merging hard data with qualified assessments and still reach a cohesive set of conclusions.

Some of the most common analysis methods in research reports include:

Significance testing (aka hypothesis analysis), which compares test and control groups to determine how likely the data was the result of random chance.

Regression analysis , to establish relationships between variables, control for extraneous variables , and support correlation analysis.

Correlation analysis (aka bivariate testing), a method to identify and determine the strength of linear relationships between variables. It’s effective for detecting patterns from complex data, but care must be exercised to not confuse correlation with causation.

With any analysis method, it's important to justify which method you chose in the report. You should also provide estimates of the statistical accuracy (e.g., the p-value or confidence level of quantifiable data) of any data analysis.

This requires a commitment to the report's primary aim. For instance, this may be achieving a certain level of customer satisfaction by analyzing the cause and effect of changes to how service is delivered. Even better, use statistical analysis to calculate which change is most positively correlated with improved levels of customer satisfaction.

• Tips for writing research reports

There's endless good advice for writing effective research reports, and it almost all depends on the subjective aims of the people behind the report. Due to the wide variety of research reports, the best tips will be unique to each author's purpose.

Consider the following research report tips in any order, and take note of the ones most relevant to you:

No matter how in depth or detailed your report might be, provide a well-considered, succinct summary. At the very least, give your readers a quick and effective way to get up to speed.

Pare down your target audience (e.g., other researchers, employees, laypersons, etc.), and adjust your voice for their background knowledge and interest levels

For all but the most open-ended research, clarify your objectives, both for yourself and within the report.

Leverage your team members’ talents to fill in any knowledge gaps you might have. Your team is only as good as the sum of its parts.

Justify why your research proposal’s topic will endure long enough to derive value from the finished report.

Consolidate all research and analysis functions onto a single user-friendly platform. There's no reason to settle for less than developer-grade tools suitable for non-developers.

What's the format of a research report?

The research-reporting format is how the report is structured—a framework the authors use to organize their data, conclusions, arguments, and recommendations. The format heavily determines how the report's outline develops, because the format dictates the overall structure and order of information (based on the report's goals and research objectives).

What's the purpose of a research-report outline?

A good report outline gives form and substance to the report's objectives, presenting the results in a readable, engaging way. For any research-report format, the outline should create momentum along a chain of logic that builds up to a conclusion or interpretation.

What's the difference between a research essay and a research report?

There are several key differences between research reports and essays:

Research report:

Ordered into separate sections

More commercial in nature

Often includes infographics

Heavily descriptive

More self-referential

Usually provides recommendations

Research essay

Does not rely on research report formatting

More academically minded

Normally text-only

Less detailed

Omits discussion of methods

Usually non-prescriptive 

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Technical Report: What is it & How to Write it? (Steps & Structure Included)

A technical report can either act as a cherry on top of your project or can ruin the entire dough.

Everything depends on how you write and present it.

A technical report is a sole medium through which the audience and readers of your project can understand the entire process of your research or experimentation.

So, you basically have to write a report on how you managed to do that research, steps you followed, events that occurred, etc., taking the reader from the ideation of the process and then to the conclusion or findings.

Sounds exhausting, doesn’t it?

Well hopefully after reading this entire article, it won’t.

However, note that there is no specific standard determined to write a technical report. It depends on the type of project and the preference of your project supervisor.

With that in mind, let’s dig right in!

What is a Technical Report? (Definition)

A technical report is described as a written scientific document that conveys information about technical research in an objective and fact-based manner. This technical report consists of the three key features of a research i.e process, progress, and results associated with it.

Some common areas in which technical reports are used are agriculture, engineering, physical, and biomedical science. So, such complicated information must be conveyed by a report that is easily readable and efficient.

Now, how do we decide on the readability level?

The answer is simple – by knowing our target audience.

A technical report is considered as a product that comes with your research, like a guide for it.

You study the target audience of a product before creating it, right?

Similarly, before writing a technical report, you must keep in mind who your reader is going to be.

Whether it is professors, industry professionals, or even customers looking to buy your project – studying the target audience enables you to start structuring your report. It gives you an idea of the existing knowledge level of the reader and how much information you need to put in the report.

Many people tend to put in fewer efforts in the report than what they did in the actual research..which is only fair.

We mean, you’ve already worked so much, why should you go through the entire process again to create a report?

Well then, let’s move to the second section where we talk about why it is absolutely essential to write a technical report accompanying your project.

Read more:  What is a Progress Report and How to Write One?

Importance of Writing a Technical Report 

1. efficient communication.

Technical reports are used by industries to convey pertinent information to upper management. This information is then used to make crucial decisions that would impact the company in the future.

Examples of such technical reports include proposals, regulations, manuals, procedures, requests, progress reports, emails, and memos.

2. Evidence for your work

Most of the technical work is backed by software.

However, graduation projects are not.

So, if you’re a student, your technical report acts as the sole evidence of your work. It shows the steps you took for the research and glorifies your efforts for a better evaluation.

3. Organizes the data 

A technical report is a concise, factual piece of information that is aligned and designed in a standard manner. It is the one place where all the data of a project is written in a compact manner that is easily understandable by a reader.

4. Tool for evaluation of your work 

Professors and supervisors mainly evaluate your research project based on the technical write-up for it. If your report is accurate, clear, and comprehensible, you will surely bag a good grade.

A technical report to research is like Robin to Batman.

Best results occur when both of them work together.

So, how can you write a technical report that leaves the readers in a ‘wow’ mode? Let’s find out!

How to Write a Technical Report? 

Writing a technical report can feel daunting, but it becomes much more manageable when you break it down into clear steps. This guide will equip you with the knowledge to craft a clear, impactful report that effectively communicates your findings.

Step 1: Understand the Purpose and Audience

The first step is to understand the purpose and audience. What is the goal of your report? Are you aiming to inform, persuade, or explain a technical concept? Identifying your objective will steer the direction and content of your report.

Equally important is knowing your readers. Who will be consuming your report? Are they colleagues with a deep technical background or stakeholders with a broader understanding? Tailoring the language and technical depth to their level is crucial for successful communication.

Step 2: Gather and Organize Information

Once you understand your mission and audience, it’s time to gather your resources. This includes research findings, experimental data, technical specifications, or case studies relevant to your topic. Ensure you have all the necessary evidence and references to support your conclusions.

As you gather this information, organize it methodically. Create an outline using clear headings to structure your report. A common structure includes an introduction, methodology, results, discussion, conclusion, and optional recommendations.

Typical sections include:

• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• Methodology
• Appendices (if necessary)

An outline acts as a roadmap, ensuring you cover all necessary points logically.

Step 3: Write the Introduction

Writing the introduction of a technical report is a crucial step in effectively conveying the purpose and scope of your work to the reader. The introduction sets the stage for the rest of the document, providing context, background information, and an overview of the report’s objectives.

1. Begin with a Hook

Just like any good piece of writing, your introduction should start with a hook to grab the reader’s attention. This could be a startling statistic, an intriguing question, or a relevant quote. The goal is to engage your audience right from the start.

2. Provide Background Information

After capturing the reader’s attention, provide some background information that sets the context for your report. This section should give the reader a brief overview of the topic and explain why it is important. Include relevant historical data, recent developments, or industry trends that highlight the significance of your study.

3. State the Purpose and Objectives

Clearly state the purpose of your report and outline its main objectives. This helps the reader understand what to expect and sets the direction for the rest of the document. Be concise but specific about what your report aims to achieve.

4. Define the Scope

It’s important to define the scope of your report so that the reader knows what is included and what is not. This section should outline the boundaries of your study, including any limitations or exclusions. Defining the scope helps manage reader expectations and keeps your report focused.

Step 4: Describe the Methodology

The methodology section is like a transparent blueprint. Here, you detail the methods and procedures used to gather data and conduct analysis. The description should be specific enough that someone could replicate your work.

1. Outline Your Research Design

Start by outlining your research design. This is the overall strategy you used to integrate the different components of your study in a coherent and logical way. Here are some points to consider:

• Type of Study: Is it experimental, observational, qualitative, quantitative, or a mix of these?
• Approach: Did you use a case study, survey, field research, or laboratory experiment?

2. Describe Your Procedures

Detail the procedures you followed in conducting your research or project. This includes:

• Steps Taken: List the steps in chronological order.
• Tools and Materials: Specify any tools, instruments, or materials used.
• Protocol: Describe any specific protocols or guidelines followed.

3. Explain Data Collection Methods

How did you gather your data? Provide detailed information about your data collection methods:

• Sampling: Explain your sampling method and why you chose it.
• Data Sources: Describe the sources from which you collected data.
• Collection Techniques: Discuss techniques used (e.g., surveys, interviews, observations).

4. Detail Data Analysis Procedures

After data collection, what did you do next? Explain how you processed and analyzed the data:

• Analytical Tools: Specify any software or tools used for analysis.
• Techniques: Describe the statistical or qualitative techniques applied.
• Steps: Outline the steps followed in the analysis process.

5. Address Limitations

No study is perfect. Discuss any limitations in your methodology that could affect your results:

• Constraints: Mention any constraints (time, budget, access to resources).
• Biases: Identify potential biases or sources of error.
• Impact: Explain how these limitations might impact your findings.

Step 5: Present the Results

Presenting results is a critical step in writing a technical report. This section showcases the outcomes of your work and forms the core of your report. It’s where your data, analysis, and insights come together to tell a coherent story.

1. Structure Your Results Section

Organize by Objectives or Hypotheses:

• Align your results with the objectives or hypotheses stated in your introduction. This ensures clarity and continuity.
• If you had multiple objectives, present the results corresponding to each one in separate subsections.
• Use Subheadings: Break down your results into logical subsections using descriptive subheadings. This helps the reader navigate through your findings easily.

2. Present Data Effectively

• Utilize tables, graphs, and charts to present data visually. These tools can make complex data more understandable and highlight key trends and patterns.
• Ensure all tables and figures are clearly labeled and referenced in the text. Each should have a number (e.g., Table 1, Figure 2) and a descriptive caption.
• Supplement visual data with clear and concise narrative descriptions. Explain what the data shows and highlight significant findings.
• Avoid simply repeating what is shown in tables and figures. Instead, focus on interpreting the data.

3. Highlight Key Findings

• Point out the most important and relevant results. These are the findings that directly address your research questions or objectives.
• Use bullet points or numbered lists to highlight key findings for easy reference.
• If applicable, discuss the statistical significance of your results. Mention p-values, confidence intervals, or other statistical measures to validate your findings.

4. Discuss Trends and Patterns

• Look for and discuss any trends or patterns in your data. Are there any recurring themes or consistent changes over time?
• Highlight any unexpected results and offer possible explanations for them.
• Compare your results with previous studies or baseline data. This can provide context and underscore the significance of your findings.

5. Ensure Clarity and Precision

• Use clear and straightforward language. Avoid jargon and complex sentences that might confuse the reader.
• Be precise in your descriptions. Provide exact numbers, percentages, and units of measurement.
• Present your results objectively without over-interpretation. Stick to what the data shows and save broader implications and interpretations for the discussion section.

6. Use Visual Aids Appropriately

• Choose the right type of visual aid for your data. Use bar charts for comparisons, line graphs for trends, pie charts for proportions, and tables for detailed data.
• Ensure your visual aids are of high quality and easy to read. Use appropriate scales, labels, and legends.
• Keep them simple and avoid clutter. A well-designed visual aid can significantly enhance understanding.

Avoid interpreting the results in this section; save that for the discussion.

Step 6: Discuss the Findings

The discussion section goes beyond just presenting the results. Here, you delve deeper by interpreting and explaining their meaning and implications. Relate your findings to existing research or established theories and discuss any discrepancies or unexpected outcomes.

Explain how your results contribute to the field or address the problem stated in the introduction. Don’t forget to acknowledge any limitations of your study and suggest areas for future research or improvements. This strengthens your report and demonstrates a well-rounded understanding of the topic.

Step 7: Conclude and Recommend

Finally, conclude with clarity and recommendations. Summarize the main points of your report and restate their importance. Avoid introducing new information here. If applicable, provide clear and concise recommendations based on your findings.

Offer practical solutions or propose next steps. The conclusion should leave a lasting impression, solidifying the reader’s understanding of the report’s significance and its takeaways.

Final Tips:

• Proofread and Edit: Carefully review your report for clarity, coherence, and conciseness. Check for grammatical errors and ensure that all technical terms are used correctly.
• Include References: List all sources cited in your report, following the appropriate citation style.
• Appendices: Add any additional material that supports your report, such as raw data, detailed calculations, or supplementary information, in the appendices.

AND VOILA! You’re done.

…and don’t worry, if the above process seems like too much for you, Bit.ai is here to help.

Read more:  Technical Manual: What, Types & How to Create One? (Steps Included)

Bit.ai : The Ultimate Tool for Writing Technical Reports

What if we tell you that the entire structure of a technical report explained in this article is already done and designed for you!

Yes, you read that right.

With Bit.ai’s 70+ templates , all you have to do is insert your text in a pre-formatted document that has been designed to appeal to the creative nerve of the reader.

You can even add collaborators who can proofread or edit your work in real-time. You can also highlight text, @mention collaborators, and make comments!

Wait, there’s more! When you send your document to the evaluators, you can even trace who read it, how much time they spent on it, and more.

Exciting, isn’t it?

Start making your fabulous technical report with Bit.ai today!

Few technical documents templates you might be interested in:

• Status Report Template
• API Documentation
• Product Requirements Document Template
• Software Design Document Template
• Software Requirements Document Template
• UX Research Template
• Issue Tracker Template
• Release Notes Template
• Statement of Work
• Scope of Work Template

Wrap up(Conclusion)

A well structured and designed report adds credibility to your research work. You can rely on bit.ai for that part.

However, the content is still yours so remember to make it worth it.

After finishing up your report, ask yourself:

Does the abstract summarize the objectives and methods employed in the paper?

Are the objective questions answered in your conclusion?

What are the implications of the findings and how is your work making a change in the way that particular topic is read and conceived?

If you find logical answers to these, then you have done a good job!

Remember, writing isn’t an overnight process. ideas won’t just arrive. Give yourself space and time for inspiration to strike and then write it down. Good writing has no shortcuts, it takes practice.

But at least now that you’ve bit.ai in the back of your pocket, you don’t have to worry about the design and formatting!

Have you written any technical reports before? If yes, what tools did you use? Do let us know by tweeting us @bit_docs.

Further reads:

How To Create An Effective Status Report?

7 Types of Reports Your Business Certainly Needs!

What is Project Status Report Documentation?

Scientific Paper: What is it & How to Write it? (Steps and Format)

  Business Report: What is it & How to Write it? (Steps & Format)

How to Write Project Reports that ‘Wow’ Your Clients? (Template Included)

Business Report: What is it & How to Write it? (Steps & Format)

Internship Cover Letter: How to Write a Perfect one?

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About Bit.ai

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• Academic Skills
• Reading, writing and referencing

Research reports

This resource will help you identify the common elements and basic format of a research report.

Research reports generally follow a similar structure and have common elements, each with a particular purpose. Learn more about each of these elements below.

Common elements of reports

Your title should be brief, topic-specific, and informative, clearly indicating the purpose and scope of your study. Include key words in your title so that search engines can easily access your work. For example:  Measurement of water around Station Pier.

An abstract is a concise summary that helps readers to quickly assess the content and direction of your paper. It should be brief, written in a single paragraph and cover: the scope and purpose of your report; an overview of methodology; a summary of the main findings or results; principal conclusions or significance of the findings; and recommendations made.

The information in the abstract must be presented in the same order as it is in your report. The abstract is usually written last when you have developed your arguments and synthesised the results.

The introduction creates the context for your research. It should provide sufficient background to allow the reader to understand and evaluate your study without needing to refer to previous publications. After reading the introduction your reader should understand exactly what your research is about, what you plan to do, why you are undertaking this research and which methods you have used. Introductions generally include:

• The rationale for the present study. Why are you interested in this topic? Why is this topic worth investigating?
• Key terms and definitions.
• An outline of the research questions and hypotheses; the assumptions or propositions that your research will test.

Not all research reports have a separate literature review section. In shorter research reports, the review is usually part of the Introduction.

A literature review is a critical survey of recent relevant research in a particular field. The review should be a selection of carefully organised, focused and relevant literature that develops a narrative ‘story’ about your topic. Your review should answer key questions about the literature:

• What is the current state of knowledge on the topic?
• What differences in approaches / methodologies are there?
• Where are the strengths and weaknesses of the research?
• What further research is needed? The review may identify a gap in the literature which provides a rationale for your study and supports your research questions and methodology.

The review is not just a summary of all you have read. Rather, it must develop an argument or a point of view that supports your chosen methodology and research questions.

The purpose of this section is to detail how you conducted your research so that others can understand and replicate your approach.

You need to briefly describe the subjects (if appropriate), any equipment or materials used and the approach taken. If the research method or method of data analysis is commonly used within your field of study, then simply reference the procedure. If, however, your methods are new or controversial then you need to describe them in more detail and provide a rationale for your approach. The methodology is written in the past tense and should be as concise as possible.

This section is a concise, factual summary of your findings, listed under headings appropriate to your research questions. It’s common to use tables and graphics. Raw data or details about the method of statistical analysis used should be included in the Appendices.

Present your results in a consistent manner. For example, if you present the first group of results as percentages, it will be confusing for the reader and difficult to make comparisons of data if later results are presented as fractions or as decimal values.

In general, you won’t discuss your results here. Any analysis of your results usually occurs in the Discussion section.

Notes on visual data representation:

• Graphs and tables may be used to reveal trends in your data, but they must be explained and referred to in adjacent accompanying text.
• Figures and tables do not simply repeat information given in the text: they summarise, amplify or complement it.
• Graphs are always referred to as ‘Figures’, and both axes must be clearly labelled.
• Tables must be numbered, and they must be able to stand-alone or make sense without your reader needing to read all of the accompanying text.

The Discussion responds to the hypothesis or research question. This section is where you interpret your results, account for your findings and explain their significance within the context of other research. Consider the adequacy of your sampling techniques, the scope and long-term implications of your study, any problems with data collection or analysis and any assumptions on which your study was based. This is also the place to discuss any disappointing results and address limitations.

Checklist for the discussion

• To what extent was each hypothesis supported?
• To what extent are your findings validated or supported by other research?
• Were there unexpected variables that affected your results?
• On reflection, was your research method appropriate?
• Can you account for any differences between your results and other studies?

Conclusions in research reports are generally fairly short and should follow on naturally from points raised in the Discussion. In this section you should discuss the significance of your findings. To what extent and in what ways are your findings useful or conclusive? Is further research required? If so, based on your research experience, what suggestions could you make about improvements to the scope or methodology of future studies?

Also, consider the practical implications of your results and any recommendations you could make. For example, if your research is on reading strategies in the primary school classroom, what are the implications of your results for the classroom teacher? What recommendations could you make for teachers?

A Reference List contains all the resources you have cited in your work, while a Bibliography is a wider list containing all the resources you have consulted (but not necessarily cited) in the preparation of your work. It is important to check which of these is required, and the preferred format, style of references and presentation requirements of your own department.

Appendices (singular ‘Appendix’) provide supporting material to your project. Examples of such materials include:

• Relevant letters to participants and organisations (e.g. regarding the ethics or conduct of the project).
• Background reports.
• Detailed calculations.

Different types of data are presented in separate appendices. Each appendix must be titled, labelled with a number or letter, and referred to in the body of the report.

Appendices are placed at the end of a report, and the contents are generally not included in the word count.

Fi nal ti p

While there are many common elements to research reports, it’s always best to double check the exact requirements for your task. You may find that you don’t need some sections, can combine others or have specific requirements about referencing, formatting or word limits.

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Get tailored advice from an Academic Skills Adviser by booking an Individual appointment, or get quick feedback from one of our Academic Writing Mentors via email through our Writing advice service.

