• Content Writing Services
  • Get in Touch

How to Write an Executive Summary for a Case Study

Updated February 2022: The first thing you do when faced with any study or report is read the executive summary or overview—right? Then you decide if reading the rest of the material is worth your time. This is why it is so important for you to learn how to write an executive summary for a case study.

The executive summary of your case study serves exactly the same function. If the reader sees nothing beyond this section, they will still walk away with a good understanding of your service.

A great summary might even be enough for a reader to pass the information along to the decision-makers in their organization.

In this post, we’ll discuss what makes a compelling executive summary for case studies, and provide you with 4 examples from leading B2B SaaS companies. This is the third post in a 9-part series on how to write a case study .

Every word counts when writing an executive summary

When thinking about how to write an executive summary for a case study, you need to create 2 or 3 crucial sentences that provide a concise overview of the case study. It must be informative and:

  • summarize the story by introducing the customer and their pain points
  • explain what your organization did
  • highlight the key results, including 1 or 2 statistics that drive home the takeaway message

Write the executive summary first to help you focus the rest of the case study. But don’t be too rigid: in the process of reviewing the interview transcript or writing the main copy, another point or statistic may emerge as having more impact than what you’ve chosen to highlight. Revisit your executive summary after writing the case study to make sure it’s as strong and accurate as possible.

If you need a hand with your SaaS case studies, have a look at our case study writing service .

Executive summaries can be short and sweet

This executive summary example from Segment is just a headline followed by a glorified subhead—but it does the trick!

Segment Twilio example of how to write an executive summary for a case study

Here’s another great example of a quick, yet helpful executive summary for Plaid’s case study:

Plaid example of how to write an executive summary for a case study

Sometimes you may need a longer executive summary

For complex case studies, you may need a more in-depth executive summary to give readers an overview of the case study.

Here’s a more fleshed-out executive summary from Segment:

Segment example of how to write an executive summary for a case study

It’s a bit lengthy, but it effectively introduces the challenge. This executive summary could be more powerful if it included a section for results.

Sometimes executive summaries miss the mark entirely

Bullhorn example of how to write an executive summary for a case study

This is not an executive summary. It is merely an introduction. We have no idea what the problem or solution is, and there’s nothing to motivate us to read further.

You can do better with your executive summaries

Be precise. Impress the reader with key results. Let them see that you offer solutions that matter.

Get the help you need

As a SaaS company, you need to partner with someone who “gets it”. We are a SaaS content marketing agency that works with high-growth companies like Calendly, ClickUp and WalkMe. Check out our done-for-you case study writing service .

Avatar photo

As the founder of Uplift Content, Emily leads her team in creating done-for-you case studies, ebooks and blog posts for high-growth SaaS companies like ClickUp, Calendly and WalkMe. Connect with Emily on Linkedin

Sign up for the Content Huddle newsletter

Learn from Emily’s 17 years of aha moments, mistakes, observations, and insights—and find out how you can apply these lessons to your own marketing efforts.

You can unsubscribe any time. Visit our  Terms of Use  for information on our privacy practices.

  • USC Libraries
  • Research Guides

Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper

  • Executive Summary
  • Purpose of Guide
  • Design Flaws to Avoid
  • Independent and Dependent Variables
  • Glossary of Research Terms
  • Reading Research Effectively
  • Narrowing a Topic Idea
  • Broadening a Topic Idea
  • Extending the Timeliness of a Topic Idea
  • Academic Writing Style
  • Choosing a Title
  • Making an Outline
  • Paragraph Development
  • Research Process Video Series
  • The C.A.R.S. Model
  • Background Information
  • The Research Problem/Question
  • Theoretical Framework
  • Citation Tracking
  • Content Alert Services
  • Evaluating Sources
  • Primary Sources
  • Secondary Sources
  • Tiertiary Sources
  • Scholarly vs. Popular Publications
  • Qualitative Methods
  • Quantitative Methods
  • Insiderness
  • Using Non-Textual Elements
  • Limitations of the Study
  • Common Grammar Mistakes
  • Writing Concisely
  • Avoiding Plagiarism
  • Footnotes or Endnotes?
  • Further Readings
  • Generative AI and Writing
  • USC Libraries Tutorials and Other Guides
  • Bibliography

An executive summary is a thorough overview of a research report or other type of document that synthesizes key points for its readers, saving them time and preparing them to understand the study's overall content. It is a separate, stand-alone document of sufficient detail and clarity to ensure that the reader can completely understand the contents of the main research study. An executive summary can be anywhere from 1-10 pages long depending on the length of the report, or it can be the summary of more than one document [e.g., papers submitted for a group project].

