How to Write a Visit Report

Describing the Site

Look over the requirements of your visit report. There is no 1 way to write a visit report. If you’re a student, check the assignment from your instructor. If you’re a consultant or professional working for a company, look at other visit reports from your company to use as a model. Reports are usually only 2-3 pages long, but in some cases, these reports may be much longer. In some cases, you may be asked to give recommendations or opinions about the site. In other cases, you will be asked only to describe the site. Ask your boss or instructor for models of other visit reports. If you can't get a model, look up samples online.

Start the paper with general information about the visit. This will serve as your introduction. In a paragraph, tell your audience when you visited the site and where the site is located. State who your contact was at the site. If extensive travel was needed, you may also briefly state how you arrived at the site.

Define the purpose of the site. In 1-2 paragraphs, describe what type of site it is. Is it a factory, construction site, business, or school? Include details about the size, layout, and equipment used at the site. State how many people work at the site or who owns the site. If you visited a factory, explain what it is producing and what equipment it uses. If you visited a construction site, describe what is being constructed and how far along the construction is. You should also describe the terrain of the site and the layout. If you’re visiting a business, describe what the business does. State which department or part of the business you visited. If you’re visiting a school, identify which grades they teach. Note how many students attend the school. Name the teachers whose classes you observed.

Explain what happened during the visit in chronological order. Start at the beginning of your visit. What did you do? Who did you meet? Describe the events of the day going until you left the site. This may be anywhere from a few paragraphs to a few pages long. Make sure to include: Who did you talk to? What did they tell you? What did you see at the site? What events took place? Did you attend a seminar, Q&A session, or interview? Did you see any demonstrations of equipment or techniques?

Summarize the operations at the site. In as much detail as possible, describe the processes and procedures at the site. If they use any special techniques, state how these techniques are performed. If they manufacture something in a particular way, give a step-by-step account of this process. For example, at a car factory, describe whether the cars are made by robots or humans. Describe each step of the assembly line. If you're visiting a business, talk about different departments within the business. Describe their corporate structure and identify what programs they use to conduct their business.

Reflecting on Your Visit

Describe what you learned at the site if you’re a student. Draw connections between what you learned at the site and what you learned in class. State how seeing the site helped you understand what you are learning in class. You might ask yourself: Is there something you didn’t realize before that you learned while at the site? Who at the site provided helpful information? What was your favorite part of the visit and why?

Identify the strengths and weaknesses of the site. Note which processes, policies, and practices work well at the site. If you notice any flaws, describe these as well. Try to be as specific as possible. Name the exact machine, equipment, process, or policy that could be fixed. For example, you might state that the factory uses the latest technology but point out that employees need more training to work with the new equipment. If there was anything important left out of the visit, state what it was. For example, maybe you were hoping to see the main factory floor or to talk to the manager.

Provide recommendations for improvement if required. If you’re asked to provide recommendations, take a few paragraphs to share your thoughts and observations. Identify problematic areas in the site and provide specific, actionable recommendations to improve them. Tailor your recommendations to the organization or institution that owns the site. What is practical and reasonable for them to do to improve their site? Be specific. Don’t just say they need to improve infrastructure. State what type of equipment they need or give advice on how to improve employee morale.

Formatting Your Report

Add a title page to the beginning of your report. The title should be the name of the visit and site, such as "Visit to Airplane Factory" or "Corporate Headquarters Visit Report." Under the title, include your name, your institution, and the date of the visit. Do not put any other information on this page. If you are following a certain style guideline, like APA or Chicago style, make sure to format the title page according to the rules of the handbook.

Write in clear and objective language. Keep your sentences short and concise. Avoid writing with too many adjectives or flowery language. This will make your report clear and direct. Don’t just say “the visit was interesting” or “I was bored.” Be specific when describing what you learned or saw.

Include any relevant pictures if desired. While pictures are usually not required, they may be helpful in some visit reports. Group photographs, images of machinery, or graphics demonstrating the layout of the site might be helpful.

Proofread your report carefully. Check for any grammatical errors or typos. Ask someone else to read over it for you to make sure it sounds good. If you’re a student, check your professor’s guidelines to make sure that you have all of the required parts.