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Super Micro: Fresh Evidence Of Accounting Manipulation, Sibling Self-Dealing And Sanctions Evasion At This AI High Flyer

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• Super Micro Computer Inc. is a $35 billion server maker based in Silicon Valley, California that has ridden the wave of AI enthusiasm.
• Our 3-month investigation, which included interviews with former senior employees and industry experts as well as a review of litigation records, international corporate and customs records, found glaring accounting red flags, evidence of undisclosed related party transactions, sanctions and export control failures, and customer issues.
• In 2018, Super Micro was temporarily delisted from Nasdaq for failing to file financial statements. By August 2020, the company was charged by the SEC for “widespread accounting violations,” mainly related to $200+ million in improperly recognized revenue and understated expenses, resulting in artificially elevated sales, earnings and profit margins.
• Less than 3 months after paying a $17.5 million SEC settlement, Super Micro began re-hiring top executives that were directly involved in the accounting scandal, per litigation records and interviews with former employees.
• A former salesperson told us: “Almost all of them are back. Almost all of the people that were let go that were the cause of this malfeasance.”
• According to a lawsuit filed in April 2024, Super Micro waited only 3 months after the SEC settlement before restarting “improper revenue recognition,” “recognizing incomplete sales,” and “circumvention of internal accounting controls”.
• Even after the SEC settlement, pressure to meet quotas pushed salespeople to stuff the channel with distributors using “partial shipments” or by shipping defective products around quarter-end, per our interviews with former employees and customers.
• One former salesperson described pushing products to distributors based on made-up demand forecasts, completing a partial shipment, then later coming up with an excuse for why the rest didn’t happen. “ And now you have a problem. Accounting problem maybe.”
• Former employees told us Super Micro’s business culture has not improved. Former senior sales director: “I don’t think the behavior of the company in many ways has changed in the 5 years since I started, and I started shortly after that delisting problem.”
• Three senior employees who left in early 2018 amidst the accounting scandal were rehired, individually serving as (1) a member of the board of directors (2) a consultant serving close to the CEO (3) and a VP of business development.
• Former CFO Howard Hideshima left the company in January 2018 and was later individually charged by the SEC with accounting violations. In May 2023, he was hired by a key related party owned by Super Micro CEO’s brother.
• A new CFO, praised by co-workers for his integrity, was hired in January 2018 to help the company recover from the scandal. He helped Super Micro re-list but resigned in January 2021. A former sales director suggested that he was edged out by the company.
• Beyond fresh questions around its revenue accounting, we found that Super Micro’s relationships with both disclosed and undisclosed related parties serve as fertile ground for dubious accounting.
• For example, disclosed related party suppliers Ablecom and Compuware, controlled by Super Micro CEO Charles Liang’s brothers, have been paid $983 million in the last 3 years. Ablecom is also partly owned by Super Micro CEO Charles Liang and his wife.
• The relationships seem oddly circular. Super Micro provides components to the entities which assemble them and sell them back to Super Micro. They also rent warehousing and factory space to Super Micro even though it has its own sprawling factory.
• The related parties seem to do little other business: ~99.8% of Ablecom’s exports to the U.S. since 2020 were to Super Micro, and ~99.7% of Compuware’s U.S. exports were to Super Micro, per trade records.
• In addition to the concerns around the disclosed related parties, we found evidence of undisclosed related parties. The youngest brother of Super Micro’s CEO owns two Taiwan-based entities that make server components. Media reports and former employees indicate the entities are Super Micro suppliers.
• Both entities operate out of the Super Micro Science and Technology Park in Taiwan, but Super Micro has not disclosed related party transactions with them.
• Another brother of Super Micro’s CEO operates a disclosed related party but is also the director and shareholder of undisclosed Hong Kong and Taiwanese entities, which appear to resell Super Micro products and provide “professional OEM services.” It operates out of the same building as related party Compuware.
• Collectively, disclosed and undisclosed related parties pose accounting risks relating to revenue recognition and reported margins. A former executive told us: “Basically it’s a governance issue and just kind of shows you that Charles doesn’t give a shit what you think…you’re right to worry, though, that you just never know what’s lurking.”
• In addition to the CEO’s brothers, the company has an odd relationship with a key customer. In February 2024, Super Micro made an undisclosed investment in tech startup Lambda Labs as part of its $320 million funding round, per Bloomberg and per a confirmation we received from Lambda’s COO.
• In August 2024, Super Micro signed an “unusual” $600 million contract to lease space at a California data center and sub-lease it to Lambda. The CFO glossed over questions about the reason for this arrangement.
• In October 2023, two related parties run by CEO Liang’s brothers, one of them partially owned by Super Micro’s CEO, reportedly invested in small Taiwanese tech company Leadtek. Leadtek’s website advertises products almost identical to Super Micro’s, yet Super Micro discloses no relationship with Leadtek in what appears to be a clear undisclosed related party.
• Super Micro has claimed its liquid cooling technology will “revolutionize the industry” and is its “competitive edge.” But at a recent industry conference, Super Micro featured related party Ablecom’s liquid cooling solutions, per an Ablecom engineer.
• Ablecom has several patents for its liquid cooling technology. Despite this, Super Micro has never disclosed any related party involvement in its liquid cooling technology.
• Besides questions around related parties and proprietary product offerings, in 2006, Super Micro pleaded guilty to a felony count of exporting banned components to Iran. The CEO said the company was in its infancy and had learned from its mistakes.
• When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the U.S. government imposed stringent restrictions and bans on exports to Russia of high-performance computers and components.
• Super Micro disclosed that some of its products were subject to export bans and said it was halting all sales and had “not recorded revenue” from Russia since the day before the war started.
• Exports of Super Micro’s high-tech components to Russia have spiked ~3x since the invasion of Ukraine, apparently violating U.S. export bans, according to our review of more than 45,000 import/export transactions.
• At least 46 companies that handled Super Micro products to Russia since the invasion are now under OFAC sanctions or on U.S. government watchlists.
• Almost two-thirds of Super Micro’s exports to Russia since the invasion correspond to “high priority” components that the Russian military may be diverting to the battlefield, per U.S. government warnings.
• One of the biggest importers of Super Micro products in Russia is a supplier to one of Russia’s largest “supercomputers” at a once-secret, now-sanctioned research center. That importer, Niagara Computers, has received at least $46.3 million worth of Super Micro products since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, per trade data.
• The sales were initially made through a distributor in California, but were later made through 3 newly-formed Turkish shell companies, including one that was eventually sanctioned for smuggling restricted items to Russia.
• Almost $30 million worth of Super Micro components have also been shipped to Russia’s largest importer of dual-use civilian-military chips via a newly created Hong Kong shell entity. That Russian importer is now under OFAC sanctions.
• Since 2016, Super Micro has had a joint venture with a Chinese state-run company called Fiberhome, which is involved in a campaign of “human rights violations and abuses,” high-tech surveillance, and repression of ethnic communities in western China, per the U.S. government.
• Super Micro has sold ~$196 million of sophisticated computer components to the joint venture since Fiberhome was watchlisted by the U.S. government in 2020. Super Micro justifies the sales by saying the JV entity itself wasn’t watchlisted, even though its partner was.
• Besides accounting issues and sanctions evasion, competition and quality concerns have resulted in major companies dropping Super Micro entirely or reducing their share.
• Nvidia is a key partner and chip supplier to Super Micro. In May 2024, CEO Jensen Huang publicly endorsed Super Micro’s competition: “Nobody is better at building end-to-end systems of very large scale for the enterprise than Dell.”
• CoreWeave was Super Micro’s largest customer over the last year, per Bloomberg Intelligence. But in December 2023, Dell announced a deal with CoreWeave for “thousands” of GPU servers, potentially worth over $1 billion.
• Tesla had been sourcing its servers exclusively from Super Micro, per Barclays Research in September 2023. But recent reports in May 2024 and posts by Elon Musk show Dell has now won major deals from Tesla, and Musk’s xAI, eroding Super Micro’s exclusivity.
• Super Micro has conceded that it is “under-indexed” with the world’s largest technology companies, called “hyperscalers.” Amazon AWS was a customer but cut ties after delivery issues, per a former employee.
• Digital Ocean, a U.S. cloud service provider, switched from Super Micro to Dell after service issues, according to a Digital Ocean employee, describing the relationship as “a train wreck of sorts” fraught with reliability issues.
• Genesis Cloud is touted as a “success story” on Super Micro’s website. But current and former employees told us otherwise: “Catastrophic. It is, on the technical side, one of my worst experiences I’ve had…in the industry.”
• GMI Cloud, a start-up GPU cloud provider in Asia and the U.S., told us they experienced a malfunction rate of 17.5% on its orders of 256 Super Micro servers. GMI is now moving away from Super Micro to HPE less than a year after its first order, per an employee.
• NexGen Cloud, an Nvidia partner, disclosed in October 2023 that it was investing $1 billion to build an AI super-cloud in Europe with over 20,000 Nvidia GPUs. But a NexGen employee told us that sometimes up to half of the orders received from Super Micro had firmware issues.
• Multiple former employees and channel partners confirmed that after-sales service is undermining Super Micro’s ability to retain customers. One former salesperson said: “It’s their Achilles heel. It’s just horrible.”
• All told, we believe Super Micro is a serial recidivist. It benefitted as an early mover but still faces significant accounting, governance and compliance issues and offers an inferior product and service now being eroded away by more credible competition.

Initial Disclosure: After extensive research, we have taken a short position in shares of Super Micro Computer, Inc. (Nasdaq:SMCI). This report represents our opinion, and we encourage every reader to do their own due diligence. Please see our full disclaimer at the bottom of the report.

Background: A $35 Billion Server Manufacturer Based In Silicon Valley

Super Micro Computer (“Super Micro”) is a $35 billion high-performance server and storage solutions manufacturer founded in 1993 and headquartered in San Jose, California, in the heart of Silicon Valley. The company originally listed on Nasdaq via a $64 million Initial Public Offering in 2007 . 

Super Micro is a “Rack-Scale Total IT Solutions provider”, offering servers, storage systems, switches, software and global support services. It sells into the following segments : enterprise data centers, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, 5G, and edge computing.

Servers and storage systems accounted for 92% of the company’s net sales in 2023 . Geographically, 61% of its latest quarterly revenue came from the U.S., followed by 24% from Asia and 10% from Europe, per its August 6 th , 2024 investor presentation. [1] [ Pg. 11 ]

As of its most recent quarter, Super Micro reported that 64% of sales came from its “OEM Appliance & Large [Data Center]” vertical, while 34% of sales came from “Enterprise & Channel” such as technology resellers. [2] [ Pg. 12 ]

Super Micro was co-founded by current CEO Charles Liang , an electrical engineer and systems designer, and his wife Sara (Chiu-Chu) Liu , an accountant. The company was described as a “One man, or at least one-family, powerhouse” in a 2008 profile by the New York Times.

Super Micro’s market cap has increased by 16x over the last 3 years, from $2.2 billion by the end of 2021 to $35 billion in 2024.

Super Micro was added to the S&P 500 in March 2024 , and included in the Nasdaq 100 in late July 2024 .

Bull Case: Growth Runway Driven By AI Server Market Demand, Close Relationship With Nvidia, And Proprietary Liquid Cooling Technology

The bull case for Super Micro is that it offers exposure to meteoric growth in demand for AI chips.

Super Micro’s server business growth has been driven by increasing demand for GPUs, high performance computing, and rack-scale solutions, particularly for data centers and AI applications, per Super Micro’s 2023 10-K .

The company is adding capacity to fulfill increasing demand. Super Micro reported it will increase monthly rack scale production capacity from 4,000 racks at the end of December 2023 to 5,000 racks by the end of FY 2024. [ Pg. 6 ]

Super Micro has also been working on liquid cooling technologies for racks with higher energy AI workloads. [ Slide 6 ] Investors have focused on its scale, vertical integration, relationship with Nvidia and quicker time to deliver than peers. [3] [ 1 ]

Super Micro has seen a 110% year over year increase in revenue growth and a 61% compound annual growth rate over the last 3 financial years. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]

Sell side consensus forecasts 87% revenue growth in FY 2025, per Bloomberg, predicting rapid further sales growth ahead.

Fundamentals: Super Micro Competes With Low Cost “ODM” Manufacturers On One Hand And Enterprise Behemoths Like Dell And Hewlett Packard On The Other, Squeezing Margins

The company’s core product is increasingly becoming commodity-like.

Super Micro’s core offering is an increasingly commoditized product: the server.

“The server is not a feat of engineering”, one former Super Micro executive told us in an interview.

Key to this is that the company now faces major competition in the AI server market from well-established technology giants like Dell Technologies and Hewlett Packard. Sell-side analysts have raised concerns that Dell has been selling its AI servers at “near-zero margins” to remain competitive, as reported by CNBC .

In August 2024, Taiwanese manufacturing giant Foxconn announced that it planned for AI servers to be its next “trillion [Taiwanese]-dollar revenue product”.

Super Micro also faces cost competition from less expensive Taiwanese “ODMs” ( original design manufacturers ), that operate at thin gross profit margins between 4.1% and 10.7% compared to Super Micro´s at 14.1% over the last 12 months. [4] [5]

Historically, Super Micro has managed to maintain significantly higher gross margins than its peers.

However, gross margins have started to collapse, from consistently above 15% in fiscal years 2020-2023 to 11.2% in Q4 2024 (March-June for Super Micro).

Part I: Recent Evidence Of Channel Stuffing And Accounting Violations

Over the last 3 months, we investigated Super Micro from the ground up, from entry-level factory workers to former executives and leaders, to understand its business model. This involved extensive interviews with former employees, competitors, distributors, resellers and customers, as well as reviewing company documents, litigation records, international corporate records and customs records.

Our investigation found major corporate governance red flags and evidence of continued improper revenue recognition, following similar charges against the company that resulted in its delisting in 2018 and an SEC charge in 2020.

Background: In 2018, Super Micro Was Delisted From Nasdaq For Failing To File Timely Financial Statements

Almost two years later, in early 2020, it regained nasdaq compliance but was charged by the sec later that year for “widespread accounting violations” mainly related to over $200 million in improperly recognized revenue.

In August 2018, Super Micro shares plunged to a five-year low and the company was delisted from Nasdaq for failing to file financial statements for two consecutive years. 

Super Micro was able to regain compliance and relist on Nasdaq in January 2020 . However, in August 2020, the SEC charged Super Micro with “widespread accounting violations.”

The SEC found the company essentially engaged in channel stuffing , claiming executives “pushed employees to maximize end-of-quarter revenue”.

Channel stuffing is a deceptive revenue reporting practice whereby companies inflate sales through over-shipping and over-invoicing products to distributors or customers who may not have ordered, needed, or been able to sell the products.

An SEC order stated the company “improperly accelerated revenue recognition and reporting” in multiple ways, including recognizing revenue before delivering goods, sending goods before specified delivery dates, sending incomplete and mis-assembled goods to customers and improperly changing shipment terms, among other methods.

The SEC alleged that Super Micro prematurely recognized over $200 million in revenue from FY 2015 through FY 2017. [ Pgs. 4-8 ]

One former sales director we interviewed described the channel stuffing during the period in question:

“ There was strategies to get things across the quarter line, I heard [of] a shell, you know, dark, warehouses that product would be shipped to and then brought back the next quarter.”

Super Micro settled the SEC charges for $17.5 million in 2020 and CEO Charles Liang was forced to reimburse Super Micro $2.1 million in stock sale profits.

After relisting and settling the SEC charges, Super Micro told investors that the accounting and financial issues were in the past and that the company had made a “successful comeback”. At the time of relisting in January 2020, CEO Charles Liang said :

“We are pleased to begin a new chapter for Supermicro that is based on improved internal controls and a dedication to profitable growth.” [ 1 ]

Not Even 3 Months After The SEC Settlement, The Company Began Rehiring Top Executives Involved In The Accounting Scandal

Former super micro salesperson: “almost all of them are back. almost all of the people that were let go that were the cause of this malfeasance.”.

Normally, when companies are caught in major accounting scandals, they will fire and permanently distance themselves from the culpable individuals to show that they take corporate governance seriously.

However, a new lawsuit filed late April 2024 by a former Super Micro general manager, responsible for leading the company’s global service team, alleged that the company rehired key employees who had been “associated with the prior unlawful accounting actions”. [ Pg. 5 ]

Six of the individuals mentioned in this new litigation are listed as current employees of Super Micro, per online profiles with LinkedIn and ZoomInfo. [6] [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]

One former senior salesperson at Super Micro confirmed to us:

“Almost all of them are back. Almost all of the people that were let go that were the cause of this malfeasance .”

Key Rehire #1: Wally Liaw, Super Micro’s Co-Founder And Former Senior Vice President Of International Sales During The Accounting Scandal, Resigned In January 2018 In 2021, He Was Rehired As A Consultant And By 2023, Was Promoted Back To Super Micro’s Board Of Directors

Wally Liaw was one of the co-founders of Super Micro, co-founding the company in 1993, per a company press release .

In August 2017, Super Micro announced it was unable to file its annual report. In January 2018, Super Micro announced Liaw’s resignation along with a trio of executives, including the CFO.

Liaw was also named in the 2024 lawsuit, which alleged he was one of the employees associated with the company’s past fraudulent accounting activity. [ Pg. 4 ]

When we spoke to former Super Micro executives, they told us Wally Liaw presided over the sales teams that were involved in the previous accounting violations:

“If you go back to Wally’s team, every one of those [people] has their hand in that mess. You can promise yourself that.”

Another former Super Micro executive who was aware of the investigations told us they believed Liaw had been directly involved:

“The stuff I remember that was a little bit more egregious…an example, putting stuff on a truck and [that] truck would sit in someone’s parking lot for a few days. That to me was more of like an arrangement with the transportation company. Not great… And then based on the investigation, it sounds like it was Wally . So then Wally got let go.”

In May 2021, Liaw was rehired as a consultant to Super Micro, before joining the board again in December 2023, per Super Micro’s press release .

One former executive told us they had questioned the decision to rehire Wally, asking at the time:

” Why are we having this conversation about Wally coming back as a contractor? So when I saw him come back, I had the same thought, like, wow, that’s, uh, that’s interesting.”

Key Rehire #2: Phidias Chou, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales During The Accounting Scandal, Resigned In January 2018

In april 2024, he attended a super micro meeting alongside ceo charles liang at asia university, taiwan, where he was identified as “deputy ceo”.

In 2018, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales, Phidias Chou, resigned from the board of directors alongside the former CFO and Wally Liaw during the time period of the accounting scandal.

Chou was also specifically alleged to be one of the sales members associated with prior unlawful activity, per the same 2024 legal complaint. [ Pg. 4 ]

Normally, leaving amid an accounting scandal would be the end of an executive’s association with a firm. Yet a recent media report in April 2024 by Asia University, Taiwan, reported that Phidias Chou attended a Super Micro meeting with CEO Charles Liang, where Chou was vaguely identified as “deputy CEO”.

In another article, describing the same meeting, he was simply referred to as a “ consultant ”.

Key Rehire #3: Salim Fedel, Vice President Of Sales During The Accounting Scandal, Left The Company In March 2018

In october 2020, he was re-hired as vice president of business development and strategic sales.

Salim Fedel rose to Vice President of Sales during his employment at Super Micro between 2005-2018, per his LinkedIn profile . His profile states he was “leading a global team of business development and sales managers in the US and MENA regions” by 2018.

The 2024 lawsuit against Super Micro alleged that he, too, was associated with unlawful activities. [ Pg. 4 ] A former executive told us the same:

“He was involved with the restatement. He was one of the sloppy salespeople. He got fired because he was so aggressive.”

After leaving in 2018, he then mostly spent two years at computer hardware manufacturer Asus , before Super Micro rehired him as Vice President of Business Development and Strategic Sales in October 2020, per his LinkedIn . 

Key Rehire #4: Howard Hideshima, Super Micro’s Former CFO, Who Was Charged With Accounting Violations By The SEC, Left In January 2018

In may 2023, he was hired by a key related party owned by super micro ceo’s brother.

Howard Hideshima left the firm in January 2018, and unlike others reportedly involved in the scandal, he was later specifically named in the SEC charges for engaging in “improper accounting” and “internal accounting controls failures, which resulted in SMC [Super Micro] systematically prematurely recognizing and reporting revenue and understating expenses”, per the SEC order. [ Pg. 2 ]

He was ordered to pay $351,056 for his role in the improper accounting. [ Pg. 2 ]

Nevertheless, Hideshima was rehired as a consultant in May 2023 to a related party entity of Super Micro called Ablecom Technology, according to his LinkedIn profile . Ablecom is led by Super Micro CEO Charles Liang’s brother . Super Micro’s CEO and his wife own 10.5%. The entity has hundreds of millions of dollars in transactions with Super Micro a year, per its 10-K . [See Part II for more on this.]

A New CFO, Regarded For His Integrity, Was Hired In January 2018 To Help The Company Relist Amidst The Scandal

He resigned in january 2021. a former sales director suggested he was edged out by the company.

CFO resignations are often scrutinized closely by investors due to the implications for accounting and compliance practices.

At Super Micro, Kevin Bauer was appointed as CFO in January 2018 , when the company was undergoing an audit committee investigation and attempting to file clean financials.

Former employees spoke of Bauer’s role in getting the company back to its listed status. One former executive said:

“Salt of the earth…He´s the kind of guy, you trust that guy never to steal from you or lie. Total boy scout. Total respect for him. He was the one who really fixed the financial situation, like got a restatement done. He was like in a bunker for two years.”

Bauer helped Super Micro relist in January 2020 and settle SEC charges in August 2020 . Five months after the settlement, on January 29 th , 2021, Kevin Bauer resigned .

One sales director told us they believed the CFO had been edged out after the restatement and settlement:

“So the SEC probably liked that guy [Bauer]. They [Super Micro] worked it. And as soon as they were ready to go and they cut his head.”

After Bauer’s resignation in January 2021, Super Micro appointed David Weigand to the role of CFO.

A former employee, responsible for internal oversight, told us “it doesn’t seem like” Weigand was “pushing for the same level of transparency” as Bauer:

“Is David [Weigand, Current CFO] pushing for the same level of transparency as Kevin [Bauer, former CFO]? It doesn’t seem like. ”

Former Employees Say Super Micro’s Business Culture Has Not Really Improved Despite The SEC Charge Over Accounting Violations

Former senior sales director: “i don’t think the behavior of the company in many ways has changed in the 5 years since i started, and i started shortly after that delisting problem.”.

Former employees explained how these rehires were borne out of long-standing relationships with CEO Charles Liang, who valued loyalty over all else. Per one former sales director:

“I wouldn’t take comfort in that. If people were let go because their practices were questionable, to bring them back would give me less comfort. I don’t think the behavior of the company in many ways has changed in the 5 years since I started, and I started shortly after that delisting problem. ”

Another sales director attributed it to nepotism:

“They were hired back. And there was a lot of nepotism. I’m speaking freely.”

Less Than 3 Months After The SEC Charge, Super Micro Restarted “Improper Revenue Recognition”, “Recognizing Incomplete Sales” And “Circumvention Of Internal Accounting Controls” According To A Lawsuit Filed In 2024

An April 2024 lawsuit , brought by the former Head of Global Services , Bob Luong, alleges that Super Micro has continued to engage in falsified revenue recognition after being relisted in 2020.

The complaint specifically alleges, among other issues, that:

• Revenue was incorrectly allocated to hardware sales rather than service, in the quarter ending December 2020, to artificially boost reported profit margins.
• Revenue was prematurely booked even when equipment could not be delivered to and installed for customers.
• Revenue was prematurely booked even when products were faulty or not ready for sale.