Bailey, Edward, P. The Plain English Approach to Business Writing . (New York: Oxford University Press, 1997), p. 73-80 Todorovic, Zelimir William and Marietta Wolczacka Frye. “Writing Effective Executive Summaries: An Interdisciplinary Examination.” In United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Conference Proceedings . (Decatur, IL: United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, 2009): pp. 662-691.

Importance of a Good Executive Summary

Although an executive summary is similar to an abstract in that they both summarize the contents of a research study, there are several key differences. With research abstracts, the author's recommendations are rarely included, or if they are, they are implicit rather than explicit. Recommendations are generally not stated in academic abstracts because scholars operate in a discursive environment, where debates, discussions, and dialogs are meant to precede the implementation of any new research findings. The conceptual nature of much academic writing also means that recommendations arising from the findings are distributed widely and not easily or usefully encapsulated. Executive summaries are used mainly when a research study has been developed for an organizational partner, funding entity, or other external group that participated in the research . In such cases, the research report and executive summary are often written for policy makers outside of academe, while abstracts are written for the academic community. Professors, therefore, assign the writing of executive summaries so students can practice synthesizing and writing about the contents of comprehensive research studies for external stakeholder groups.

When preparing to write, keep in mind that:

  • An executive summary is not an abstract.
  • An executive summary is not an introduction.
  • An executive summary is not a preface.
  • An executive summary is not a random collection of highlights.

Christensen, Jay. Executive Summaries Complete The Report. California State University Northridge; Clayton, John. "Writing an Executive Summary that Means Business." Harvard Management Communication Letter (July 2003): 2-4; Keller, Chuck. "Stay Healthy with a Winning Executive Summary." Technical Communication 41 (1994): 511-517; Murphy, Herta A., Herbert W. Hildebrandt, and Jane P. Thomas. Effective Business Communications . New York: McGraw-Hill, 1997; Vassallo, Philip. "Executive Summaries: Where Less Really is More." ETC.: A Review of General Semantics 60 (Spring 2003): 83-90 .

Structure and Writing Style

Writing an Executive Summary

Read the Entire Document This may go without saying, but it is critically important that you read the entire research study thoroughly from start to finish before you begin to write the executive summary. Take notes as you go along, highlighting important statements of fact, key findings, and recommended courses of action. This will better prepare you for how to organize and summarize the study. Remember this is not a brief abstract of 300 words or less but, essentially, a mini-paper of your paper, with a focus on recommendations.

Isolate the Major Points Within the Original Document Choose which parts of the document are the most important to those who will read it. These points must be included within the executive summary in order to provide a thorough and complete explanation of what the document is trying to convey.

Separate the Main Sections Closely examine each section of the original document and discern the main differences in each. After you have a firm understanding about what each section offers in respect to the other sections, write a few sentences for each section describing the main ideas. Although the format may vary, the main sections of an executive summary likely will include the following:

  • An opening statement, with brief background information,
  • The purpose of research study,
  • Method of data gathering and analysis,
  • Overview of findings, and,
  • A description of each recommendation, accompanied by a justification. Note that the recommendations are sometimes quoted verbatim from the research study.

