Executive Summary

Guidelines

The goal of the Executive Summary (ES) is to condense you presentation, project, case, etc. in one to two pages.  The best way to think of the ES as the key points that you have to get across to your boss if you only had two minutes.  The ES is like a resume of your results.  You have to make it short, to-the-point, and convincing.

There is not a single format for a good ES.  However, you should remember that you have to tell your whole story in just a few paragraphs.  Here are some recommendations:

1. NEVER have more than two pages
2. Don't worry about the tables or graphs in the ES
3. Be specific
4. Quickly identify the reason for the ES (problem, opportunity, etc)
5. State your biggest finding or recommendation up-front
6. Don't spend a lot of times discussing various alternatives
7. Identify biggest benefits and/or problems
8. Include costs