Luong tried to blow the whistle on the company and report these issues but was put on leave and later fired as a result, per the ongoing complaint. [ Pgs. 7-8 ]

Our Interviews With Former Employees Corroborate That Super Micro Continued Recognizing Incomplete Sales As Revenue After The SEC Settlement In 2020

Pressure to meet quotas pushed salespeople to stuff the channel with distributors, using “partial shipments”, per former sales director.

A former salesperson we interviewed described aggressive sales practices similar to those that are alleged in the 2024 lawsuit.

They told us salespeople worked with distributors of Super Micro, including Avnet and Tech Data to over-ship product to boost numbers, in what appeared to be a channel stuffing scheme. [7] This resulted from sales teams being put under “massive pressure” from Charles Liang each quarter, per the same salesperson.

“The fastest way to really build up those numbers is to call Avnet, Tech Data your rep there and say, listen, I need you to tell me you’re going to take 50 units. Can you do it?

“Yeah, I mean, forecast me a number. Tell me you need to get these things, stuff. We’ll do a partial shipment and we’re good. It’ll take them 45 days to come up with an idea that something did not happen the way they wanted. And now you have a problem. Accounting problem maybe.”

When we spoke to a salesperson at Avnet, they told us that unlike Super Micro, competitor Dell did not have inventory buildup with distributors, owing largely to high demand:

“Their demand is too much where if they [Dell] don’t have it paid for already, it’s not there. All of that stuff is spoken for because it has a check in hand, and Dell is basically already sold it”

By contrast, Super Micro regularly had inventory build-up with Avnet:

“Super Micro’s flexible with their inventory where we can build whatever we want with it. Dell won’t let us do that.”

“Super Micro is just happy they have the check. We [Avnet] paid for it. And then they’re like, you do whatever you want. We got our money.”

Our Interviews Also Corroborate Further Revenue Recognition Issues Related To Shipping Highly Defective Products Around Quarter-End

An employee at Genesis Cloud, a current Super Micro customer , highlighted a specific example that resembled past channel stuffing allegations. In June 2023, closing in on Super Micro’s financial year end, Genesis was shipped “pre-production” servers that were not ready for use:

“We had massive problems with Super Micro, overpromising [and] under-delivering. Shipping pre-production. They were ever so proud to tell us that they were shipping us the first production release of the Gaudi server or Gaudi 2 server. And when it arrived at our data center…. [it was a] pre-production, unit, with basic quality firmware, things like that. We had no end of issues with it.”

We spoke to an employee at another current Super Micro customer, Crusoe AI , a GPU cloud provider “ built…for scale ”. They told us an order for AI servers, comprising 1,000 GPUs, was shipped at quarter end, in March 2024, with an estimated 40% GPU failure rate.

“We ordered that first batch of L40S’s, and we had something like a 40% [GPU] card failure rate…”.

They went on to question basic assembly and testing at Super Micro:

“We just literally went through, ripped every server open…took every card out, cleaned it off, put it back, and then it worked. And so we’re like, hey, guys, did you just not test this? Did you not build them properly? Did they get jiggled in transit? Like, what the hell?”

Part II: Super Micro Has Done Nearly $1 Billion In Transactions With Related Party Entities Controlled By The Liang Family Over The Last 3 Years

Beyond re-hiring executives reportedly involved in its accounting scandal and ongoing signs of questionable revenue recognition, Super Micro exhibits other glaring governance red flags.

These fall under the umbrella of what would be expected from a company continuing to manipulate its financials: namely, related party dealings, mainly with supplier companies operated by the younger brothers of Super Micro´s CEO. These include both disclosed and suspected undisclosed related party dealings (the latter of which are further detailed in Part III).

Such related party relationships with suppliers can be used to distort financial metrics like gross margins and profitability:

• If a related party undercharges a public company, gross margins and profitability can appear better than otherwise and the difference can be hidden in the related party’s financials.
• If a related party overcharges a public company, gross margins and profitability can collapse as insiders loot the public company through higher costs, potentially to benefit close associates or family members of executives of the company.

These issues are made more relevant given Super Micro’s earlier charges by the SEC, which found it “systematically…understated expenses” which “resulted in an understatement of cost of sales and overstatement of gross profit.” [ Pg. 9 ]

Related Party Entities, One Partially Owned By Super Micro CEO Charles Liang And Controlled By His Brothers, Have Been Paid $983 Million In The Last 3 Years

These companies assemble super micro’s products, warehouse its components and rent it workspace, even though super micro has its own sprawling factory in taiwan, former super micro executive: “basically it’s a governance issue and just kind of shows you that charles doesn’t give a shit what you think…you’re right to worry, though, that you just never know what’s lurking”.

Often, manufacturing companies seek to centralize their factories and supply chain with reputable, dependable suppliers in order to streamline costs and product development.

Contrary to this normal approach, Super Micro relies heavily on suppliers privately owned by its CEO’s brothers.

Over the last 3 years since relisting, Super Micro has disclosed in SEC filings that it paid $983.1 million to two privately-owned, related parties – Ablecom and Compuware – for components and services. [ 1 , 2 ] Both are based in Taiwan.

• Ablecom was founded in 1997, per its website . Its CEO and largest shareholder is Steve (Jianfa) Liang, a younger brother of Super Micro’s CEO Charles Liang, per the company’s 2023 annual report . Steve Liang owns 28.8% of Ablecom shares along with unnamed “other family members”. Super Micro CEO Charles Liang, and his wife, who also is a director at Super Micro, own 10.5% of Ablecom shares. An unnamed sibling of co-founder Wally Liaw owns 11.7%, per filings . [8] [9]
• Compuware was founded in 2004, per its website . Its CEO is Bill (Jianda) Liang, also a younger brother of Super Micro’s CEO, per the company’s 2023 10-K . Brother Steve Liang (mentioned above) is also a director and shareholder of Compuware. [10] [11]

As of April 2024, Bill Liang and his immediate family owned 15.83% of Compuware while elder brother Steve Liang and his wife and immediate family owned a much larger 37.67% stake, per shareholdings disclosed in filings by one of its investees. Ablecom owned a 15% stake in Compuware. [12]  [ Pg. 18 ]

Both Ablecom and Compuware are collocated with Super Micro’s facility in Taiwan. [13]

The value of Super Micro’s purchases from Ablecom and Compuware is equal to ~7% of its total cost of sales over the last 3 years. [ Pg. 43 ]

Super Micro’s filings warn “conflicts of interest may arise” with these entities stating :

“We may not negotiate or enforce contractual terms as aggressively with Ablecom or Compuware as we might with an unrelated party, and the commercial terms of our agreements may be less favorable than we might obtain in negotiations with third parties.”

Circular Related Party Relationship: Super Micro Provides Components To Ablecom and Compuware, Who Simply Assemble Them And Sell Them Back To Super Micro

Super Micro’s relationship with its family-owned related parties seems oddly circular.

In the case of Ablecom, Super Micro provides certain components Ablecom needs to make completed chassis for its servers. Ablecom then sells these components back to Super Micro, according to company filings. [ Pg. 83 ]

Similarly with Compuware, Super Micro provides “most of the components” to Compuware for it to manufacture key components like motherboards. It then sells these back to Super Micro with a “value added” fee, per company filings. [ Pg. 139 ] 

Super Micro’s filings characterize the relationship mostly as contract manufacturing and outsourcing of chassis and power supplies:

“We work with Ablecom, one of our key contract manufacturers and also a related party, to optimize modular designs for our chassis and certain other components. We also outsource to Compuware, also a related party, a portion of our design activities and a significant part of the manufacturing of components, particularly power supplies.”

We find it mystifying that Super Micro, a company that boasts of having 6 million square feet of global manufacturing space, would outsource work it is capable of bringing in-house and for which it is supplying most of the components.

Super Micro’s disclosures reveal little about the relationship, and Ablecom and Compuware´s financial reports are not publicly available. Therefore, it is impossible for investors to calculate whether Super Micro is paying a competitive rate for the services and products provided by the CEO´s brothers in Taiwan.

One former Super Micro sales director said that he believed these entities were generating “free money” from the company:

“ I’ll be a little bit blunt. It’s free money, right? It’s free top line. ”

Another former sales director, responsible for dealing with suppliers, told us they were prevented from buying certain parts elsewhere, like chassis, even when they were available domestically and they were “desperate to find alternative sources”.

Ablecom manufactured approximately 91.9% of the company’s chassis in 2023, per filings .

“There were other manufacturers here domestically that had them but we were not allowed to necessarily go after them because we were getting a better deal with that *air quotes* through Charles’ family in Taiwan to do that.”

Both Entities Appear To Work Almost Exclusively With Super Micro

Export records show ~99.8% of ablecom´s exports to the u.s. since 2020 were to super micro, export records show ~99.7% of compuware´s exports to the u.s. since 2020 were to super micro.

Usually if a supplier offers a true “value-add”, they would be in demand from a wide range of customers. But both Ablecom and Compuware’s global export sales appear highly concentrated on Super Micro and the U.S., based on available import-export records via Tradesparq, which may not cover all import markets.

Our analysis of those records shows that of Ablecom´s exports to the U.S., ~99.8% were to Super Micro between January 1 st , 2020, and June 30 th , 2024 (the end of Super Micro´s fiscal year). [14] [15]

Reflecting a similar pattern, in the same period, 99.7% of Compuware´s exports to the U.S. were to Super Micro, based on available Tradesparq data. [16]

In short, these related party suppliers have almost no business in the U.S. – and apparently very little elsewhere in the world – apart from Super Micro, suggesting they were set up as extensions of the public company.

A former engineer at Ablecom confirmed the conclusions we drew from trade data. They told us via written message:

“Ablecom is a very special supplier of chassis and thermal module to SMC [Super Micro]…Ablecom has about 90% revenue comes from SMC [Super Micro].”

The engineer also indicated that Super Micro CEO Charles Liang was the person calling the shots at Ablecom and Compuware:

“SMC [Super Micro], Ablecom and Compuware have a regular operation meeting hosted by Charles Liang.”

They said the operation meeting was held monthly and went on to explain that “Steve [Liang] and Bill [Liang] are in charge of chassis and PSU [power supply unit], respectively.”

Super Micro Says Its Liquid Cooling Will “Revolutionize The Industry” And Is Its “Competitive Edge”

But at a recent industry conference, super micro featured related party ablecom’s liquid cooling solutions, per an ablecom engineer’s linkedin, super micro has never disclosed related party involvement in its claimed liquid cooling technology.

Super Micro has told investors it has a “competitive edge” in liquid cooled solutions, per its CFO at the Barclays Global Technology Conference in December 2023. This idea of a competitive edge in liquid cooling has been echoed in sell-side reports, including reports issued by Barclays and JP Morgan. [17]

Super Micro has also told investors that it wants to increase production capacity of its liquid cooling solutions, per its prospectus and Q2 2024 investor presentation . Super Micro’s CFO estimated that by June 2024 , it will “have a rack capacity of 5,000 racks per month” and “liquid-cooled rack capacity of 2,000 racks per month”. ( Q3 2024 earnings call )

CEO Charles Liang further stated on Super Micro’s Q2 2024 results call “we are beating the industry” on liquid cooling and in June 2024 suggested Super Micro would “ revolutionize the industry ”. [18]

Given the claimed groundbreaking nature of the company’s technology, investors would want to know any related parties it was working with to “revolutionize the industry”.

On its relationship with Ablecom, its key related party supplier, Super Micro makes no mention of its designs or innovation in liquid cooling technology. [19]

Yet patent and utility model records show that Ablecom has 2 patents for water cooling and 1 utility model, accepted between 2022-2024. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]

A former employee of Ablecom also stated that Super Micro was showcasing Ablecom’s liquid cooling solutions at the 2022 SuperComputing Conference in Dallas, per their LinkedIn .

At another 2024 conference, Ablecom listed its “liquid cooling system” under its product offering.

In short, Super Micro’s related party “contract manufacturer” to whom it outsources basic component manufacturing and assembly might also be designing its liquid-cooling solutions, which are being touted as proprietary.

As a matter of transparency, we think Super Micro should disclose the role of its related parties in the development of the product.

Part III: Undisclosed Related Party Transactions

Entity records show super micro ceo’s youngest brother, james liang, owns two taiwanese entities that also make server components, both operate out of the super micro science and technology park but super micro has never disclosed any related party transactions with these entities.

In addition to Super Micro CEO Charles Liang’s two brothers mentioned above, which run the disclosed related parties named in the previous section, Liang’s third and youngest brother, James (Jianguo) Liang , also operates two Taiwan-based companies, per Taiwanese corporate records. These appear to be undisclosed suppliers of Super Micro.

James (Jianguo) Liang owns 85.7% of the shares of Aeon Lighting Technology, founded originally as an LED lighting manufacturer in 2007, per Taiwanese corporate records and one of the company´s associated websites . [20]

He also owns 99% of Aeon Biotech (弘國生物科技股份有限公司 or “Hongguo Biotechnology Co.”), a company established in August 2020 originally to manufacture sterilization equipment during the coronavirus pandemic, per Taiwanese corporate records and its corporate website . [ Pg. 3 ] [21]

In addition to producing LED lighting, Aeon Lighting Technology also produces computer components and, on another of its associated websites , specifically lists chassis manufacturing, rail sliders, cooling systems, power supplies and metal prototyping as its product offering s.

Its company brochure prominently displays a Super Micro branded workstation chassis. [ Pg. 17 ]

Its latest ‘ news ’ section contains a number of updates in which Aeon describes itself as “a leading global provider of artificial intelligence solutions” and also details launches of server cooling products , and a press release that announced strategic partnerships with unnamed server companies.

Not only is Aeon Lighting in the server business, like Super Micro, Compuware and Ablecom, it also operates from the same location.

Aeon’s website also lists a job posting for a production role, located at “No. 306, Chang’an Street, Bade District, Taoyuan City” in Taiwan, the same address as Ablecom and Compuware’s manufacturing facility, within the industrial campus it shares with Super Micro. [22] (See Appendix I)

James Liang´s second company Aeon Biotech (also known in Chinese as “Hongguo Biotechnology Co.”) seems to have pivoted from sterilization equipment to the server business. [23]  

A profile on leading Taiwanese job listing website 104 states that Aeon Biotech is “providing the most complete AI server design, research and development, and sales”, per translations of the listing from  Chinese . 

The profile also states the company is located within the “Supermicro AI Technology Park”. At least 15 other Aeon Biotech listings for jobs ranging from “sheet metal business specialist” to “process assistant” show the same address. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ]

Former Employees Of Super Micro Said That Aeon Was A Supplier To Super Micro And Discussed Other Related Party Dealings

Super Micro makes no disclosure of related party transactions, products received, and the costs of said products with any Aeon entity in its public filings.

Despite the younger brother owning the vast majority of each entity, Ablecom´s website lists Aeon Lighting as part of the Ablecom Group without giving specific details of the relationship.

A former Super Micro employee, as well as media reports, indicate that Aeon is a supplier to Super Micro.

The translation of a 2024 interview stated that all three brothers “followed him [Charles Liang] into the electronics industry and became Supermicro’s supplier.” [24]

A former Super Micro sales director expressed that Aeon was part of Super Micro´s supply chain:

Hindenburg Researcher: “Aeon…Don’t know if it rings any bells?” Former Employee: “ Yeah, that’s another one [supplier]”

Summarizing the situation, the former sales director told us that the circular nature of the related parties deserved to be scrutinized by investors:

“If you’re really looking at this from a finance standpoint is, what is the money flowing from America into Taiwan and back out and where does that money park? [Are] their profit numbers really real or is he [Charles Liang] really profiting off of every segment within the chain? Which is what I think he’s doing.”

Suggesting that related party suppliers had been a perennial issue which had not been called into question, they said:

“I mean, to be really honest with you, that’s always been a problem for 30 years. He’s had these suppliers. Nobody’s questioned it.”

Entity Records Also Show That Bill Liang, A Brother Of Super Micro’s CEO, Is A Director And Shareholder Of A Similarly Named Hong Kong And Taiwanese Entity, Called Ablestnet

Ablestnet appears to resell super micro products and provide “professional oem services”, it operates out of the same factory as the related party compuware.

Super Micro CEO Charles Liang’s other brother, Bill (Jianda) Liang, who runs a disclosed related party, Compuware, named in the previous part, is a shareholder and director of another Hong Kong entity called “Ablestnet Technology Limited”, per its 2023 Annual Return . [25]

Bill Liang is also the Chairman and 17% shareholder of another similarly-named entity in Taiwan called “Ablestnet Computer Inc” – which itself holds a 9.34% stake in Compuware, per shareholdings disclosed in filings by one of Compuware’s investee companies. [ Pg. 18 ] [26]

Both the Ablestnet Taiwan and Hong Kong entities appear to be undisclosed related-party suppliers or resellers for Super Micro.

A company profile for Ablestnet on a leading Taiwanese job site states that the company is providing “OEM services for electronic product assembly, testing, packaging and maintenance”, per the English translation . It also states the company has 100 employees. 

Ablestnet products are displayed online at distributors like Server Bank which describes itself as a Chinese IT equipment distributor, per its website . The chassis used in many of these advertised Ablestnet products is identical to Super Micro. For example, the 3U Rackmount Server advertised even uses an identical stock image.

Marketing material for Ablestnet also shows it is operating at the same building as the related party, Compuware , mentioned above. Both are located at No. 230 Liancheng Road, Zhonghe District, New Taipei City.

Despite selling almost identical products, offering OEM services and being located at the site of a related party, Compuware, neither Ablestnet’s Taiwanese or Hong Kong entities are mentioned in Super Micro’s filings.

In February 2024, Super Micro Made An Undisclosed Investment In Tech Startup Lambda Labs As Part Of Its $320 Million Funding Round

Lambda’s ceo publicly claimed one purpose of its funding was to buy “lots of nvidia gpus”, but a former lambda leader told us “i’ve never heard of them [lambda] using anyone else but super micro”.

  Lambda Labs is a tech company “known for selling physical computers which come with physical GPU cards”, according to Paperspace. In February 2024, the company raised a $320 million funding round, with Super Micro participating in the financing, per Bloomberg .

Super Micro’s financial statements contain no reference to any investment into Lambda Labs as part of the fund raising. [27] Lambda’s own announcement on the investment round made no reference to Super Micro either.

Lambda COO Mitesh Agrawal told us via email that Bloomberg’s reporting is accurate but would not share the investment size.

While announcing the fundraise , Lambda’s CEO, Stephen Balaban, said the company would need “lots of Nvidia GPUs” to accomplish its goal of becoming the “#1 AI compute platform in the world.”

As one former business head at Lambda told us, Super Micro was Lambda’s hardware backbone for these Nvidia GPUs:

“I’ve never heard of them [Lambda] using anyone else but Super Micro.”

Lambda’s support pages show the role of Super Micro hardware, listing user manuals for 10 Super Micro models, along with Gigabyte, a Taiwanese manufacturer.

Later, in June 2024, Super Micro announced a $600 million datacenter sublet arrangement with Lambda, the first public deal of its kind, per an industry media outlet that characterized it as “unusual”.

Super Micro CFO David Weigand gave no clear answer when questioned about the deal on an August 6 th , 2024, earnings call , saying:

“So we consider ourselves experts in datacenter solutions. And so this is really just one more facet of being a total provider.”

In short, Lambda seems to have purchased hardware and datacenter space through Super Micro, without disclosure of the potential related party nature of the deal owing to a Super Micro investment.

We think Super Micro should disclose any investment in Lambda and the details of any revenue arrangements between the two.

On October 25 th , 2023 Two Related Parties Run By CEO Liang’s Brothers, One Of Them Partially Owned By Super Micro’s CEO, Reportedly Invested In Leadtek

Leadtek’s website advertises server products that appear identical to super micro’s offerings, indicating a reseller arrangement.

Leadtek Research (2465 TT) is a listed small-cap Taiwanese company, which distributes and manufactures technology products, including servers, per its website and investor presentation . The company derives about 70-80% of its revenue from China, according to the company’s Chairman .

Super Micro has made no reference to Leadtek in any of its financial statements or press releases.

On October 25 th , 2023,Compuware Technology, a related party of Super Micro, run by Charles Liang’s brother disclosed that it had “joined forces with Super Micro and Ablecom to invest in Leadtek”, per its English press release .

The Super Micro investment apparently never happened. Instead, the related parties stepped into the role. Leadtek company documents show a private placement of NT 669 million (~$20 million) issued on November 21st, 2023. [ Pgs. 12-13 ] The shares were issued to Compuware (33.3%) and Ablecom Technology (66.6%), run by two of Super Micro CEO’s brothers. Super Micro’s CEO also has a 10.5% stake in Ablecom along with his wife.

At an investor day in December 2023, Leadtek’s CEO said that Super Micro had apparently not invested because of U.S. regulation, but stressed the long-standing relationship with Super Micro. [ 28:30 ]

Ablecom and Compuware now own 19.85% and 9.93% of Leadtek, according to Leadtek corporate filings in April 2024. That makes Ablecom and Compuware the largest individual shareholders of the company as no other shareholder holds more than 5%, per Leadtek.

Both of Charles Liang’s brothers later took board seats at Leadtek, on December 27 th , 2023, per Leadtek filings. [ Pg. 17 ]

Super Micro makes no reference to any transactions with Leadtek, despite advertising almost identical products, utilizing Super Micro parts on its website. [28] We reached out to Leadtek’s investor relations spokesperson, Michael Yang, to understand more about the relationship. He confirmed that Leadtek was using parts from Super Micro:

“We will take their [Super Micro’s] motherboard then take Ablecom’s case then Compuware’s power supply”. [Translation of Chinese]

The Leadtek spokesperson went on to say there was even a “tacit understanding of cooperation” with Super Micro for an investment into Leadtek:

“The three brothers [Charles, Steve & Bill Liang], our Chairman knows them all. There is some tacit understanding of cooperation, so they hope to invest in Leadtek, because we have been working on it for a long time.” [Translation of Chinese]

Given the circular nature of their relationship, the indirect ownership by Charles Liang andthe close ties to Super Micro, this appears to be a de facto, undisclosed related party.