Combine the Information Use the information gathered to combine them into an executive summary that is no longer than 10% of the original document. Be concise! The purpose is to provide a brief explanation of the entire document with a focus on the recommendations that have emerged from your research. How you word this will likely differ depending on your audience and what they care about most. If necessary, selectively incorporate bullet points for emphasis and brevity. Re-read your Executive Summary After you've completed your executive summary, let it sit for a while before coming back to re-read it. Check to make sure that the summary will make sense as a separate document from the full research study. By taking some time before re-reading it, you allow yourself to see the summary with fresh, unbiased eyes.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Length of the Executive Summary As a general rule, the correct length of an executive summary is that it meets the criteria of no more pages than 10% of the number of pages in the original document, with an upper limit of no more than ten pages [i.e., ten pages for a 100 page document]. This requirement keeps the document short enough to be read by your audience, but long enough to allow it to be a complete, stand-alone synopsis. Cutting and Pasting With the exception of specific recommendations made in the study, do not simply cut and paste whole sections of the original document into the executive summary. You should paraphrase information from the longer document. Avoid taking up space with excessive subtitles and lists, unless they are absolutely necessary for the reader to have a complete understanding of the original document. Consider the Audience Although unlikely to be required by your professor, there is the possibility that more than one executive summary will have to be written for a given document [e.g., one for policy-makers, one for private industry, one for philanthropists]. This may only necessitate the rewriting of the introduction and conclusion, but it could require rewriting the entire summary in order to fit the needs of the reader. If necessary, be sure to consider the types of audiences who may benefit from your study and make adjustments accordingly. Clarity in Writing One of the biggest mistakes you can make is related to the clarity of your executive summary. Always note that your audience [or audiences] are likely seeing your research study for the first time. The best way to avoid a disorganized or cluttered executive summary is to write it after the study is completed. Always follow the same strategies for proofreading that you would for any research paper. Use Strong and Positive Language Don’t weaken your executive summary with passive, imprecise language. The executive summary is a stand-alone document intended to convince the reader to make a decision concerning whether to implement the recommendations you make. Once convinced, it is assumed that the full document will provide the details needed to implement the recommendations. Although you should resist the temptation to pad your summary with pleas or biased statements, do pay particular attention to ensuring that a sense of urgency is created in the implications, recommendations, and conclusions presented in the executive summary. Be sure to target readers who are likely to implement the recommendations.

Bailey, Edward, P. The Plain English Approach to Business Writing . (New York: Oxford University Press, 1997), p. 73-80; Christensen, Jay. Executive Summaries Complete The Report. California State University Northridge; Executive Summaries. Writing@CSU. Colorado State University; Clayton, John. "Writing an Executive Summary That Means Business." Harvard Management Communication Letter , 2003; Executive Summary. University Writing Center. Texas A&M University;  Green, Duncan. Writing an Executive Summary.   Oxfam’s Research Guidelines series ; Guidelines for Writing an Executive Summary. Astia.org; Markowitz, Eric. How to Write an Executive Summary. Inc. Magazine, September, 15, 2010; Kawaski, Guy. The Art of the Executive Summary. "How to Change the World" blog; Keller, Chuck. "Stay Healthy with a Winning Executive Summary." Technical Communication 41 (1994): 511-517; The Report Abstract and Executive Summary. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Writing Executive Summaries. Effective Writing Center. University of Maryland; Kolin, Philip. Successful Writing at Work . 10th edition. (Boston, MA: Cengage Learning, 2013), p. 435-437; Moral, Mary. "Writing Recommendations and Executive Summaries." Keeping Good Companies 64 (June 2012): 274-278; Todorovic, Zelimir William and Marietta Wolczacka Frye. “Writing Effective Executive Summaries: An Interdisciplinary Examination.” In United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Conference Proceedings . (Decatur, IL: United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, 2009): pp. 662-691.

  • << Previous: 3. The Abstract
  • Next: 4. The Introduction >>
  • Last Updated: Mar 8, 2024 1:02 PM
  • URL: https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide

Templates, Forms, Checklists for MS Office and Apple iWork

  • Search for:
  • Apple Numbers
  • Apple Pages
  • Software Testing
  • White Paper Templates
  • Business Process Design
  • Software Development
  • Writing Tips
  • Action Plan Writing
  • Business Plan Writing

No products in the cart.

Return to shop

Case Study Templates

How to write the executive summary for case studies.

The Executive Summary of your Case Study must make the right impression on your readers. It’s the first section they read. However, the Executive Summary must be the last part of the document you write.

How to Write a Case Study

When writing this section, remember this is your best chance to interest the reader—and get them to take action! For example: call your Sales team and get more information about your products, sign up for a newsletter, download a trial product, or request more information about your product line.

What’s the Purpose of an Executive Summary?

Executive Summaries should give readers a high-level overview of your Case Study.

This is NOT the introduction to your document; rather this sets the scene and describes your company, vision and product offering. In your mind’s eye, see the Executive Summary and the Case Study are two separate documents. Approach each one with a different ‘writer’s hat’.

The tone, style, and language may be different. In general, the Executive Summary will be tightly-written, direct, and high-level. You dive into these points in the case study itself. This applies to in-depth case studies over five pages. Shorter case studies may not require the same background information.

Best Practice: Writing your Executive Summary

Write your Executive Summary as though it were standalone document . It’s usually best to do this when the proposal is finished as you will then have digested the material and have a fuller grasp of the business objectives.

The Executive Summary as a ‘document’ introduces your business, principles, products, and people.

When writing your Case Study’s executive summary provide brief summaries of the following:

  • Business operations
  • Company’s background
  • Competitors
  • Customer list
  • Financial projections
  • Flagship products
  • Industry awards
  • Key services
  • Management team
  • Market share
  • Marketing and sales objectives
  • Office locations
  • Partnerships
  • Strategic alliances
  • Vision Statement

Case study for Architecture projects

Guidelines: Writing the Executive Summary

The Executive Summary should be no more than one or two pages.

I’ve seen very concise and persuasive introductions that were less than three-hundred words. The business writers knew how to introduce the key points, ignore/relegate less important material, and use a writing style that made the reader want to read the rest of the document.

This applies to in-depth case studies over five pages. Shorter case studies may not require the same background information.

Don’t resort to clichés and hackneyed phrases. Your customers read business documents all day. Make sure yours stands out.

Note : This applies to in-depth case studies. Shorter case studies may not require the same background information.

  • Company – Describe your company background, with details of your industry position, physical location and number of employees.
  • Management – Introduce the key members of the senior management team. Where possible, give their name, position, age, prior employer, experience in similar activities, degrees etc. Use common sense here and move these to a later section in the document if it takes too much space. When writing a Case Study, I often add a section called Pen Portraits and add profiles of the management team in there.
  • Product Offering – If you’re discussing a specific product offering, for example, software for selling digital goods online, then outline the three main benefits. Where appropriate, discuss key features, customers, competitors and industry awards.
  • Value Proposition – Describe what is unique about this product, for example, if it can it be patented, localized, scaled, used over the web, on mobile devices.
  • Financials – This is required if you’re seeking funding, looking for partners, or applying for a grant. Keep it short. Check the figures more than once!
  • Funding – Describe your current position, use of funds to date, prior funding. Also break out the investment you’ve received to date, investors’ names, business valuation, and details of the exit strategy. (This section may not apply to all Case Studies.)
  • Contact Information – Add your name, position, company, address, phone, fax, email and website address.

What else should go into the Executive Summary?

' src=

Anthony James

Username or email address  *

Password  *

Remember me Log in

Lost your password?

Discover the latest MyICAEW app for ACA students and members, available to download now. Find out more

  • Benefits of membership

Gain access to world-leading information resources, guidance and local networks.

  • Visit Benefits of membership

Becoming a member

98% of the best global brands rely on ICAEW Chartered Accountants.

  • Visit Becoming a member
  • Pay fees and subscriptions

Your membership subscription enables ICAEW to provide support to members.

Fees and subscriptions

Member rewards.

Take advantage of the range of value added or discounted member benefits.

  • Member rewards – More from your membership
  • Technical and ethics support
  • Support throughout your career

Information and resources for every stage of your career.

Member Insights Survey

Let us know about the issues affecting you, your business and your clients.

  • Complete the survey

From software start-ups to high-flying airlines and high street banks, 98% of the best global brands rely on ICAEW Chartered Accountants. A career as an ICAEW Chartered Accountant means the opportunity to work in any organisation, in any sector, whatever your ambitions.

Everything you need to know about ICAEW annual membership fees, community and faculty subscriptions, eligibility for reduced rates and details of how you can pay.

Membership administration

Welcome to the ICAEW members area: your portal to members'-only content, offers, discounts, regulations and membership information.

  • Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is an integral part of being a successful ICAEW Chartered Accountant.

The ICAEW Chartered Accountant qualification, the ACA, is one of the most advanced learning and professional development programmes available. It is valued around the world in business, practice and the public sector.

3 people huddled at desk

ACA for employers

Train the next generation of chartered accountants in your business or organisation. Discover how your organisation can attract, train and retain the best accountancy talent, how to become authorised to offer ACA training and the support and guidance on offer if you are already providing training.

Digital learning materials via BibliU

All ACA, ICAEW CFAB and Level 4 apprenticeship learning materials are now digital only. Read our guide on how to access your learning materials on the ICAEW Bookshelf using the BibliU app or through your browser.