Part IV: Major Product Issues, Poor After-Sales Service, And Mounting Competition Are Driving Key Customers To Leave Super Micro

Competitive threats have emerged from large technology companies like dell, putting super micro at risk with its largest customers, may 2024: “nobody is better at building end-to-end systems of very large scale for the enterprise than dell.” – jensen huang, nvidia ceo, key partner and chip supplier to super micro.

As with nearly all large-scale technology businesses, customer and partner referrals or recommendations are vital to driving revenue.

In Super Micro’s core U.S and European markets, which account for 71% of revenue , we found a slew of large, dissatisfied customers who had moved business away from Super Micro.

At the same time, competitive threats have emerged from major technology companies like Dell who have a long track record in serving the enterprise market. As Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, Super Micro’s largest supplier and partner, said just months ago :

“ Nobody is better at building end-to-end systems of very large scale for the enterprise than Dell.” (GTC Conference, March 2024, reported by Bloomberg )

Up until now, Super Micro’s early entry into the AI server market had given it an initial lead, but as a Lenovo executive we interviewed highlighted, late entrants (like Dell or Lenovo) are poised to take share:

“Now that they’ve [Super Micro] got competition, I think what you’re seeing is the likely outcome of a lot of these deals that when customers have actual choice, they’re going to go to a company that’s going to actually provide proper support, proper service.”

As a result, its pricing power has deteriorated. In the most recent Q4 2024, Super Micro increased revenue by 38% quarter over quarter, but its cost of goods sold increased by 45% over the same period. This indicates that despite a rapid increase in demand, Super Micro was unable to pass the costs on to its customers. [29] [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]

#1 Customer: Super Micro’s Largest Customer Over The Last Year Is CoreWeave, Per Bloomberg Intelligence

In december 2023, dell announced a deal from coreweave for “thousands” of gpu servers, potentially worth over $1 billion.

CoreWeave is a cloud infrastructure startup , backed by Nvidia, that offers high performance computing/GPU solutions that customers can rent.

Over the past year to Q3 2024, CoreWeave has been Super Micro’s largest customer, accounting for approximately 22% of revenue or around $2.6 billion, per Bloomberg Intelligence.

In December 2023, Dell for the first time announced an AI deal with CoreWeave, in which CoreWeave had agreed to purchase “thousands of servers” to help organizations with AI workloads.

As a result, it appears Super Micro has lost share with one of its largest accounts.

#2 Customer: In September 2023, Super Micro Was The Exclusive Server Supplier to Tesla, Per Barclays Research

Recent reports in may 2024 show dell has now won major deals from tesla, eroding super micro’s exclusivity, elon musk has said xai will be splitting business between the two companies, further suggesting a loss of exclusivity with musk entities.

Tesla, like CoreWeave, is one of Super Micro’s largest customers. [30] In September 2023, Barclays research suggested that Super Micro had an exclusive relationship with Tesla for AI servers.

Eight months later, in May 2024, media reports , citing an Evercore Research report stated that “Dell has won a large portion of business for Tesla’s (TSLA) AI Server buildout” and allocations are “heavily skewing” towards Dell, effectively eroding Super Micro’s exclusivity with Tesla.

Separately, Elon Musk announced through a series of posts on ‘X’ that his startup xAI would also be splitting its business 50/50 between Dell and Super Micro. [ 1 , 2 ]

#3 Customer: Super Micro Has Told Investors That It Is “Under-Indexed” (i.e., Does Less Business) With The World’s Largest Technology Companies Called “Hyper Scalers”

What it hasn’t mentioned: its failed relationship with amazon, “they were the first partner to aws. a lot of people don’t know that they were building the aws clusters until he [charles liang] pissed off jeff bezos and deliveries didn’t go and they got thrown out of there…” – former super micro sales director.

Amazon AWS is not only one of the largest cloud providers in the world, but is also one of the largest buyers of advanced Nvidia chips and providers of high performance/AI related services. In 2023, it was estimated that Amazon was tied for 3 rd largest purchaser of H100/H800 chips from Nvidia, per The Information , a technology focused business publication. In January 2024, Super Micro’s Vice President of Corporate Development, Michael Staiger, told investors that Super Micro was “under-indexed” (meaning it does less business) with hyper-scale customers, or large cloud service providers such as AWS, Microsoft and Google.

Former employees we interviewed told us that Super Micro’s early relationship with AWS for high performance clusters had soured. One sales director told us:

“They were the first partner to AWS. A lot of people don’t know that they were building the AWS clusters until he [Charles Liang] pissed off Jeff Bezos and deliveries didn’t go and they got thrown out of there , but they were the entry customer.”

Another senior salesperson added:

“[AWS] was definitely one of their early, larger rack scale opportunities. That was pretty massive, I believe. And they just saw it because, largely because Super Micro was in the infancy of that business, but also because they just don’t have processes and controls to have root, they don’t have a root cause corrective action process to continually make things better. They just don’t.”

Finally, a third business development director added:

“Let me just say that particular account [AWS], you know, was not a good example or actually it was a very good example of what not to do.”  

#4 Customer: In 2023, Digital Ocean, A US Cloud Service Provider, Moved Away From Super Micro To Dell After Service Issues, According To A Current Employee Of Digital Ocean “That Was A Train Wreck Of Sorts. They [Super Micro] Had Pretty Bad Reliability And You Just Couldn’t Pinpoint Like What Was Going On. Something Keeps Going Wrong,” They Told Us

Digital Ocean is an American cloud service provider, headquartered in New York.

Initially we were told that Digital Ocean had made a small test order from Super Micro around 2023, with a view to ordering 100 servers, per a current leader at the firm.

“What could be given because our actual order is we are talking about [a] hundred. So the ten is just the first.”

Commenting on the experience, the Digital Ocean leader told us:

“That was a train wreck of sorts. They [Super Micro] had pretty bad reliability and you just couldn’t pinpoint like what was going on. Something keeps going wrong. Took a long time and, as you can imagine, a lot of frustration on many sides.”

In the end, after service issues, Digital Ocean switched the larger part of its order to Dell:

“They [Dell] figured out that this is an opportunity and 90% of the [total server] order has not been done yet.…We definitely found that Dell was a way more willing partner in terms of ‘we will make sure you get the service delivered.’”

In short, Super Micro seems to have lost a large deal on the back of poor after-sales service.

#5 Customer: Super Micro Lists Its 2023 Deal With Genesis Cloud As A “Success Story” On Its Website Current And Former Genesis Employees: “Catastrophic. It Is, On The Technical Side, One Of My Worst Experiences I’ve Had…In The Industry.” “On The Whole We Had About A 10% Failure Rate And That Was Down At A Hardware Level And A Firmware Level Issue.”

Genesis Cloud is one of Europe’s largest GPU Cloud providers, per our conversations with industry experts, and is described as a “leader in offering high performance servers”, by Super Micro. [31] Super Micro declares its 2023 deal with Genesis a “success story” according to its website . As part of the deal, Super Micro says it provided its systems to run both Intel processors and Nvidia GPUs. [32] When we asked one former employee their experience of the Super Micro deal, they said:

“Catastrophic. It is, on the technical side, one of my worst experiences I’ve had…in the industry.”

A current employee explained the issues with the Super Micro servers Genesis bought:

“We had about a 10% failure rate and that was down at a hardware level and a firmware level issue.”

On the firmware side, they added:

“We encountered a bug that nearly lost us a customer that had been known for about nine months that simply wasn’t communicated to us [by Super Micro]…”

When asked on the way forward:

“We are evaluating Dell and Lenovo specifically. Those are two that we’re absolutely evaluating”.

We estimate Genesis could potentially be one of Super Micro’s largest European deals. Far from being a “success story”, it appears to be a deal riddled with issues. [33]

#6 Customer: GMI Cloud Is A GPU Cloud Provider, Founded In 2023, “Serving Top AI Customers In US and Asia”

An employee at gmi cloud cited a problem rate of 17.5% on its orders of 256 servers from super micro , gmi is now moving away from super micro to hpe, less than a year after its first order, per the employee.

GMI Cloud is an Asia and US focused cloud provider startup, “serving top AI customers in US and Asia” per the founder and CEO’s LinkedIn . The company was founded in 2023 and discloses Super Micro as its GPU server partner on its website.

We spoke to a current employee who told us that while Super Micro had a lower cost per unit than competitors like Dell and HP, there were many problems along the way:

“I think what you’re not calculating is all the soft costs that you have for having to kind of go through, your cost savings of what you think you’re getting quickly becomes a deficit when you have all these problems that come up and time to revenue because, you know, obviously we can’t bill clients when they can only use six out of eight [GPU] cards in a box.”

Out of a total order of ~256 GPU servers from Super Micro, estimated to cost $60-80 million, they told us the problem rate was around 17.5%: [34]

“Out of the 256, I’d say 45 servers out of the 256 had issues.”

They further went on to say even more basic parts like the Network Interface Controller (NIC) had failures right out the box:

“In the last six months, probably like 13 servers had NIC card problems, right out of the thing.”

As a result of the issues and time to resolution, they said GMI was moving away from Super Micro:

“Our next two orders that we placed in the US are with HPE.”

#7 Customer: In October 2023, NexGen Cloud, A Nvidia Partner, Disclosed It Was Investing $1 Billion To Build An AI Super Cloud In Europe With Over 20,000 Nvidia GPUs A NexGen Employee Told Us That Sometimes Up To Half Of Super Micro Orders Had Firmware Issues

NexGen Cloud is a UK based European leader in sustainable AI cloud infrastructure, per its website . In September 2023, it confirmed it will “invest $1 billion to build its AI Supercloud in Europe”, which would “eventually consist of more than 20,000 NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPUs”, per Capacity , a technology publication. Up until recently, the company had used a mix of Asus, Super Micro, and Dell servers for GPU compute, per a NexGen Cloud employee.

The employee explained that firmware was a constant issue with Super Micro servers and support around this was “challenging”:

“The more challenging thing is firmware related issues. I can’t go and find a support document with a firmware matrix that says this is the compatible versions, which is exactly what you get from Dell or HP or even Gigabyte…Whereas Super Micro you just kind of send it off and it comes back in Chinese”

Illustrating this practically, on initial orders, they explained that half of the machines in an order might have mismatched or wrong firmware:

“And out of the 20 machines we’d received from Super Micro, ten of them might have the right firmware, and ten of them might have the wrong firmware. Or ten NICs [Network Cards] would have a different firmware to the other one, which would manifest this weird slow booting thing or whatever.”

The employee said, after this experience, that they were trying to push all business to what they called “tier 1 providers” like HP and Dell.

Hindenburg Researcher: “Then why wouldn’t you just push everything into the tier ones like HP and Dell? “ NexGen Employee: “Yeah, exactly. “ Hindenburg Researcher: “ You mean you would basically? “ NexGen Employee: “Yeah, I would, yeah. I very much drive that internally. “

Ten Former Employees Confirmed That After-Sales Services Was Harming Super Micro’s Ability To Retain Customers “It’s Their Achilles Heel. It´s Just Horrible. Salespeople Hated To Sell Any Of Their On-Site Services.” – Senior Sales Director

On Super Micro’s Q2 2020 earnings call , when asked how large its global support staff was, management didn’t share a number.

Throughout our conversations with customers, distributors and former Super Micro employees, it became clear that after-sales support and service was vital for many startup and enterprise customers, given the complexity of workloads they were running.

However, at least 10 former Super Micro employees told us that Super Micro was consistently let down by its after sales and support. As one senior salesperson concluded:

“ It’s their Achilles heel. It´s just horrible. Salespeople hated to sell any of their on-site services. The service salespeople hated to sell any of their support. Just awful. It always came back to bite them just in terms of if they sold a certain SLA, service level agreement. Super Micro would never meet it.”

One sales director who left around 2021 told us the services team was small relative to the type of business it was supposed to support:

“Their service center sucks. They’re terrible. I mean, the whole of the post support service team. This is for a company that does 5.5 billion in a quarter, right? The whole of the post-support team is 20 people in the US.”

A CTO of a Super Micro customer in Europe told us on their experience in 2023 and 2024:

“It’s basically devolved down to the stage where Super Micro effectively have, I would say, one field engineer or specialist for GPU servers in all of EMEA. That’s the insane thing. He’s got one other guy helping him though, but he effectively at that point in time was a one man show.”

Part V: Evading Sanctions And Export Restrictions

Background: in 2006, super micro pleaded guilty to a felony count of export ban evasion, its current ceo told the new york times in 2008: “we were a new company and didn’t know every regulation. now, we are well trained and watch over this 24 hours a day.”.

In 2006, before Super Micro was listed, it pleaded guilty to one felony count of exporting computer components to Iran in 2001 and 2002 in violation of U.S. export bans. It was fined $150,000.

CEO Charles Liang was quoted by the New York Times blaming the crime on inexperience:

“We were a new company and didn’t know every regulation. Now, we are well trained and watch over this 24 hours a day.”

Based on our analysis of import-export records and other source material, strategic Super Micro components may once again be evading U.S. export restrictions.

Super Micro publishes an export control policy on its website but, as of mid-August 2024, had not updated the document since 2020 despite fast-changing regulations. It includes neither Russia nor China in the list of countries currently under U.S. sanctions or heightened scrutiny. [35]

The policy recognizes that “non-compliance with U.S. export control laws may result in substantial administrative, civil and criminal penalties against Supermicro and/or individual employees.”

The policy also states its employees will receive export compliance training and that Super Micro will perform “red flag screening” on its clients and training about potential export restrictions.

We do not believe that Super Micro adequately performed its own internal screening procedures, let alone others required by U.S. government agencies.

The U.S. Has Imposed Stringent Controls And Bans On Exports To Russia Of High-Performance Computers And Components Since The Invasion Of Ukraine

Super micro says it has “not recorded revenue” from russia since the day before the war started, but super micro exports to russia have spiked more than 3x since the invasion of ukraine in apparent contravention of the bans.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 th , 2022, the U.S has imposed increasingly stringent export controls on U.S. goods and technology, including foreign items produced with U.S. know-how and machinery, in an effort to undermine Russia´s “ aggressive military capabilities ”. [36]

Export restrictions are mandated by U.S. Export Administration Regulations (EAR) which include a Commerce Control List (CCL) of approximately 3,000 items that currently require an export license, including computers, computer assemblies, chips, switching devices, electronic components and microprocessors. [37]

Regulations indicate that applications to export most components on that list to Russia will generally be denied – effectively establishing an export ban. [ Section 746.5 ]

Super Micro has disclosed that its products are subject to U.S. trade bans and said it had entirely halted sales to Russia and had not recorded revenue from Russia since February 23, 2023 – the day prior to the invasion. [38]

But Super Micro products have been shipped to Russia in larger-than-ever volumes since the invasion of Ukraine, based on our analysis of more than 45,000 import and export transactions provided by trade aggregator Tradesparq. [39] [40]

U.S. government agencies, including the Department of Commerce´s Bureau of Industry and Security, have issued repeated warnings about red flags indicating controlled goods may be getting illicitly diverted to Russia. [41] [42]

Prior to the war, between January 1 st , 2020, and February 23 rd , 2022 – the last date Super Micro said it booked revenue for Russia sales – $60.7 million of Super Micro products were exported to Russia either directly by Super Micro or by third-party exporters, per available Tradesparq data. [43]

After the invasion of Ukraine, between February 24 th , 2022, and to June 30 th , 2024- the end of Super Micro’s fiscal year – the export of Super Micro products to Russia spiked. Approximately $210 million of Super Micro products were shipped to Russia in that period – in apparent contravention of U.S. export bans – per Tradesparq.

Super Micro appears to have ceased direct exports, as disclosed. However, 10 third-party exporters handled two-thirds of the shipments to Russia and more than 220 other entities – 3x more than pre-invasion – handled the remainder, per Tradesparq. The largest exporters were based in Turkey, China and the UAE – all transshipment countries identified by the U.S. government. [44]

The export values are based on declared customs value. The actual revenue generated for Super Micro or intermediaries may have been multiples higher, given that technology prices in Russia are being boosted by scarcity amid heavy sanctions and price gouging via black-market supply routes, per NATO. [45]

Super Micro said in its 2023 filings that the impact of U.S. export bans was unlikely to be material and said sales to Russia and Belarus had not been material prior to the invasion. [46]

In calendar year 2023, exports of Super Micro products to Russia rose to $126.6 million – 9.6x higher than in 2021 – per Tradesparq data. That value was equivalent to 4.9% of Super Micro´s total worldwide sales, excluding the U.S., in calendar 2023, per filings. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ] [47]

The actual result as a percentage of worldwide sales may be much higher given that trade data shows the declared customs value, not the actual value of revenue derived from wartime Russia.

The U.S. Government Has Repeatedly Warned Companies To Step Up Export Compliance Efforts To Prevent Goods Being Illegally Smuggled To Russia

Many of the red flags government agencies have raised closely reflect the pattern of super micro exports, super micro appears to have paid no heed to publicly visible warning signs or the company’s own screening policy.

The U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) has specifically advised multinational companies to step up due diligence and export compliance efforts, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. [ Pg. 4 ]

The BIS has warned companies to scrutinize export orders from new customers, to be on the lookout for an increase in orders of certain components, and to check that larger orders of controlled items are not broken down into smaller shipments to avoid detection. [48] [Pg. 5 ]

It has also published a list of countries that may be used as transshipment points for restricted items en route to Russia, including Taiwan, Kazakhstan, China, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. [ Pg.7 ]

These are all fact patterns that we have observed regarding the export of Super Micro parts to Russia, based on our analysis of Tradesparq data.

Given repeated warnings by the U.S. and other coalition governments, we would expect Super Micro – a company with significant international trade and a track-record of non-compliance – to be hyper attentive to U.S. government guidance. This is especially so given the company’s own policy stating it will perform “red flag screening” on its clients.

Clearly a large spike in the value of exports to Russia during a major geopolitical event, combined with a slew of new intermediaries in high-risk countries, should have prompted reflection.

Instead, it appears Super Micro has simply ridden the wave of rising demand for its products in Russia.

At Least 46 Companies That Handled Super Micro Products To Russia Are Now Under OFAC Sanctions Or On U.S. Government Watchlists

Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) sanctions are part of a package of national emergency measures to hamper the “ technology sector or the defense and related materiel sector of the Russian Federation economy”. Others have been designed to combat Russian cyber-attacks and meddling in U.S. elections. [49] That means that U.S. companies cannot provide any goods, services or otherwise engage in business with sanctioned entities nor receive payment from them.

Since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a web of at least 235 exporters and 185 importers have been shipping Super Micro parts into Russia, per Tradesparq data.

At least 17 of those exporters are currently subject to U.S. Treasury Department OFAC blocking sanctions . [50] And at least 17 of the importers in that period are also currently sanctioned by OFAC. [51]

Another 11 exporters of Super Micro products to Russia after the invasion, listed by Tradesparq, currently feature on the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security´s (BIS) so-called “parties of concern” or entity list . [52] [53] Additionally, at least one of the importer entities are listed on the BIS entity list. [54]

That list, included in the U.S. government´s consolidated screening list , comprises individuals and entities engaged in sanctioned activities and/or actions “contrary to U.S. national security and/or foreign policy interests”.

Of the overall total, the 28 exporters now on sanctions lists or watchlists appear to have exported about $44.5 million of Super Micro products to Russia since its invasion of Ukraine, per Tradesparq data.

The 18 importers on those sanctions and watchlists, have handled about $80.5 million of imports of Super Micro products since the invasion of Ukraine.

While only 3 of the exporters and 6 of the importers appear to have handled Super Micro goods even after they were sanctioned or watchlisted, the products they were shipping to Russia were already subject to stringent export controls – tantamount to an export ban – after February 24 th , 2022.

Their role in shipping goods in contravention of trade restrictions – sanctions busting – would have contributed to their inclusion on U.S. government lists.

Almost 2/3 Of Super Micro Exports To Russia Since The February 2022 Invasion Correspond To “High Priority” Components That The Russian Military May Be Diverting To The Battlefield, Per U.S. Government Warnings

In February 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security issued additional clarification and a so-called Common High Priority List of 50 high-priority components, and their corresponding Harmonized System (“HS”) Codes, that are banned from export to Russia, stating: [55]

“While BIS’s controls cover a vast array of items necessary to fuel Russia’s war machine, certain items are more significant to Russian weaponry than others.”

Based on our analysis of available Tradesparq data, 62.8% – or $131.9 million – of Super Micro exports to Russia since the invasion of Ukraine until June 30 th , 2024, correspond to HS prefix 8471.50. This is one of the codes listed on the Bureau´s “ common high priority list ”   (CHPL), which is broadly described as processing units such as “storage units, input units, [and] output units”. [56] [57]

One Of The Biggest Importers Of Super Micro Products Is A Supplier To One Of Russia´s Largest “Super Computers” At A Once-Secret, Now Sanctioned Research Center

It has received at least $46.3 million of super micro products since the start of the russia-ukraine war, per tradesparq data.

Moscow-based Niagara Computers has been a longstanding distributor of Super Micro products judging by certificates dating from 1999 , 2002 , 2004 and 2007 posted on its website.

After the invasion of Ukraine, Niagara became the single largest importer of Super Micro products to Russia, receiving $46.3 million – or 22% of the total – between June 2022 and December 2023, per Tradesparq. [58]

Niagara Computers – not currently on U.S. sanctions lists – states that one of the stand-out projects it is involved in is “one of the most powerful supercomputers in Russia” at the formerly secret  Kurchatov Institute .

That facility is a Russian state organization that leads research and development in nuclear energy – including nuclear weapons – aviation materials, electronics and computer science, per its website . 

The institute has been on the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security watchlist since September 2022. Its aviation materials research unit has been under OFAC blocking sanctions since March 2022 while its structural materials research unit has been under OFAC sanctions since December 2022 .

Super Micro Appears To Have Continued Supplying Longstanding Customer Niagara Computers Via An “Insanely Intimate” Distributor In California

The ceo of the california company and the russian entity is the same person.

We believe that all the common-sense indicators suggest that Super Micro continued to knowingly supply one of its longstanding Russian customers first via a California distributor operated by a key executive of one of its authorized partners and later via a web of Turkish shell companies.

Trade data shows Super Micro exporting goods directly to Niagara until February 24 th , 2022, the day Russia invaded Ukraine.

Then between July 12 th , 2022 and February 8 th 2023, a California entity named Business Development International took over exports of Super Micro products to Niagara – in apparent contravention of U.S. trade restrictions – per import-export data.

In just a little more than 6 months, Business Development International shipped more than $5.8 million of “computing machine devices”, “data processing blocks” and “parts and accessories” solely to Niagara Computers in Russia, per Tradesparq.

Of those exports, 94.9% correspond to the HS prefix 8471.50 – one of the codes later specifically listed on the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security´s “ common high priority list ”   (CHPL) of items that Russia has been procuring for battlefield use.

It appears Business Development International, or at least its key executives were clearly well-known to Super Micro, as were their commercial ties with Russia.

The company’s local office was less than 2 miles from Super Micro´s headquarters. [59]

The CEO of Business Development International is named as Dmitri Garanov. A search of his Idaho address via public records aggregator Lexis Nexis lists his initial as Dmitri N. Garanov.

Dmitri Nikolaievich Garanov is also the full name of the chairman and majority shareholder of Niagara Computers in Moscow, per Russian corporate registry data. Effectively, Super Micro appears to be selling components directly to its longstanding Russian customer via a California front company run by the same CEO.

Business Development International’s CFO, Mariya Zevelyov had also held the same position at Viatech International Trade Corporation, which was incorporated in 1997 and was still listed as an authorized partner for the Ukraine and Kazakhstan markets on Super Micro’s website as of August 2024. [60]  

An archived version of the Viatech website from 2018 shows the entity was a distributor for Super Micro and includes information in Russian in which it says it has “accumulated vast experience in logistics, especially with the CIS countries”.

On its website, Viatech boasted of its proximity to Super Micro and their “almost insanely intimate” business relationship.

We reached CFO Zevelyov by phone and she confirmed she had known Dmitri Garanov since the mid-1990s and that he was both CEO of Business Development International in California and president and owner of Niagara Computers in Russia.

When asked about exports of Super Micro components to Russia following the invasion of Ukraine, she responded:

“I don’t know. Can you ask Dmitri [Garanov] because I am not aware what he was doing.”

When asked about her role as CFO at Business Development International she responded:

“I just helped, nothing. I just help him [Dmitri Garanov] sometimes. If he asked me to transfer money. Yes, I help him. Like accountant.”

As The California Distributor Wound Down Exports, 3 Newly-Created Turkish Shell Entities Then Took Over Shipments To Niagara Computers

Just as California-based Business Development International’s export operations were winding down, three recently-created Turkish companies took over shipping Super Micro products to Niagara.

The largest, Koc Gemicilik Ve Tasimacilik , was incorporated on January 11 th 2022 – about five weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine, per the Turkish corporate gazette . [61]

The company only has a basic website in English, Russian and Turkish and vaguely introduces itself as the “ largest Turkish company providing various types of services and facilities”. [62] [63]

Between March 6 th 2023 and December 21 st 2023, Koc Gemicilik Ve Tasimacilik exported $32.1 million of Super Micro products solely to Niagara in Russia, per Tradesparq. [64]

In June 2024, Koc Gemicilik Ve Tasimacilik was placed under U.S. sanctions for its role in smuggling restricted items to Russia.

The other two export intermediaries, Alfament Yazilim Teknoloji and AMD Ithalat Ihracat were both incorporated in Turkey within two months of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, per the Turkish corporate gazette .

Neither entity nor their sole shareholders appear to have any significant online presence.

Between January 2023 and October 2023, those two entities shipped a combined $8.3 million of Super Micro components to Niagara, per Tradesparq. The vast majority of those products corresponded to HS trade prefix 8471.50 – items the U.S. says are being diverted for military use.

Newly-created Turkish entities, run by Ukrainian and Russian citizens, with little or no trading history and little or no online presence would have been an unmissable warning sign during even the most rudimentary due diligence and export compliance checks.

One Of Super Micro´s “Authorized Partners” Has Exported More Than $10.25 Million Of Super Micro Components To Russia Since The War

Its largest russian customer – who advertises itself as a super micro partner – supplies the russian secret police, a naval guidance systems and electronics research center and the orlan-10 drone maker.

Under its partnership program , Super Micro provides basic and monthly training , permits co-branding and offers co-op marketing funds to “ trusted ” distributors and resellers globally.

Super Micro lists IT distributor Beiliande as an “authorized partner” in the “ where to buy ” section of its main website. [65]

Between November 2 nd , 2022 and November 14 th , 2023, Beiliande exported Super Micro products with a declared customs value of approximately $10.25 million to Russia – via both its Shenzhen and Hong Kong operations, per Tradesparq.

The largest single Russian customer supplied by Beiliande was called Asilan , based in St Petersburg, which received goods with a declared customs value of about $3.6 million, per Tradesparq. [66]

Asilan´s website provides a list of 19 of its top clients – at least a quarter of which are subject to U.S. wartime sanctions. These include:

• federal security service and successor to the infamous KGB – currently under U.S. sanctions .
• Russian state research institute , which produces advanced navigation, gyroscopy and submarine electronics and is also sanctioned by the U.S.
• also sanctioned by the U.S.
• Gazprombank , Russia´s third largest bank, and Miran , a server rental and data center provider – also both under U.S. sanctions.

Asilian states on the website that it is a partner of Super Micro , provides a link to Super Micro in Holland and features photos with Asilan personnel carrying boxes marked with the Super Micro logo. Its website features multiple links to what it says are Super Micro servers and data storage systems. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]

Almost $30 Million Of Super Micro Components Were Shipped To Russia´s Largest Importer Of Dual Use Civilian-Military Chips Via A Hong Kong Entity Created 7 Weeks After The War Began

Moscow-based IT distributor Vneshekostil received about $29.4 million of Super Micro products following Russia´s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, per Tradesparq. It appears to have had no prior trading relationship with Super Micro and received most of the components via a Hong Kong exporter created seven weeks after the war began. [67]

Vneshekostil was sanctioned by the U.S. in September 2023 after it became “one of the largest importers of dual-use chips into Russia”, per the U.S. Treasury.

Super Micro Has A Joint Venture With A Chinese State-Run Company Called Fiberhome, Which Is Involved In A Campaign Of “Human Rights Violations And Abuses”, High-Tech Surveillance And Repression Of Ethnic Communities In Western China

Super micro has sold ~$196 million of sophisticated computer components to the joint venture since its chinese majority owner was watchlisted by the u.s. government in 2020, super micro is vague about naming this entity in its u.s. public filings.

In October 2016 , Super Micro agreed to a joint venture partnership with a Chinese state-owned technology company, per a Super Micro investor call .

Super Micro has a 30% stake and the controlling 70% is held by the Chinese entity, per filings.

Super Micro largely glosses over the relationship and does not specifically identify either the joint venture nor its Chinese business partner in its U.S. filings, though it mentioned the business partner name on investor conference calls in 2017.

The JV partner – Fiberhome Telecommunication Technologies – is named in the filings of a Super Micro subsidiary’s annual report in the Netherlands. The joint venture entity is called Fiberhome Supermicro Information Technologies. [68] [ Pg. 28 ]

FiberHome Telecommunication is a Chinese state controlled entity located in the city of Wuhan, in central China, with the Chinese government holding 70% voting rights, per the Sovereign Wealth Institute and China company records. [69]

The parent group, Fiberhome Technologies Group , along with eight “aliases” and a subsidiary, including Fiberhome Telecommunication, have all been watchlisted by the U.S. Bureau Of Industry and Security (BIS) on its “ entity list ” since 2020.

Specifically, the U.S. government said the move was aimed at restricting Fiberhome´s access to U.S. technology, accusing it of being:

“Complicit in human rights violations and abuses committed in China’s campaign of repression, mass arbitrary detention, forced labor and high-technology surveillance against Uighurs, ethnic Kazakhs, and other members of Muslim minority groups in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region”. [70]

The U.S. government has categorized China´s actions in Xinjiang as “genocide and crimes against humanity” with at least 1 million Uyghurs illegally imprisoned and subjected to a litany of abuse including forced labor and torture.

Super Micro discloses that its Chinese business partner has been watchlisted by the U.S. government but it consistently fails to mention the name of its controlling partner nor detail the reasons for investors.

Since July 1, 2020, in the three full fiscal years immediately after the U.S. government flagged Fiberhome´s complicity in the brutal repression of China´s ethnic Uighur minority, Super Micro disclosed it has shipped $196.4 million of high-tech components to the joint venture. [71]

Super Micro justifies its continued participation in the joint venture along with the sale of highly sensitive technology, arguing that it believes it is in compliance with U.S. government controls because the joint venture entity itself is not watchlisted , even though the partner and numerous related entities are.

Super Micro’s lenders, Bank of America, ING and HSBC have a different view. A credit agreement amendment filed in 2022 specifically added language declaring the JV to be a restricted investment, saying Super Micro shall not :

“use the proceeds of any Revolver Loan, or any other credit extended by any Lender, to directly make an Investment in, or otherwise directly support, FiberHome Supermicro Information Technology Co Ltd.” [72]

Super Micro´s Chinese JV Appears To Have Won A 2021 Tender To Supply The Xinjiang Production And Construction Corps – A State-Run Paramilitary Force That Operates Prisons And Forced Labor Camps For Ethnic Minorities

That paramilitary organization had been placed under u.s. sanctions from july 2020, prohibiting u.s. entities from all transactions, including goods and services.

Super Micro’s Chinese JV – Fiberhome Supermicro Information Technologies – says that it provides servers and storage systems for cloud computing, big data and AI to top customers across China and the storage industry, per its website .

In November 2021, Fiberhome Supermicro Information Technologies was awarded a tender to supply the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, per an archived notice on Qixin.com, an aggregator service for Chinese corporate filings and notices.

The notice specifies the tender was for server equipment and includes a project number. But we were unable to obtain further details about the specification of the equipment, the value of the winning bid or the intended purpose of the equipment.

On July 31 st , 2020, 16 months prior to that tender being awarded to Super Micro´s Chinese JV, the U.S. Treasury Department had placed the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps under blocking sanctions for its key role in the “serious human rights abuse” of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in China´s western Xinjiang region.

The OFAC notification explicitly states:

“The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any blocked person or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods or services from any such person.”

The Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC) is “a paramilitary organization in the XUAR (Xinjiang) that is subordinate to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)” and has been “implementing a comprehensive surveillance, detention, and indoctrination program targeting Uyghurs and members of other ethnic minority groups”, per the U.S. Treasury notice. [73]

Conclusion: A Serial Recidivist

All told, we believe Super Micro is a classic case of recidivism. Its actions suggest that it hasn’t changed from its checkered past regarding its revenue recognition and accounting practices.

While the company gained an initial lead in supporting the AI industry, it seems to be cutting corners on its accounting, sanctions compliance, and product quality, all while more credible competitors eat away at its margins and market share.

Appendix I:

Super micro built its factory right next door to the ceo´s brothers in taiwan, now super micro, ablecom and compuware are building another shared “technology park” in malaysia.

Super Micro´s facilities in Taiwan are co-located with its two disclosed related parties Ablecom and Compuware. [74]

Super Micro built a new, custom, nine-story high, ~800,000 sq. ft facility in 2019, per a corporate press release. Despite building this large facility for itself, as of the end of 2023, Super Micro continued to lease 160,0000 sq. ft of space in Taiwan from its related parties Ablecom and Compuware, including warehouse , manufacturing and office space .

There is little clarity about how the production campus has been developed since 2010 and more importantly how capital expenditure costs have been split. [75]

Now, all three companies – headed by the three Liang brothers – are simultaneously setting up new, multi-million dollar operations in Malaysia, per filings and a corporate website .

While Super Micro describes Ablecom and Compuware setting up in “ close proximity ” in Malaysia, photos published by Compuware indicate all three companies are creating a shared industrial campus as confirmed by a site visit by a Hindenburg researcher to Senhai Airport industrial park.

Super Micro’s side-by-side construction with Ablecom and Compuware, first in Taiwan and now in Malaysia, shows logistical and financial coordination between all three entities. They appear to be taking decisions in unison on manufacturing capacity and capital expenditure in a way we would more typically expect from a parent and its subsidiaries rather than separate related parties.

Top 400 Information Technology Research Topics – Full Guide!

The field of IT is progressive and ever-changing due to the rapid development of hardware, software, and networking technologies. The demand for innovative research in IT has also continued to rise as businesses and organizations embrace digital systems and data-driven solutions. 

Understanding the salient areas of study in IT will help professionals keep up with changes that arise and enable organizations to leverage emerging technologies effectively. 

Cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, cloud computing , and big data analytics have emerged through IT research. These fundamental factors shape the modern technology landscape, giving rise to immense possibilities for boosting productivity, raising efficiency, and improving competitiveness across sectors. 

However, companies wanting to navigate the complexities of today’s digital age and exploit new technological advances must examine some of the latest IT research topics.

Understanding Information Technology Research

Table of Contents

In the world of technology, research is a compass that helps us navigate its convoluted evolutions. For instance, Information Technology (IT) research has been conducted in computer science, software engineering, data analytics, and cybersecurity.

IT research involves systematic inquiry to advance knowledge, problem-solving, and innovation. This includes conducting rigorous experiments and analyzing results to unveil new theories or approaches that improve technologies or bring breakthroughs.

Therefore, interdisciplinarity is at the core of IT research, with collaboration cutting across various disciplines. Whether using AI to reinforce cyber security or big data analytics in healthcare, collaboration leads to solutions to complex problems.

This is because IT research is changing rapidly due to technological advances. Thus, researchers need to be up-to-date to make meaningful contributions.

Ethics are involved so that technology can be responsibly deployed. The researchers grapple with privacy, security, bias, and equity issues to ensure technology benefits society.

As a result of this publication and conferences, which enable dissemination of findings, leading to further innovations, collaboration has supported progress, hence speeding it up.

Understanding IT research is vital for leveraging technology to address societal challenges and foster positive change.

Recommended Readings: “ Top 109+ Media Bias Research Topics | Full Guide! “.

Picking the Right Topic to Research: The Key to Finding New Things 

In the always-changing world of information technology, choosing the proper topic to research is like starting a smart path. It’s a big decision that sets where your hard work will go and how much your findings could mean.

Fitting with Industry Moves and Issues

Finding a research topic that fits current industry moves and big issues is important. By staying informed on the latest happenings and problems in the technology field, you can ensure your research stays useful and helps solve real-world troubles.

Growing Fresh Ideas and Practical Uses

Choosing a research topic that generates fresh ideas and practical applications is crucial. Your findings should not just add to school talks but also lead to real solutions that can be used in real situations, pushing technology forward and making work smoother.

Sparking Mind Curiosity and Excitement

Selecting a research topic that sparks your curiosity and excitement is essential. When you dive into an area that truly fascinates you, the research journey becomes more engaging, and your drive to uncover big insights is stronger.

Finding Gaps and Unexplored Areas

Finding gaps in existing knowledge or unexplored areas in the technology landscape can lead to big discoveries. Entering uncharted spaces can uncover fresh insights and meaningfully advance the field.

Considering Potential Wide Effect and Growth

Considering your research topic’s potential wide effect and growth is crucial. Will your findings have far-reaching effects across industries? Can your solutions grow and shift to address changing challenges? Evaluating these things can help you prioritize research areas with the greatest potential for big impact.

By carefully choosing the right research topic, you can open the door to discoveries, push technology forward, and contribute to the constant evolution of the technology information landscape.

Top 400 Information Technology Research Topics

The list of the top 400 information technology research topics is organized into different categories. Let’s examine it. 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML)

• Easy AI: Explaining and Using
• Group Learning: Getting Better Together
• AI in Health: Diagnosing and Helping
• Robots Learning on Their Own
• Being Fair with Computers
• Talking to Computers in Normal Language
• AI Fighting Bad Guys on the Internet
• AI Driving Cars: How Safe Is It?
• Sharing What We’ve Learned with Other Machines
• AI in Schools: Computers Learning About You

Cybersecurity and Encryption

• Trusting Computers: How to Stay Safe
• Keeping Secrets Safe with Fancy Math
• Secret Codes Computers Use: Safe or Not?
• Spy Games: Watching Out for Bad Stuff
• Keeping Secrets, Even from Friends
• Your Body as Your Password: Is It Safe?
• Fighting Against Computer Ransomers
• Keeping Your Secrets Secret, Even When Sharing
• Making Sure Your Smart Stuff Isn’t Spying on You
• Insuring Against Computer Bad Luck

Data Science and Big Data

• Sharing Secrets: How to Be Safe
• Watching the World in Real-Time
• Big Data: Big Computers Handling Big Jobs
• Making Data Pretty to Look At
• Cleaning Up Messy Data
• Predicting the Future with Numbers
• Finding Patterns in Connected Dots
• Keeping Your Secrets Safe in Big Data
• Sharing Our Secrets Without Telling Anyone
• Helping the Planet with Numbers

Cloud Computing

• Computers Without a Home: Where Do They Live?
• Keeping Computers Close to Home
• Moving Our Stuff to New Homes
• Juggling Many Clouds at Once
• Making Computers That Live in the Cloud
• Keeping Clouds Safe from Bad Guys
• Keeping Clouds Safe from Sneaky Spies
• Making Sure Clouds Do What They’re Supposed To
• Computers Need Energy Too!
• Making the Internet of Things Even Smarter

Internet of Things (IoT)

• Smart Stuff Everywhere: How Does It Work?
• Watching Out for Bad Stuff in Smart Things
• Smart Stuff: Is It Safe?
• Taking Care of Smart Toys
• Making Smart Things That Don’t Need Batteries
• Making Smart Factories Even Smarter
• Smart Cities: Making Cities Better Places to Live
• Your Clothes Can Be Smart, Too!
• Helping Farmers with Smart Farming
• Keeping Secrets Safe in Smart Stuff

Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)

• Magic Glasses: How Do They Work?
• Making Computers Easy to Use
• Making Computers for Everyone
• Talking to Computers with Your Hands
• Making Sure Computers Are Nice to People
• Talking to Computers with Your Voice
• Playing with Computers, You Can Touch
• Trusting Computers to Drive for Us
• Computers That Understand Different People
• Making Computers That Read Our Minds

Software Engineering

• Making Computers Work Together Smoothly
• Building Computers from Tiny Pieces
• Playing Games to Make Computers Better
• Making Sure Computers Work Right
• Making Old Computers New Again
• Making Computers Like to Exercise
• Making Computers Easier to Understand
• Building Computers with Blueprints
• Making Sure Computers Don’t Get Sick
• Sharing Computer Secrets with Everyone

Mobile Computing

• Keeping Phones Safe from Bad Guys
• Making Apps for Every Kind of Phone
• Keeping Phones Safe in the Cloud
• Finding Your Way with Your Phone
• Paying with Your Phone: Safe or Not?
• Checking Your Health with Your Phone
• Seeing the World Through Your Phone
• Wearing Your Phone on Your Wrist
• Learning on the Go with Your Phone
• Making Phones Even Smarter with Clouds

Networking and Communications

• Making Sure Computers Can Talk to Each Other
• Making Computers Work Together Without Wires
• Making the Internet Faster for Everyone
• Getting More Internet Addresses for More Computers
• Cutting the Internet into Pieces
• Making the Internet Even More Invisible
• Talking to Computers with Light
• Making Sure Tiny Computers Talk to Each Other
• Sending Messages Even When It’s Hard
• Making the Radio Smarter for Computers

Bioinformatics and Computational Biology

• Reading Your DNA with Computers
• Making Medicine Just for You
• Meeting the Microscopic World with Computers
• Building Computer Models of Living Things
• Finding New Medicine with Computers
• Building Computer Models of Tiny Machines
• Making Family Trees for Living Things
• Counting Germs with Computers
• Making Big Lists of Living Things
• Making Computers Think Like Brains

Quantum Computing

• Making Computers Better at Some Math Problems
• Keeping Computers Safe from Small Mistakes
• Making Computers Even Harder to Spy On
• Making Computers Learn Faster with Quantum Tricks
• Making Fake Worlds for Computers to Explore
• Building Computers from Super-Cold Stuff
• Making Computers Cold to Think Better
• Making Computers Think Like Chemists
• Making the Internet Even Safer with Computers
• Showing Off What Computers Can Do Best

Green Computing

• Saving Energy with Computers
• Using Wind and Sun to Power Computers
• Making Phones Last Longer Without Plugging In
• Making Computers Kinder to the Planet
• Recycling Old Computers to Save the Earth
• Computers That Care About Their Trash
• Saving Energy in Big Rooms Full of Computers
• Making Computers Save Energy and Work Faster
• Counting the Trash from Computers
• Making Computers Kinder to the Planet’s Air

Information Systems

• Making Computers Work Together in Big Companies
• Making Computers Remember Their Friends
• Making Computers Share What They Know
• Making Computers Smart About Money
• Making Computers Send Presents to Their Friends
• Helping Computers Make Big Decisions
• Making Government Computers Talk to Each Other
• Making Computers Count Likes and Shares
• Assisting computers to Find What You Asked For
• Assisting companies to Keep Their Friends Happy

Semantic Web and Linked Data

• Making Computers Understand Each Other Better
• Making Computers Talk About Themselves
• Making the Internet More Friendly for Computers
• Helping Computers Find What They Need
• Making Computers Smarter by Talking to Each Other
• Making Computers Friends with Different Languages
• Making Computers Understand Different Ideas
• Making Computers Think Like Us
• Making Computers Smarter About Old Stuff
• Making Computers Share Their Secrets Safely

Social Computing and Online Communities

• Making Friends on the Internet
• Getting Good Suggestions from the Internet
• Making Computers Work Together to Solve Problems
• Learning from Your Friends on the Internet
• Stopping Fake News on the Internet
• Knowing How People Feel on the Internet
• Helping Each Other on the Internet During Emergencies
• Making Sure Computers Are Nice to Everyone
• Keeping Secrets on the Internet
• Making the Internet a Better Place for Everyone

Game Development and Virtual Worlds

• Making Games That Play Fair
• Letting Computers Make Their Fun
• Making Fake Worlds for Fun
• Learning with Games
• Making the Rules for Fun
• Watching How People Play Together
• Seeing Things That Aren’t There
• Letting Lots of People Play Together
• Making the Engines for Fun
• Playing Games to Learn

E-Learning and Educational Technology

• Making Learning Easy for Everyone
• Taking Classes on the Internet
• Learning from Your Computer’s Teacher
• Learning from What Computers Know
• Learning Anywhere with Your Computer
• Making Learning Fun with Games
• Learning Without a Real Lab
• Learning with Free Stuff on the Internet
• Mixing School with Your Computer
• Making School More Fun with Your Computer

Digital Forensics and Incident Response

• Solving Computer Mysteries
• Looking for Clues in Computers
• Finding Bad Guys on the Internet
• Looking for Clues on Phones and Tablets
• Hiding Clues on Computers
• Helping When Computers Get Sick
• Solving Mysteries While the Computer Is On
• Finding Clues on Your Smart Watch
• Finding Tools for Finding Clues
• Following the Rules When Solving Mysteries

Wearable Technology and Smart Devices

• Keeping Healthy with Smart Watches
• Making Clothes That Talk to Computers
• Listening to the Earth with Your Shirt
• Wearing Glasses That Show Cool Stuff
• Making Your Home Smarter with Your Phone
• Using Your Body to Unlock Your Phone
• Helping People Move with Special Shoes
• Assisting people to See with Special Glasses
• Making Your Clothes Do More Than Keep You Warm
• Keeping Secrets Safe on Your Smart Stuff

Robotics and Automation

• Making Friends with Robots
• Letting Robots Do the Hard Work
• Robots That Work Together Like Ants
• Learning Tricks from People
• Robots That Feel Like Jelly
• Helping Doctors and Nurses with Robots
• Robots That Help Farmers Grow Food
• Making Cars Without People
• Teaching Robots to Recognize Things
• Robots That Learn from Animals

Health Informatics

• Computers That Help Doctors Keep Track of Patients
• Sharing Secrets About Your Health with Other Computers
• Seeing the Doctor on Your Computer
• Keeping Track of Your Health with Your Phone
• Making Medicine Better with Computers
• Keeping Your Health Secrets Safe with Computers
• Learning About Health with Computers
• Keeping Health Secrets Safe on the Internet
• Watching Out for Germs with Computers
• Making Sure the Doctor’s Computer Plays Nice

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

• Watching the World Change with Computers
• Making Maps on the Internet
• Seeing the World from Very Far Away
• Finding Hidden Patterns with Computers
• Making Cities Better with Computers
• Keeping Track of the Earth with Computers
• Keeping Track of Wild Animals with Computers
• Making Maps with Everyone’s Help
• Seeing the World in 3D
• Finding Things on the Map with Your Phone

Knowledge Management

• Helping Computers Remember Things
• Making Computers Talk About What They Know
• Finding Secrets in Big Piles of Data
• Helping Companies Remember What They Know
• Sharing Secrets with Computers at Work
• Making Computers Learn from Each Other
• Making Computers Talk About Their Friends
• Making Companies Remember Their Secrets
• Keeping Track of What Companies Know

Computational Linguistics and Natural Language Processing (NLP)

• Finding Out How People Feel on the Internet
• Finding Names and Places in Stories
• Making Computers Talk to Each Other
• Making Computers Answer Questions
• Making Summaries for Busy People
• Making Computers Understand Stories
• Making Computers Understand Pictures and Sounds
• Making Computers Learn New Words
• Making Computers Remember What They Read
• Making Sure Computers Aren’t Mean to Anyone

Information Retrieval and Search Engines

• Finding Stuff on the Internet
• Getting Suggestions from the Internet
• Finding Stuff at Work
• Helping Computers Find Stuff Faster
• Making Computers Understand What You Want
• Finding Stuff on Your Phone
• Finding Stuff When You’re Moving
• Finding Stuff Near Where You Are
• Making Sure Computers Look Everywhere for What You Want

Computer Vision

• Finding Stuff in Pictures
• Cutting Up Pictures
• Watching Videos for Fun
• Learning from Lots of Pictures
• Making Pictures with Computers
• Finding Stuff That Looks Like Other Stuff
• Finding Secrets in Medical Pictures
• Finding Out If Pictures Are Real
• Looking at People’s Faces to Know Them

Quantum Information Science

• Making Computers Learn Faster with Tricks

Social Robotics

• Robots That Help People Who Have Trouble Talking
• Robots That Teach People New Things
• Making Robots Work with People
• Helping Kids Learn with Robots
• Making Sure Robots Aren’t Mean to Anyone
• Making Robots Understand How People Feel
• Making Friends with Robots from Different Places
• Making Sure Robots Respect Different Cultures
• Helping Robots Learn How to Be Nice

Cloud Robotics

• Making Robots Work Together from Far Away
• Making Robots Share Their Toys
• Making Robots Do Hard Jobs in Different Places
• Making Robots Save Energy
• Making Robots Play Together Nicely
• Making Robots Practice Being Together
• Making Sure Robots Play Fair
• Making Robots Follow the Rules

Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS)

• Making Robots Work Together with Other Things
• Keeping Robots Safe from Small Mistakes
• Keeping Factories Safe from Bad Guys
• Making Sure Robots Respect Different People
• Making Sure Robots Work Well with People
• Keeping Robots Safe from Bad Guys
• Making Sure Robots Follow the Rules

Biomedical Imaging

• Taking Pictures of Inside You with Computers
• Seeing Inside You with Computers
• Cutting Up Pictures of Inside You
• Finding Problems Inside You with Computers
• Cutting Up Pictures and Putting Them Together
• Counting Inside You with Pictures
• Making Pictures to Help Doctors
• Making Lists from Pictures Inside You
• Making Sure Pictures of You Are Safe

Remote Sensing

• Watching Earth from Far Away with Computers
• Making Pictures of Earth Change
• Taking Pictures from Very High Up
• Watching Crops Grow with Computers
• Watching Cities Grow with Computers
• Watching Earth Change with Computers
• Watching Earth from Far Away During Emergencies
• Making Computers Work Together to See Earth
• Putting Pictures of Earth Together
• Making Sure Pictures of Earth Are Safe

Cloud Gaming

• Playing Games from Far Away
• Making Games Work Faster from Far Away
• Keeping Games Safe from Bad Guys
• Making Sure Everyone Can Play Together
• Making Games Faster from Far Away
• Watching People Play Games from Far Away
• Making Sure Games Look Good from Far Away
• Watching Games Get More Popular

Augmented Reality (AR)

• Making Glasses That Show Cool Stuff
• Making Cool Stuff for Glasses to Show
• Watching Glasses Follow You
• Watching Phones Show Cool Stuff
• Making Cool Stuff to Show with Phones
• Making Places Even Better with Phones
• Making Factories Even Better with Glasses
• Making Places Even Better with Glasses
• Making Sure Glasses Don’t Scare Anyone

Virtual Reality (VR)

• Making Glasses That Show Different Worlds
• Making Glasses That Follow Your Hands
• Making Therapy Fun with Glasses
• Making Learning Fun with Glasses
• Making Glasses That Make Jobs Safer
• Making Glasses That Show Your Friends
• Making Sure Glasses Are Friendly
• Making Glasses That Make Buildings Better
• Making Sure Glasses Aren’t Scary

Digital Twins

• Making Computers That Copy the Real World
• Making People Better with Computers
• Making Flying Safer with Computers
• Making Cars Safer with Computers
• Making Energy Better with Computers
• Making Buildings Better with Computers
• Making Cities Safer with Computers
• Making Sure Computers Copy the Real World Safely
• Making Computers Follow the Rules

Edge Computing

• Making Computers Work Faster Near You
• Keeping Computers Safe Near You
• Making Computers Work with Far-Away Computers
• Making Computers Work Fast with You
• Making Computers Work Together Near You
• Making Phones Work Faster Near You
• Making Computers Work Near You
• Making Computers Work in Busy Places

Explainable AI (XAI)

• Making Computers Explain What They Do
• Making Medicine Safer with Computers
• Making Money Safer with Computers
• Making Computers Safe to Drive Cars
• Making Computers Fair to Everyone
• Making Computers Explain What They Think
• Making Computers Easy to Understand

Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT)

• Making Secret Codes Computers Use
• Making Contracts Computers Can Understand
• Making Computers Share Secrets Safely
• Making Money Safe with Computers
• Making Computers Work Together Nicely
• Making Computers Keep Secrets Safe
• Making Computers Work Together Fairly
• Making Stuff Move Safely with Computers

Quantum Communication

• Making Computers Talk to Each Other Safely
• Making Computers Talk to Each Other from Far Away
• Making Computers Talk to Each Other in Secret
• Making Money Move Safely with Computers

This list covers a broad spectrum of topics within Information Technology, ranging from foundational concepts to cutting-edge research areas. Feel free to choose any topic that aligns with your interests and expertise for further exploration and study!

Emerging Trends in Information Technology Research

In the rapidly changing world of Computer Studies, keeping up with the latest trends is indispensable. Technology keeps changing, and so does research in computer studies. From awesome things like clever robots to how we can safeguard our online information, computer studies research is always discovering new ways to improve our lives. Therefore, let us delve into some of the most exciting new trends shaping computer studies’ future.

• Smart Computers:

Right now, smart computers are a hot item. They can learn from experience, recognize patterns, and even understand language like humans do. This helps in many areas, such as healthcare or finance. So researchers are working on making smart computers smarter yet so that they can make decisions alone and be fair to everyone.

• Fast Computing:

As more devices connect to the Internet, we need ways to process information quickly. Fast computing helps bring processing power closer to where the information comes from, making things quicker and more efficient. Thus, researchers have been figuring out how to improve fast computing, especially for analyzing real-time data.

• Keeping Things Safe:

With all the cool tech around, keeping our information safe from bad guys is important. We must develop methods to safeguard our data and networks from cyber attackers. In addition, they have also been considering how to ensure the privacy of our personal information so that only authorized individuals can access it.

• Fancy Computers:

The next big thing in computing is quantum computers. They can do calculations at a high speed that ordinary ones cannot. Researchers are working hard to achieve quantum computing because it could be useful in cracking codes and creating new drugs.

• New Ways of Doing Things Together:

Blockchain is an exciting technology that allows us to collaborate without a central authority. Its use in cryptocurrencies is quite popular but it has other applications too. Blockchain can be applied for purposes such as helping us discover where products come from, proving who we are on the internet, and making contracts that cannot be changed later on.

• Virtual Reality Adventures:

Entering a completely different world is what Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) do. The feeling of being in reality is what these two technologies create, which is not real. These researchers are working hard on making VRs and ARs better so that they can be used for learning, training, and amusement in more innovative ways.

In summary, computer studies research keeps changing with new trends such as smart computers, rapid computing, cybersecurity issues, high-end computers, collaboration platforms and immersive games or virtual reality escapades. 

By exploring these trends and developing new ideas, researchers ensure that technology keeps improving and making our lives easier and more exciting.

How can I brainstorm research topics in information technology?

Start by identifying your areas of interest and exploring recent advancements in the field. Consider consulting with mentors or peers for suggestions and feedback.

What are some ethical considerations in AI research?

Ethical considerations in AI research include fairness, transparency, accountability, and privacy. Researchers should ensure their algorithms and models do not perpetuate bias or harm individuals.

How can I stay updated on emerging trends in IT research?

Follow reputable journals, conferences, and online forums dedicated to information technology. Engage with the academic community through discussions and networking events.

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• Research Report
• Post last modified: 11 January 2022
• Reading time: 25 mins read
• Post category: Research Methodology

What is Research Report?

Research reporting is the oral or written presentation of the findings in such detail and form as to be readily understood and assessed by the society, economy or particularly by the researchers.

As earlier said that it is the final stage of the research process and its purpose is to convey to interested persons the whole result of the study. Report writing is common to both academic and managerial situations. In academics, a research report is prepared for comprehensive and application-oriented learning. In businesses or organisations, reports are used for the basis of decision making.

Table of Content

• 1 What is Research Report?
• 2 Research Report Definition
• 3.1 Preliminary Part
• 3.2 Introduction of the Report
• 3.3 Review of Literature
• 3.4 The Research Methodology
• 3.5 Results
• 3.6 Concluding Remarks
• 3.7 Bibliography
• 4 Significance of Report Writing
• 5 Qualities of Good Report
• 6.1 Analysis of the subject matter
• 6.2 Research outline
• 6.3 Preparation of rough draft
• 6.4 Rewriting and polishing
• 6.5 Writing the final draft
• 7 Precautions for Writing Research Reports
• 8.1.1 Technical Report
• 8.1.2 Popular Report
• 8.2.1 Written Report
• 8.2.2 Oral Report

Research Report Definition

According to C. A. Brown , “A report is a communication from someone who has information to someone who wants to use that information.”

According to Goode and Hatt , “The preparation of report is the final stage of research, and it’s purpose is to convey to the interested persons the whole result of the study, in sufficient detail and so arranged as to enable each reader to comprehend the data and to determine for himself the validity of the conclusions.”

It is clear from the above definitions of a research report, it is a brief account of the problem of investigation, the justification of its selection and the procedure of analysis and interpretation. It is only a summary of the entire research proceedings.

In other words, it can be defined as written documents, which presents information in a specialized and concise manner.

Contents of Research Report

Although no hard and fast rules can be laid down, the report must contain the following points.

• Acknowledgement
• Table of contents
• List of tables
• List of graphs
• Introduction
• Background of the research study
• Statement of the problem
• Brief outline of the chapters
• Books review
• Review of articles published in books, journals, periodicals, etc
• Review of articles published in leading newspapers
• Working papers / discusssion paper / study reports
• Articles on authorised websites
• A broad conclusion and indications for further research
• The theoretical framework (variables)
• Model / hypothesis
• Instruments for data collection
• Data collection
• Pilot study
• Processing of data
• Hypothesis / model testing
• Data analysis and interpretation
• Tables and figures
• Conclusions
• Shortcomings
• Suggestions to the problems
• Direction for further research

Preliminary Part

The preliminary part may have seven major components – cover, title, preface, acknowledgement, table of contents, list of tables, list of graphs. Long reports presented in book form have a cover made up of a card sheet. The cover contains title of the research report, the authority to whom the report is submitted, name of the author, etc.

The preface introduces the report to the readers. It gives a very brief introduction of the report. In the acknowledgements author mention names of persons and organisations that have extended co-operation and helped in the various stages of research. Table of contents is essential. It gives the title and page number of each chapter.

Introduction of the Report

The introduction of the research report should clearly and logically bring out the background of the problem addressed in the research. The purpose of the introduction is to introduce the research project to the readers. A clear statement of the problem with specific questions to be answered is presented in the introduction. It contains a brief outline of the chapters.

Review of Literature

The third section reviews the important literature related to the study. A comprehensive review of the research literature referred to must be made. Previous research studies and the important writings in the area under study should be reviewed. Review of literature is helpful to provide a background for the development of the present study.

The researcher may review concerned books, articles published in edited books, journals and periodicals. Researcher may also take review of articles published in leading newspapers. A researcher should study working papers/discussion papers/study reports. It is essential for a broad conclusion and indications for further research.

The Research Methodology

Research methodology is an integral part of the research. It should clearly indicate the universe and the selection of samples, techniques of data collection, analysis and interpretation, statistical techniques, etc.

Results contain pilot study, processing of data, hypothesis/model testing, data analysis and interpretation, tables and figures, etc. This is the heart of the research report. If a pilot study is planned to be used, it’s purpose should be given in the research methodology.

The collected data and the information should be edited, coded, tabulated and analysed with a view to arriving at a valid and authentic conclusion. Tables and figures are used to clarify the significant relationship. The results obtained through tables, graphs should be critically interpreted.

Concluding Remarks

The concluding remarks should discuss the results obtained in the earlier sections, as well as their usefulness and implications. It contains findings, conclusions, shortcomings, suggestions to the problem and direction for future research. Findings are statements of factual information based upon the data analysis.

Conclusions must clearly explain whether the hypothesis have been established and rejected. This part requires great expertise and preciseness. A report should also refer to the limitations of the applicability of the research inferences. It is essential to suggest the theoretical, practical and policy implications of the research. The suggestions should be supported by scientific and logical arguments. The future direction of research based on the work completed should also be outlined.

Bibliography

The bibliography is an alphabetic list of books, journal articles, reports, etc, published or unpublished, read, referred to, examined by the researcher in preparing the report. The bibliography should follow standard formats for books, journal articles, research reports.

The end of the research report may consist of appendices, listed in respect of all technical data. Appendices are for the purpose of providing detailed data or information that would be too cumbersome within the main body of the research report.

Significance of Report Writing

Report writing is an important communication medium in organisations. The most crucial findings might have come out through a research report. Report is common to academics and managers also. Reports are used for comprehensive and application oriented learning in academics. In organisations, reports are used for the basis of decision making. The importance of report writing can be discussed as under.

Through research reports, a manager or an executive can quickly get an idea of a current scenario which improves his information base for making sound decisions affecting future operations of the company or enterprise. The research report acts as a means of communication of various research findings to the interested parties, organisations and general public.

Good report writing play, a significant role of conveying unknown facts about the phenomenon to the concerned parties. This may provide new insights and new opportunities to the people. Research report plays a key role in making effective decisions in marketing, production, banking, materials, human resource development and government also. Good report writing is used for economic planning and optimum utilisation of resources for the development of a nation.

Report writing facilitates the validation of generalisation. A research report is an end product of research. As earlier said that report writing provides useful information in arriving at rational decisions that may reform the business and society. The findings, conclusions, suggestions and recommendations are useful to academicians, scholars and policymakers. Report writing provides reference material for further research in the same or similar areas of research to the concerned parties.

While preparing a research report, a researcher should take some proper precautions. Report writing should be simple, lucid and systematic. Report writing should be written speedily without interrupting the continuity of thought. The report writing should sustain the interest of readers.

Qualities of Good Report

Report writing is a highly skilled job. It is a process of analysing, understanding and consolidating the findings and projecting a meaningful view of the phenomenon studied. A good report writing is essential for effective communication.

Following are the essential qualities of good report:

• A research report is essentially a scientific documentation. It should have a suggestive title, headings and sub-headings, paragraphs arranged in a logical sequence.
• Good research report should include everything that is relevant and exclude everything that is irrelevant. It means that it should contain the facts rather than opinion.
• The language of the report should be simple and unambiguous. It means that it should be free from biases of the researchers derived from the past experience. Confusion, pretentiousness and pomposity should be carefully guarded against. It means that the language of the report should be simple, employing appropriate words, idioms and expressions.
• The report must be free from grammatical mistakes. It must be grammatically accurate. Faulty construction of sentences makes the meaning of the narrative obscure and ambiguous.
• The report has to take into consideration two facts. Firstly, for whom the report is meant and secondly, what is his level of knowledge. The report has to look to the subject matter of the report and the fact as to the level of knowledge of the person for whom it is meant. Because all reports are not meant for research scholars.

Steps in Writing Research Report

Report writing is a time consuming and expensive exercise. Therefore, reports have to be very sharply focused in purpose content and readership. There is no single universally acceptable method of writing a research report.

Following are the general steps in writing a research report:

Analysis of the subject matter

Research outline, preparation of rough draft, rewriting and polishing, writing the final draft.

This is the first and important step in writing a research report. It is concerned with the development of a subject. Subject matter should be written in a clear, logical and concise manner. The style adopted should be open, straightforward and dignified and folk style language should be avoided.

The data, the reliability and validity of the results of the statistical analysis should be in the form of tables, figures and equations. All redundancy in the data or results presented should be eliminated.

The research outline is an organisational framework prepared by the researcher well in advance. It is an aid to logical organisation of material and a reminder of the points to be stressed in the report. In the process of writing, if need be, outline may be revised accordingly.

Time and place of the study, scope and limitations of the study, study design, summary of pilot study, methods of data collection, analysis interpretation, etc., may be included in a research outline.

Having prepared the primary and secondary data, the researcher has to prepare a rough draft. While preparing the rough draft, the researcher should keep the objectives of the research in mind, and focus on one objective at a time. The researcher should make a checklist of the important points that are necessary to be covered in the manuscript. A researcher should use dictionary and relevant reference materials as and when required.

This is an important step in writing a research report. It takes more time than a rough draft. While rewriting and polishing, a researcher should check the report for weakness in logical development or presentation. He should take breaks in between rewriting and polishing since this gives the time to incubate the ideas.

The last and important step is writing the final draft. The language of the report should be simple, employing appropriate words and expressions and should avoid vague expressions such as ‘it seems’ and ‘there may be’ etc.

It should not used personal pronouns, such as I, We, My, Us, etc and should substitute these by such expressions as a researcher, investigator, etc. Before the final drafting of the report, it is advisable that the researcher should prepare a first draft for critical considerations and possible improvements. It will be helpful in writing the final draft. Finally, the report should be logically outlined with the future directions of the research based on the work completed.

Precautions for Writing Research Reports

A research report is a means of conveying the research study to a specific target audience. The following precautions should be taken while preparing a research report:

• Its hould belong enough to cover the subject and short enough to preserve interest.
• It should not be dull and complicated.
• It should be simple, without the usage of abstract terms and technical jargons.
• It should offer ready availability of findings with the help of charts, tables and graphs, as readers prefer quick knowledge of main findings.
• The layout of the report should be in accordance with the objectives of the research study.
• There should be no grammatical errors and writing should adhere to the techniques of report writing in case of quotations, footnotes and documentations.
• It should be original, intellectual and contribute to the solution of a problem or add knowledge to the concerned field.
• Appendices should been listed with respect to all the technical data in the report.
• It should be attractive, neat and clean, whether handwritten or typed.
• The report writer should refrain from confusing the possessive form of the word ‘it’ is with ‘it’s.’ The accurate possessive form of ‘it is’ is ‘its.’ The use of ‘it’s’ is the contractive form of ‘it is.
• A report should not have contractions. Examples are ‘didn’t’ or ‘it’s.’ In report writing, it is best to use the non-contractive form. Therefore, the examples would be replaced by ‘did not’ and ‘it is.’ Using ‘Figure’ instead of ‘Fig.’ and ‘Table’ instead of ‘Tab.’ will spare the reader of having to translate the abbreviations, while reading. If abbreviations are used, use them consistently throughout the report. For example, do not switch among ‘versus,’ and ‘vs’.
• It is advisable to avoid using the word ‘very’ and other such words that try to embellish a description. They do not add any extra meaning and, therefore, should be dropped.
• Repetition hampers lucidity. Report writers must avoid repeating the same word more than once within a sentence.
• When you use the word ‘this’ or ‘these’ make sure you indicate to what you are referring. This reduces the ambiguity in your writing and helps to tie sentences together.
• Do not use the word ‘they’ to refer to a singular person. You can either rewrite the sentence to avoid needing such a reference or use the singular ‘he or she.’

Types of Research Report

Research reports are designed in order to convey and record the information that will be of practical use to the reader. It is organized into distinct units of specific and highly visible information. The kind of audience addressed in the research report decides the type of report.

Research reports can be categorized on the following basis:

Classification on the Basis of Information

Classification on the basis of representation.

Following are the ways through which the results of the research report can be presented on the basis of information contained:

Technical Report

A technical report is written for other researchers. In writing the technical reports, the importance is mainly given to the methods that have been used to collect the information and data, the presumptions that are made and finally, the various presentation techniques that are used to present the findings and data.

Following are main features of a technical report:

• Summary: It covers a brief analysis of the findings of the research in a very few pages. 
• Nature: It contains the reasons for which the research is undertaken, the analysis and the data that is required in order to prepare a report. 
• Methods employed: It contains a description of the methods that were employed in order to collect the data. 
• Data: It covers a brief analysis of the various sources from which the data has been collected with their features and drawbacks 
• Analysis of data and presentation of the findings: It contains the various forms through which the data that has been analysed can be presented. 
• Conclusions: It contains a brief explanation of findings of the research. 
• Bibliography: It contains a detailed analysis of the various bibliographies that have been used in order to conduct a research. 
• Technical appendices: It contains the appendices for the technical matters and for questionnaires and mathematical derivations. 
• Index: The index of the technical report must be provided at the end of the report.

Popular Report

A popular report is formulated when there is a need to draw conclusions of the findings of the research report. One of the main points of consideration that should be kept in mind while formulating a research report is that it must be simple and attractive. It must be written in a very simple manner that is understandable to all. It must also be made attractive by using large prints, various sub-headings and by giving cartoons occasionally.

Following are the main points that must be kept in mind while preparing a popular report:

• Findings and their implications : While preparing a popular report, main importance is given to the findings of the information and the conclusions that can be drawn out of these findings.
• Recommendations for action : If there are any deviations in the report then recommendations are made for taking corrective action in order to rectify the errors.
• Objective of the study : In a popular report, the specific objective for which the research has been undertaken is presented.
• Methods employed : The report must contain the various methods that has been employed in order to conduct a research.
• Results : The results of the research findings must be presented in a suitable and appropriate manner by taking the help of charts and diagrams.
• Technical appendices : The report must contain an in-depth information used to collect the data in the form of appendices.

Following are the ways through which the results of the research report can be presented on the basis of representation:

• Writtenreport
• Oral report

Written Report

A written report plays a vital role in every business operation. The manner in which an organization writes business letters and business reports creates an impression of its standard. Therefore, the organization should emphasize on the improvement of the writing skills of the employees in order to maintain effective relations with their customers.

Writing effective written reports requires a lot of hard work. Therefore, before you begin writing, it is important to know the objective, i.e., the purpose of writing, collection and organization of required data.

Oral Report

At times, oral presentation of the results that are drawn out of research is considered effective, particularly in cases where policy recommendations are to be made. This approach proves beneficial because it provides a medium of interaction between a listener and a speaker. This leads to a better understanding of the findings and their implications.

However, the main drawback of oral presentation is the lack of any permanent records related to the research. Oral presentation of the report is also effective when it is supported with various visual devices, such as slides, wall charts and whiteboards that help in better understanding of the research reports.

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A Guide To The Top 14 Types Of Reports With Examples Of When To Use Them

What Is The Report Definition?

What are the different types of reports, what does a report look like, what you should look for in a reporting tool, types of reporting for every business & purpose.

Businesses have been producing reports forever. No matter what role or industry you work in, chances are that you have been faced with the task of generating a tedious report to show your progress or performance.

While reporting has been a common practice for many decades, the business world keeps evolving, and with more competitive industries, the need to generate fast and accurate reports becomes critical. This presents a problem for many modern organizations today, as building reports can take from hours to days. In fact, a survey about management reports performed by Deloitte says that 50% of managers are unsatisfied with the speed of delivery and the quality of the reports they receive.

With this issue in mind, several BI tools, such as RIB BI+ , have been developed to assist businesses in generating interactive reports with just a few clicks, enhancing the way companies make critical decisions and service insights from their most valuable data.

But, with so many types of reports used daily, how can you know when to use them effectively? How can you push yourself ahead of the pack with the power of information? Here, we will explore the 14 most common types of reports in business and provide some examples of when to use them to your brand-boosting advantage. In addition, we will see how online dashboards have overthrown the static nature of classic reports and given way to a much faster, more interactive way of working with data.

Let’s get started with a brief report definition.

A report is a document that presents relevant business information in an organized and understandable format. Each report is aimed at a specific audience and business purpose, and it summarizes the development of different activities based on goals and objectives.

That said, there are various types of reports that can be used for different purposes. Whether you want to track the progress of your strategies or stay compliant with financial laws, there is a different report for each task. To help you identify when to use them, we will cover the top 14 most common report formats used for businesses today.

1. Informational Reports

The first in our list of reporting types is informational reports. As their name suggests, this report type aims to give factual insights about a specific topic. This can include performance reports, expense reports, and justification reports, among others. A differentiating characteristic of these reports is their objectivity; they are only meant to inform but not propose solutions or hypotheses. Common informational reports examples are for performance tracking, such as annual, monthly, or weekly reports.

2. Analytical Reports

This report type contains a mix of useful information to facilitate the decision-making process through a mix of qualitative and quantitative insights as well as real-time and historical insights. Unlike informational reports that purely inform users about a topic, this report type also aims to provide recommendations about the next steps and help with problem-solving. With this information in hand, businesses can build strategies based on analytical evidence and not simple intuition. With the use of the right BI reporting tool, businesses can generate various types of analytical reports that include accurate forecasts via predictive analytics technologies. Let’s look at it with an analytical report example.

The example above is the perfect representation of how analytical reports can boost a business’s performance. By getting detailed information such as sales opportunities, a probability rate, as well as an accurate pipeline value forecast based on historical data, sales teams can prepare their strategies in advance, tackle any inefficiencies, and make informed decisions for increased efficiency.

3. Operational Reports

These reports track every pertinent detail of the company’s operational tasks, such as its production processes. They are typically short-term reports as they aim to paint a picture of the present. Businesses use this type of report to spot any issues and define their solutions or to identify improvement opportunities to optimize their operational efficiency. Operational reports are commonly used in manufacturing, logistics, and retail as they help keep track of inventory, production, and costs, among others.

4. Industry Reports

Next in our list of the most common kinds of reports, we have industry-specific reports. As its name suggests, these types of reports are used in specific industries and provide valuable information about KPIs and goals that are unique to that industry. For instance, construction reports are invaluable tools to track project progress and extract valuable conclusions to optimize processes.

The example below is a report for a construction company that has multiple active projects. The template offers a complete overview of performance with KPIs related to contract value, budget, and profit margins, among other things. That said, the most valuable part of this report is the detailed overview of finishing projects and projects in execution, where we see that industry-specific KPIs like the SPI and CPI are tracked for each project with color to understand the status at a glance. Templates like this one play a fundamental role in efficient project management in construction as they offer the necessary overview to make smart decisions with fresh data. 

5. Product Reports

As its name suggests, this report type is used to monitor several aspects related to product development. Businesses often use them to track which of their products or subscriptions are selling the most within a given time period, calculate inventories, or see what kind of product the client values the most. Another common use case of these reports is to research the implementation of new products or develop existing ones. Let’s see it in more detail with a visual example.

The image above is a product report that shows valuable insights regarding usage intention, purchase intention, willingness to pay, and more. In this case, the report is based on the answers from a survey that aimed to understand how the target customer would receive a new product. Getting this level of insight through this report type is very useful for businesses as it allows them to make smart investments in new products and set realistic pricing based on their clients’ willingness to pay.

6. Department Reports

These reports are specific to each department or business function. They serve as a communication tool between managers and team members who must stay connected and work together for common goals. Whether it is the sales department, customer service, logistics, or finances, this specific report type helps track and optimize strategies on a deeper level. Let’s look at it with an example of a team performance report.

The image above is a department report created with an online data analysis tool, and it tracks the performance of a support team. This insightful report displays relevant metrics such as the top-performing agents, net promoter score, and first contact resolution rate, among others. Having this information in hand not only helps each team member to keep track of their individual progress but also allows managers to understand who needs more training and who is performing at their best.

7. Progress Reports

From the branch of informational reports, progress reports provide critical information about a project’s status. Employees or managers can produce these reports daily, weekly, or monthly to track performance and fine-tune tasks for the project’s better development. Progress reports are often used as visual materials to support meetings and discussions. A good example is a KPI scorecard.

8. Internal Reports

A type of report that encompasses many others on this list, internal reports refer to any type of report that is used internally in a business. They convey information between team members and departments to keep communication flowing regarding goals and business objectives.

As mentioned above, internal reports are useful communication tools to keep every relevant person in the organization informed and engaged. This healthcare report aims to do just that. By providing insights into the performance of different departments and areas of a hospital, such as in and outpatients, average waiting times, treatment costs, and more, healthcare managers can allocate resources and plan the schedule accurately, as well as monitor any changes or issues in real-time.

9. External Reports

Although most of the report types listed here are used for internal purposes, not all reporting is meant to be used behind closed doors. External reports are created to share information with external stakeholders such as clients or investors for budget or progress accountability, as well as for governmental bodies to stay compliant with the law requirements.

The image above is the perfect example of an external client report from an IT project. This insightful report provides a visual overview of every relevant aspect of the project’s development. From deadlines, budget usage, completion stage, and task breakdown, clients can be fully informed and involved in the project.

10. Vertical & Lateral Reports

Next, in our rundown of types of reports, we have vertical and lateral reports. This reporting type refers to the direction in which a report travels. A vertical report is meant to go upward or downward the hierarchy, for example, a management report. A lateral report assists in organization and communication between groups that are at the same level of the hierarchy, such as the financial and marketing departments.

11. Research Reports

Without a doubt, one of the most vital reporting types for any modern business is centered on research. Being able to collect, collate, and drill down into insights based on key pockets of your customer base or industry will give you the tools to drive innovation while meeting your audience’s needs head-on.

The image above is a market research analytics report example for customer demographics. It serves up a balanced blend of metrics that will empower you to boost engagement as well as retention rates. Here, you can drill down into your audience’s behaviors, interests, gender, educational levels, and tech adoption life cycles with a simple glance.

What’s particularly striking about this dashboard is the fact that you can explore key trends in brand innovation with ease, gaining a working insight into how your audience perceives your business. This invaluable type of report will help you get under the skin of your consumers, driving growth and loyalty in the process.

12. Strategic Reports

Strategy is a vital component of every business, big or small. Strategic analytics tools are perhaps the broadest and most universal of all the different types of business reports imaginable.

These particular tools exist to help you consistently understand, meet, and exceed your most pressing organizational goals by providing top-level metrics on various initiatives or functions.

By working with strategic-style tools, you will:

• Improve internal motivation and engagement
• Refine your plans and strategies for the best possible return on investment (ROI)
• Enhance internal communication and optimize the way your various departments run
• Create more room for innovation and creative thinking

13. Project Reports

Projects are key to keeping a business moving in the right direction while keeping innovation and evolution at the forefront of every plan, communication, or campaign. But without the right management tools, a potentially groundbreaking project can become a resource-sapping disaster.

A project management report serves as a summary of a particular project’s status and its various components. It’s a visual tool that you can share with partners, colleagues, clients, and stakeholders to showcase your project’s progress at multiple stages. Let’s look at our example and dig a little deeper.

Our example above is a construction project management dashboard that offers a 360-degree view of a project’s development. This invaluable construction collaboration tool can help keep every relevant project stakeholder involved and informed about the latest developments to ensure maximum efficiency and transparency.

Work and budget development and cost breakdown charts can help develop efficient construction cost control strategies to ensure the project remains profitable and on schedule. On the other hand, progress metrics like the SPI and the CPI can help assess construction productivity issues that can lead to delays and costly overruns.

14. Statutory Reports

It may not seem exciting or glamorous, but keeping your business’s statutory affairs in order is vital to your ongoing commercial health and success.

When it comes to submitting vital financial and non-financial information to official bodies, one small error can result in serious repercussions. As such, working with statutory report formats is a watertight way of keeping track of your affairs and records while significantly reducing the risk of human error.

Armed with interactive insights and dynamic visuals, you will keep your records clean and compliant while gaining the ability to nip any potential errors or issues in the bud.

Now that we’ve covered the most relevant types of reports, we will answer the question: what does a report look like?

As mentioned at the beginning of this insightful guide, static reporting is a thing of the past. With the rise of modern technologies like self-service BI tools, the use of interactive reports in the shape of business dashboards has become more and more popular among companies.

Unlike static reports that take time to be generated and are difficult to understand, modern reporting tools are intuitive. Their visual nature makes them easy to understand for any type of user, and they provide businesses with a central view of their most important performance indicators for an improved decision-making process. Here, we will cover 20 useful dashboard examples from different industries, functions, and platforms to put the value of dashboard reporting into perspective.

1. Financial Report

Keeping finances in check is critical for success. This financial report offers an overview of the most important financial metrics that a business needs to monitor its economic activities and answer vital questions to ensure healthy finances.

With insights about liquidity, invoicing, budgeting, and general financial stability, managers can extract long and short-term conclusions to reduce inefficiencies, make accurate forecasts about future performance, and keep the overall financial efficiency of the business flowing. For instance, getting a detailed calculation of the business’s working capital can allow you to understand how liquid your company is. If it’s higher than expected, it means you have the potential to invest and grow—definitely one of the most valuable types of finance reports.

2. Construction Report

Our next example is a construction report offering the perfect overview for efficient construction bid management . In this case, the template is tracked for an enterprise that has multiple projects working simultaneously and needs a general view of how everything is performing to ensure maximum efficiency.

The key metric highlighted in this report is the net bid value, which shows the value of all submitted bids, including canceled ones. As seen in the net bid value by status chart, only a small amount is accounted for canceled bids, which means this organization’s construction bidding process is efficient. The rest of the charts displayed in the template help provide a deeper understanding of bids to make informed decisions.

Another valuable aspect of this construction report is its interactivity. The filters on top allow the user to visualize only data for a specific category, project classification, or bid status, making it possible to answer any questions that arise during meetings or discussions. This was not possible in the past as the construction industry relied heavily on static reporting. Luckily, with the rise of digital construction tools, like interactive real-time reporting, they no longer need to rely solely on intuition or outdated information. Instead, they have fresh insights at all times.

3. Marketing Report

Our following example is a marketing report that ensures a healthy return on investment from your marketing efforts. This type of report offers a detailed overview of campaign performance over the last 12 weeks. Having access to this information enables you to maximize the value of your promotional actions, keeping your audience engaged by providing a targeted experience.

For instance, you can implement different campaign formats as a test and then compare which one is most successful for your business. This is possible thanks to the monitoring of important marketing metrics such as the click-through rate (CTR), cost per click (CPC), cost per acquisition (CPA), and more.

The visual nature of this report makes it easy to understand important insights at a glance. For instance, the four gauge charts at the top show the total spending from all campaigns and how much of the total budget of each campaign has been used. In just seconds, you can see if you are on target to meet your marketing budgets for every single campaign.

4. Sales Report

An intuitive sales dashboard like the one above is the perfect analytical tool to monitor and optimize sales performance. Armed with powerful high-level metrics, this report type is especially interesting for managers, executives, and sales VPs as it provides relevant data to ensure strategic and operational success.

The value of this sales report lies in the fact that it offers a complete and comprehensive overview of relevant insights needed to make smart sales decisions. For instance, at the top of an analysis tool, you get important metrics such as the number of sales, revenue, profit, and costs, all compared to a set target and to the previous time period. The use of historical data is fundamental when building successful sales strategies as they provide a picture of what could happen in the future. Being able to filter the key metrics all in one screen is a key benefit of modern reporting.

5. HR Report

Our next report example concerns human resources analytics. The HR department needs to track various KPIs for employee performance and effectiveness. However, it must also ensure that employees are happy and working in a healthy environment since an unhappy workforce can significantly damage an organization. This intuitive dashboard makes this possible.

Providing a comprehensive mix of metrics, this employee-centric report drills down into every major element needed to ensure successful workforce management. For example, the top portion of the dashboard covers absenteeism in 3 different ways: yearly average, absenteeism rate with a target of 3.8%, and absenteeism over the last five years. Tracking absenteeism rates in detail is helpful as it can tell you if your employees are skipping workdays. If the rate is over the expected target, then you have to dig deeper into the reasons and find sustainable solutions.

On the other hand, the second part of the dashboard covers the overall labor effectiveness (OLE). This can be tracked based on specific criteria that HR predefined, and it helps them understand if workers are achieving their targets or if they need extra training or help.

6. Management Report

Managers must monitor big amounts of data to ensure that the business is running smoothly. One of them being investor relationships. This management dashboard focuses on high-level metrics that shareholders need to look at before investing, such as the return on assets, return on equity, debt-equity ratio, and share price, among others.

By getting an overview of these important metrics, investors can easily extract the needed insights to make an informed decision regarding an investment in your business. For instance, the return on assets measures how efficiently are the company’s assets being used to generate profit. With this knowledge, investors can understand how effectively your company deploys available resources compared to others in the market. Another great indicator is the share price; the higher the increase in your share price, the more money your shareholders are making from their investment.

7. IT Report

Just like all the other departments and sections covered in this list, the IT department is one that can especially benefit from these types of reports. With so many technical issues to solve, the need for a visual tool to help IT specialists stay on track with their workload becomes critical.

As seen in the image above, this IT dashboard offers detailed information about different system indicators. For starters, we get a visual overview of the status of each server, followed by a detailed graph displaying the uptime & downtime of each week. This is complemented by the most common downtown issues and some ticket management information. Getting this level of insight helps your IT staff to know what is happening and when it is happening and find proper solutions to prevent these issues from repeating themselves. Keeping constant track of these metrics will ensure robust system performance.

8. Procurement Report

The following report example was built with intuitive procurement analytics software. It gives a general view of various metrics that any procurement department needs to manage suppliers efficiently.

With the possibility to filter, drill down, and interact with KPIs, this intuitive procurement dashboard offers key information to ensure a healthy supplier relationship. With metrics such as compliance rate, the number of suppliers, or the purchase order cycle time, the procurement team can classify the different suppliers, define the relationship each of them has with the company and optimize processes to ensure it stays profitable.

One of the industries that could truly benefit from this template is construction. Managing procurement in construction projects is not easy, as suppliers must be picked carefully to ensure they meet the project’s needs. An overview like this one can help assess the abilities of each supplier to choose the ones that best meet the requirements. In construction, supplier selection is more than just about pricing, it also involves availability, certifications, quality, etc.

9. Customer Service Report

Following our list of examples of reports is one from the support area. Armed with powerful customer service KPIs, this dashboard is a useful tool for monitoring performance, spotting trends, identifying strengths and weaknesses, and improving the overall effectiveness of the customer support department.

Covering aspects such as revenue and costs from customer support as well as customer satisfaction, this complete analysis tool is the perfect tool for managers who have to keep an eye on every little detail from a performance and operational perspective. For example, by monitoring your customer service costs and comparing them to the revenue, you can understand if you are investing the right amount into your support processes. This can be directly related to your agent’s average time to solve issues; the longer it takes to solve a support ticket, the more money it will cost and the less revenue it will bring. If your agents take too long to solve an issue, you can think of some training instances to help them reduce this number.

10. Market Research Report

This list of report types would not be complete without a market research report. Market research agencies deal with a large amount of information coming from surveys and other research sources. Considering that, reports that can be filtered for deeper interaction become more necessary for this industry than for any other.

The image above is a brand analytics dashboard that displays the survey results about how the public perceives a brand. This savvy tool contains different charts that make it easy to understand the information visually. For instance, the map chart with the different colors lets you quickly understand in which regions each age range is located. The charts can be filtered further to see the detailed answers from each group for a deeper analysis.

11. Social Media Report

Last but not least, we have a social media report. This scorecard-format dashboard monitors the performance of four main social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. It serves as a perfect visual overview to track the performance of different social media efforts and achievements.

Tracking relevant metrics such as followers, impressions, clicks, engagement rates, and conversions, this report type serves as a perfect progress report for managers or clients who need to see the status of their social channels. Each metric is shown in its actual value and compared to a set target. The colors green and red from the fourth column let you quickly understand if a metric is over or under its expected target.

12. Logistics Report

Logistics are the cornerstone of an operationally fluent and progressive business. If you deal with large quantities of goods and tangible items, in particular, maintaining a solid logistical strategy is vital to ensuring you maintain your brand reputation while keeping things flowing in the right direction.

A prime example designed to improve logistical management, our warehouse KPI dashboard is equipped with metrics required to maintain strategic movement while eliminating any unnecessary costs or redundant processes. Here, you can dig into your shipping success rates across regions while accessing warehouse costs and perfect order rates in real-time. If you spot any potential inefficiencies, you can track them here and take the correct course of action to refine your strategy. This is an essential tool for any business with a busy or scaling warehouse.

13. Manufacturing Report

Next, in our essential types of business reports examples, we’re looking at tools made to improve your business’s various manufacturing processes.

Our clean and concise production tool is a sight to behold and serves up key manufacturing KPIs that improve the decision-making process regarding costs, volume, and machinery.

Here, you can hone in on historical patterns and trends while connecting with priceless real-time insights that will not only enable you to make the right calls concerning your manufacturing process at the moment but will also allow you to formulate predictive strategies that will ultimately save money, boost productivity, and result in top-quality products across the board.

14. Retail Report

As a retailer with so many channels to consider and so many important choices to make, working with the right metrics and visuals is absolutely essential. Fortunately, we live in an age where there are different types of reporting designed for this very reason.

Our sales and order example, generated with retail analytics software, is a dream come true for retailers as it offers the visual insights needed to understand your product range in greater detail while keeping a firm grip on your order volumes, perfect order rates, and reasons for returns.

Gaining access to these invaluable insights in one visually presentable space will allow you to track increases or decreases in orders over a set timeframe (and understand whether you’re doing the right things to drive engagement) while plowing your promotional resources into the products that are likely to offer the best returns.

Plus, by gaining an accurate overview of why people are returning your products, you can omit problem items or processes from your retail strategy, improving your brand reputation as well as revenue in the process.

15. Digital Media Report

The content and communications you publish are critical to your ongoing success, regardless of your sector, niche, or specialty. Without putting out communications that speak directly to the right segments of your audience at the right times in their journey, your brand will swiftly fade into the background.

To ensure your brand remains inspiring, engaging, and thought-leading across channels, working with media types of a business report is essential. You must ensure your communications cut through the noise and scream ‘quality’ from start to finish—no ifs, no buts, no exceptions.

Our content quality control tool is designed with a logical hierarchy that will tell you if your content sparks readership, if the language you’re using is inclusive and conversational, and how much engagement-specific communications earn. You can also check your most engaging articles with a quick glance to understand what your users value most. Armed with this information, you can keep creating content that your audience loves and ultimately drives true value to the business.

16. Energy Report

In the age of sustainability and in the face of international fuel hikes, managing the energy your business uses effectively is paramount. Here, there is little room for excess or error, and as such, working with the right metrics is the only way to ensure successful energy regulation.

If your company has a big HQ or multiple sites that require power, our energy management analytics tool will help you take the stress out of managing your resources. One of the most striking features of this dashboard is the fact that it empowers you to compare your company’s energy usage against those from other sectors and set an accurate benchmark.

Here, you can also get a digestible breakdown of your various production costs regarding energy consumption and the main sources you use to keep your organization running. Regularly consulting these metrics will not only allow you to save colossal chunks of your budget, but it will also give you the intelligence to become more sustainable as an organization. This, in turn, is good for the planet and your brand reputation—a real win-win-win.

17. FMCG Report

The fast-moving consuming goods (FMCG) industry can highly benefit from a powerful report containing real-time insights. This is because the products handled in this sector, which are often food and beverages, don’t last very long. Therefore, having a live overview of all the latest developments can aid decision-makers in optimizing the supply chain to ensure everything runs smoothly and no major issues happen.

Our report format example above aims to do just that by providing an overview of critical performance indicators, such as the percentage of products sold within freshness date, the out-of-stock rate, on-time in full deliveries, inventory turnover, and more. What makes this template so valuable is the fact that it provides a range of periods to get a more recent view of events but also a longer yearly view to extract deeper insights.

The FMCG dashboard also offers an overview of the main KPIs to aid users in understanding if they are on the right track to meet their goals. There, we can observe that the OTIF is far from its target of 90%. Therefore, it should be looked at in more detail to optimize it and prevent it from affecting the entire supply chain.

18. Google Analytics Report

Regardless of your industry, if you have a website, you probably require a Google Analytics report. This powerful tool helps you understand how your audience interacts with your website while helping you reach more people through the Google search engine. The issue is that the reports the tool provides are more or less basic and don’t give you the dynamic and agile view you need to stay on top of your data and competitors.

For that reason, we generated a range of Google Analytics dashboards that take your experience one step further by allowing you to explore your most important KPIs in real-time. That way, you’ll be able to spot any potential issues or opportunities to improve as soon as they occur, allowing you to act on them on the spot.

Among some of the most valuable metrics you can find in this sample are the sessions and their daily, weekly, and monthly development, the average session duration, the bounce rate by channel and by top 5 countries, among others.

19. LinkedIn Report

Another very important platform that companies use, no matter their size or industry, is LinkedIn. This platform is the place where companies develop and showcase their corporate image, network with other companies, and tell their clients and audience about the different initiatives they are developing to grow and be better. Some organizations also use LinkedIn to showcase their charity or sustainability initiatives.

The truth is LinkedIn has become an increasingly relevant platform, and just like we discussed with YouTube, organizations need to analyze data to ensure their strategies are on the right path to success.

The template above offers a 360-degree view of a company page’s performance. With metrics such as the followers gained, engagement rate, impressions vs unique impressions, CTR, and more. Decision-makers can dive deeper into the performance of their content and understand what their audience enjoys the most. For instance, by looking at the CTR of the last 5 company updates, you can start to get a sense of what topics and content format your audience on the platforms interact with the most. That way, you’ll avoid wasting time and resources producing content without interaction.

20. Healthcare Report

Moving on from platform-related examples, we have one last monthly report template from a very relevant sector, the healthcare industry. For decades now, hospitals and healthcare professionals have benefited from data to develop new treatments and analyze unknown diseases. But data can also help to ensure daily patient care is of top quality.

Our sample above is a healthcare dashboard report that tracks patient satisfaction stats for a clinic named Saint Martins Clinic. The template provides insights into various aspects of patient care that can affect their satisfaction levels to help spot any weak areas.

Just by looking at the report in a bit more detail, we can already see that the average waiting time for arrival at a bed and time to see a doctor are on the higher side. This is something that needs to be looked into immediately, as waiting times are the most important success factors for patients. Additionally, we can see those lab test turnarounds are also above target. This is another aspect that should be optimized to prevent satisfaction levels from going down.

As you learned from our extensive list of examples, different reports are widely used across industries and sectors. Now, you might wonder, how do I get my hands on one of these reports? The answer is a professional online reporting tool. With the right software in hand, you can generate stunning reports to extract the maximum potential out of your data and boost business growth in the process.

But, with so many options in the market, how do make sure you choose the best tool for your needs? Below we cover some of the most relevant features and capabilities you should look for to make the most out of the process.

1. Pre-made reporting templates

To ensure successful operations, a business will most likely need to use many reports for its internal and external strategies. Manually generating these reports can become a time-consuming task that burdens the business. That is why professional reporting software should offer pre-made reporting templates. At RIB, we offer an extensive template library for the construction industry that allows users to generate reports in a matter of seconds—allowing them to use their time on actually analyzing the information and extracting powerful insights from it.

2. Multiple visualization options

If you look for report templates on Google, you might run into multiple posts about written ones. This is not a surprise, as written reports have been the norm for decades. That being said, a modern approach to reporting has developed in the past years where visuals have taken over text. The value of visuals lies in the fact that they make the information easier to understand, especially for users who have no technical knowledge. But most importantly, they make the information easier to explore by telling a compelling story. For that reason, the tool you choose to invest in should provide you with multiple visualization options to have the flexibility to tell your data story in the most successful way possible.

3. Customization

While pre-made templates are fundamental to generating agile reports, being able to customize them to meet your needs is also of utmost importance. At RIB Software, we offer our users the possibility to customize their construction reports to fit their most important KPIs, as well as their logo, business colors, and font. This is an especially valuable feature for external reports that must be shown to clients or other relevant stakeholders, giving your reports a more professional look. Customization can also help from an internal perspective to provide employees who are uncomfortable with data with a familiar environment to work in.

4. Real-time insights

In the fast-paced world we live in today, having static reports is not enough. Businesses need to have real-time access to the latest developments in their data to spot any issues or opportunities as soon as they occur and act on them to ensure their resources are spent smartly and their strategies are running as expected. Doing so will allow for agile and efficient decision-making, giving the company a huge competitive advantage.

5. Sharing capabilities

Communication and collaboration are the basis of a successful reporting process. Today, team members and departments need to be connected to ensure everyone is on the right path to achieve general company goals. That is why the tool you invest in should offer flexible sharing capabilities to ensure every user can access the reports. For instance, we offer our users the possibility to share reports through automated emails or password-protected URLs with viewing or editing rights depending on what data the specific user can see and manipulate. A great way to keep everyone connected and boost collaboration.

As we’ve seen throughout our journey, businesses use different report formats for diverse purposes in their everyday activities. Whether you’re talking about types of reports in research, types of reports in management, or anything in between, these dynamic tools will get you where you need to be (and beyond).

In this post, we covered the top 14 most common ones and explored key examples of how different report types are changing the way businesses are leveraging their most critical insights for internal efficiency and, ultimately, external success.

With modern tools and solutions, reporting doesn’t have to be a tedious task. Anyone in your organization can rely on data for their decision-making process without needing technical skills. Rather, you want to keep your team connected or show progress to investors or clients. There is a report type for the job. To keep your mind fresh, here are the top 14 types of data reports covered in this post:

• Informational reports
• Analytical reports
• Operational reports
• Product reports
• Industry reports
• Department reports
• Progress reports
• Internal reports
• External reports
• Vertical and lateral reports
• Strategic reports
• Research reports
• Project reports
• Statutory reports

At RIB Software , we provide multiple solutions to make construction companies’ lives easier. Our construction data analytics software, RIB BI+, offers powerful business intelligence and reporting capabilities to help businesses in the building sector manage their data and make data-driven decisions to boost the quality of their projects. If you are ready to benefit from automated, interactive analytics, get a demo of RIB BI+ today!

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Home Market Research

Research Reports: Definition and How to Write Them

Reports are usually spread across a vast horizon of topics but are focused on communicating information about a particular topic and a niche target market. The primary motive of research reports is to convey integral details about a study for marketers to consider while designing new strategies.

Certain events, facts, and other information based on incidents need to be relayed to the people in charge, and creating research reports is the most effective communication tool. Ideal research reports are extremely accurate in the offered information with a clear objective and conclusion. These reports should have a clean and structured format to relay information effectively.

What are Research Reports?

Research reports are recorded data prepared by researchers or statisticians after analyzing the information gathered by conducting organized research, typically in the form of surveys or qualitative methods .

A research report is a reliable source to recount details about a conducted research. It is most often considered to be a true testimony of all the work done to garner specificities of research.

The various sections of a research report are:

• Background/Introduction
• Implemented Methods
• Results based on Analysis
• Deliberation

Learn more: Quantitative Research

Components of Research Reports

Research is imperative for launching a new product/service or a new feature. The markets today are extremely volatile and competitive due to new entrants every day who may or may not provide effective products. An organization needs to make the right decisions at the right time to be relevant in such a market with updated products that suffice customer demands.

The details of a research report may change with the purpose of research but the main components of a report will remain constant. The research approach of the market researcher also influences the style of writing reports. Here are seven main components of a productive research report:

• Research Report Summary: The entire objective along with the overview of research are to be included in a summary which is a couple of paragraphs in length. All the multiple components of the research are explained in brief under the report summary.  It should be interesting enough to capture all the key elements of the report.
• Research Introduction: There always is a primary goal that the researcher is trying to achieve through a report. In the introduction section, he/she can cover answers related to this goal and establish a thesis which will be included to strive and answer it in detail.  This section should answer an integral question: “What is the current situation of the goal?”.  After the research design was conducted, did the organization conclude the goal successfully or they are still a work in progress –  provide such details in the introduction part of the research report.
• Research Methodology: This is the most important section of the report where all the important information lies. The readers can gain data for the topic along with analyzing the quality of provided content and the research can also be approved by other market researchers . Thus, this section needs to be highly informative with each aspect of research discussed in detail.  Information needs to be expressed in chronological order according to its priority and importance. Researchers should include references in case they gained information from existing techniques.
• Research Results: A short description of the results along with calculations conducted to achieve the goal will form this section of results. Usually, the exposition after data analysis is carried out in the discussion part of the report.

Learn more: Quantitative Data

• Research Discussion: The results are discussed in extreme detail in this section along with a comparative analysis of reports that could probably exist in the same domain. Any abnormality uncovered during research will be deliberated in the discussion section.  While writing research reports, the researcher will have to connect the dots on how the results will be applicable in the real world.
• Research References and Conclusion: Conclude all the research findings along with mentioning each and every author, article or any content piece from where references were taken.

Learn more: Qualitative Observation

15 Tips for Writing Research Reports

Writing research reports in the manner can lead to all the efforts going down the drain. Here are 15 tips for writing impactful research reports:

• Prepare the context before starting to write and start from the basics:  This was always taught to us in school – be well-prepared before taking a plunge into new topics. The order of survey questions might not be the ideal or most effective order for writing research reports. The idea is to start with a broader topic and work towards a more specific one and focus on a conclusion or support, which a research should support with the facts.  The most difficult thing to do in reporting, without a doubt is to start. Start with the title, the introduction, then document the first discoveries and continue from that. Once the marketers have the information well documented, they can write a general conclusion.
• Keep the target audience in mind while selecting a format that is clear, logical and obvious to them:  Will the research reports be presented to decision makers or other researchers? What are the general perceptions around that topic? This requires more care and diligence. A researcher will need a significant amount of information to start writing the research report. Be consistent with the wording, the numbering of the annexes and so on. Follow the approved format of the company for the delivery of research reports and demonstrate the integrity of the project with the objectives of the company.
• Have a clear research objective: A researcher should read the entire proposal again, and make sure that the data they provide contributes to the objectives that were raised from the beginning. Remember that speculations are for conversations, not for research reports, if a researcher speculates, they directly question their own research.
• Establish a working model:  Each study must have an internal logic, which will have to be established in the report and in the evidence. The researchers’ worst nightmare is to be required to write research reports and realize that key questions were not included.

Learn more: Quantitative Observation

• Gather all the information about the research topic. Who are the competitors of our customers? Talk to other researchers who have studied the subject of research, know the language of the industry. Misuse of the terms can discourage the readers of research reports from reading further.
• Read aloud while writing. While reading the report, if the researcher hears something inappropriate, for example, if they stumble over the words when reading them, surely the reader will too. If the researcher can’t put an idea in a single sentence, then it is very long and they must change it so that the idea is clear to everyone.
• Check grammar and spelling. Without a doubt, good practices help to understand the report. Use verbs in the present tense. Consider using the present tense, which makes the results sound more immediate. Find new words and other ways of saying things. Have fun with the language whenever possible.
• Discuss only the discoveries that are significant. If some data are not really significant, do not mention them. Remember that not everything is truly important or essential within research reports.

Learn more: Qualitative Data

• Try and stick to the survey questions. For example, do not say that the people surveyed “were worried” about an research issue , when there are different degrees of concern.
• The graphs must be clear enough so that they understand themselves. Do not let graphs lead the reader to make mistakes: give them a title, include the indications, the size of the sample, and the correct wording of the question.
• Be clear with messages. A researcher should always write every section of the report with an accuracy of details and language.
• Be creative with titles – Particularly in segmentation studies choose names “that give life to research”. Such names can survive for a long time after the initial investigation.
• Create an effective conclusion: The conclusion in the research reports is the most difficult to write, but it is an incredible opportunity to excel. Make a precise summary. Sometimes it helps to start the conclusion with something specific, then it describes the most important part of the study, and finally, it provides the implications of the conclusions.
• Get a couple more pair of eyes to read the report. Writers have trouble detecting their own mistakes. But they are responsible for what is presented. Ensure it has been approved by colleagues or friends before sending the find draft out.

Learn more: Market Research and Analysis

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Super Micro Computer plunges 27% as it delays key filing a day after scathing short-seller report

• Super Micro Computer stock plunged 27% Wednesday after delaying its annual 10-K financial filing.
• The delay follows a report by Hindenburg Research citing poor internal accounting controls.
• The sharp sell-off weighed on other AI stocks in Wednesay's session.

Super Micro Computer stock plunged as much as 27% on Wednesday after the company delayed its annual 10-K financial filing.

The sharp decline knocked nearly $150 off Super Micro Computer's stock price to around $400, its lowest level since January. The stock is down 67% from its record high reached in March.

In a press release, the AI chip stack supplier said it could not file its annual report for the fiscal year ended June 30 "without unreasonable effort or expense."

"Additional time is needed for SMCI's management to complete its assessment of the design and operating effectiveness of its internal controls over financial reporting as of June 30, 2024," the company said.

Super Micro Computer stressed that despite the 10-K filing delay, it did not update its fiscal year financial results or alter its forward-looking guidance.

The sharp stock-price decline in Super Micro Computer comes just one day after famed short-seller Hindenburg Research released a scathing report on the company.

Part of Hindenburg's bearish thesis was based on an investigation that found poor internal controls for its accounting practices.

"Our 3-month investigation, which included interviews with former senior employees and industry experts as well as a review of litigation records, international corporate and customs records, found glaring accounting red flags, evidence of undisclosed related party transactions, sanctions and export control failures, and customer issues," Hindenburg wrote in its report.

Hindenburg also highlighted that Super Micro Computer paid a $17.5 million fine to the SEC due to "widespread accounting violations."

"All told, we believe Super Micro is a serial recidivist. It benefitted as an early mover but still faces significant accounting, governance, and compliance issues and offers an inferior product and service now being eroded away by more credible competition," Hindenburg Research said.

The sharp sell-off in Super Micro Computer on Wednesday weighed on sentiment for other AI stocks.

Shares of AMD and Dell saw modest losses of about 3% on Wednesday.

Shares of Nvidia dropped as much as 4% in Wednesday trades ahead of its highly anticipated earnings report before paring losses to about 2%.

According to data from Bloomberg, Super Micro Computer is Nvidia's third largest customer, representing almost 9% of its revenue.

Investors will better understand the state of the AI trade when Nvidia reports its second-quarter earnings results after the closing bell on Wednesday.

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Projecting 20 years into the future, the authors aim to stretch thinking beyond the immediate challenges that Australia faces at home and in the Indo-Pacific region. Implications from numerous megatrends should form the basis for medium- and long-term planning. The report alerts the Department of Defence to the most salient issues so that it can design resilient force structures and realise maximum return on its investment.

Forward 2045

A Foresight Study Examining the Implications of Global Trends over the Next 20 Years

Joanne Nicholson , Peter Dortmans

Research Published Aug 29, 2024

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By projecting 20 years into the future, the authors of this report aim to stretch thinking beyond the immediate challenges that Australia faces at home and in the Indo-Pacific region. The implications from numerous emerging forces (megatrends) have been determined and presented so that they may inform the basis for medium- and long-term planning. This should be done now because establishing the necessary national response may take decades. The report's analytical aims are to alert the Department of Defence (and increasingly the whole of government) to the most salient issues so that it is better able to anticipate and adapt to threats beyond the most imminent problems of today and, accordingly, design resilient force structures and realise maximum return on its investment in capabilities in those future decades.

Key Findings

• Threats emerging from natural, technological and social systems are combining with potentially irreversible, perhaps catastrophic, outcomes.
• If Australia is to deal with a future polycrisis state beyond the current great-power competition, it must start to consider how it can introduce agility into its force structure and to which crises or issues this is best deployed.
• Developing a model for civil defence could strengthen Australia's capacity for proactive and effective responses to various threats but may require the Australian Defence Force (ADF) to relinquish capability and personnel better suited to domestic disaster relief roles. In exchange, a broader recruitment pool could be established to benefit both a civil defence force and the ADF, enhancing civil preparedness and augmenting the ADF to focus on its priorities.
• To develop operational expertise, organisational structures that promote experimentation and risk-taking are essential for building trust in new and emerging technologies and are vital if a much bigger range of contingencies beyond conventional warfighting constructs is to be addressed.
• Some proponents of malicious activity are perpetrating warlike acts deliberately below the threshold of war, especially within the cyber domain and increasingly within space. This is blurring the lines between defence and national security and thus requires the Department of Defence to engage more with ambiguity, not less.
• The ADF may need to take greater, perhaps leading, roles in information security, addressing both national and international risks and joining forces with civilian organisations to do so.
• Global Climate Change
• Global Security
• Information Operations
• Military Strategy
• National Security and Terrorism

Document Details

• Copyright: RAND Corporation
• Availability: Web-Only
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.7249/RRA3441-1
• Document Number: RR-A3441-1

Research conducted by

• RAND Australia

This research was prepared for the Australian Department of Defence and conducted by RAND Australia .

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