  • Find out more

Take a look at ICAEW training films

Focusing on professional scepticism, ethics and everyday business challenges, our training films are used by firms and companies around the world to support their in-house training and business development teams.

Attract and retain the next generation of accounting and finance professionals with our world-leading accountancy qualifications. Become authorised to offer ACA training and help your business stay ahead.

CPD guidance and help

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is an integral part of being a successful ICAEW Chartered Accountant. Find support on ICAEW's CPD requirements and access resources to help your professional development.

Leadership Development Programmes

ICAEW Academy’s in-depth leadership development programmes take a holistic approach to combine insightful mentoring or coaching, to exclusive events, peer learning groups and workshops. Catering for those significant transitions in your career, these leadership development programmes are instrumental to achieving your ambitions or fulfilling your succession planning goals.

Specialist Finance Qualifications & Programmes

Whatever future path you choose, ICAEW will support the development and acceleration of your career at each stage to enhance your career.

 Young people

Why a career in chartered accountancy?

If you think chartered accountants spend their lives confined to their desks, then think again. They are sitting on the boards of multinational companies, testifying in court and advising governments, as well as supporting charities and businesses from every industry all over the world.

  • Why chartered accountancy?

 Telescope

Search for qualified ACA jobs

Matching highly skilled ICAEW members with attractive organisations seeking talented accountancy and finance professionals.

Volunteering roles

Helping skilled and in-demand chartered accountants give back and strengthen not-for-profit sector with currently over 2,300 organisations posting a variety of volunteering roles with ICAEW.

  • Search for volunteer roles
  • Get ahead by volunteering

Advertise with ICAEW

From as little as £495, access to a pool of highly qualified and ambitious ACA qualified members with searchable CVs.

Early careers and training

Start your ACA training with ICAEW. Find out why a career in chartered accountancy could be for you and how to become a chartered accountant.

Qualified ACA careers

Find Accountancy and Finance Jobs

Voluntary roles

Find Voluntary roles

While you pursue the most interesting and rewarding opportunities at every stage of your career, we’re here to offer you support whatever stage you are or wherever you are in the world and in whichever sector you have chosen to work.

  • ACA students

"How to guides" for ACA students

  • ACA student guide
  • How to book an exam
  • How to apply for credit for prior learning (CPL)
  • ACA student induction webinar
  • Exam resources

Here are some resources you will find useful while you study for the ACA qualification.

  • Certificate Level
  • Professional Level
  • Advanced Level

Digital learning materials

All ACA learning materials are now digital only. Read our guide on how to access your learning materials on the ICAEW Bookshelf via the BibliU app, or through your browser.

  • Read the guide

My online training file

Once you are registered as an ACA student, you'll be able to access your training file to log your progress throughout ACA training.

  • Access your training file
  • Student Insights

Fresh insights, innovative ideas and an inside look at the lives and careers of our ICAEW students and members.

  • Read the latest articles

System status checks

Getting started.

Welcome to ICAEW! We have pulled together a selection of resources to help you get started with your ACA training, including our popular 'How To' series, which offers step-by-step guidance on everything from registering as an ACA student and applying for CPL, to using your online training file.

Credit for prior learning (CPL)

Credit for prior learning or CPL is our term for exemptions. High quality learning and assessment in other relevant qualifications is appropriately recognised by the award of CPL.

Apply for exams

What you need to know in order to apply for the ACA exams.

The ACA qualification has 15 modules over three levels. They are designed to complement the practical experience you will be gaining in the workplace. They will also enable you to gain in-depth knowledge across a broad range of topics in accountancy, finance and business. Here are some useful resources while you study.

  • Exam results

You will receive your results for all Certificate Level exams, the day after you take the exam and usually five weeks after a Professional and Advanced Level exam session has taken place. Access your latest and archived exam results here.

Training agreement

Putting your theory work into practice is essential to complete your ACA training.

Student support and benefits

We are here to support you throughout your ACA journey. We have a range of resources and services on offer for you to unwrap, from exam resources, to student events and discount cards. Make sure you take advantage of the wealth of exclusive benefits available to you, all year round.

  • Applying for membership

The ACA will open doors to limitless opportunities in all areas of accountancy, business and finance anywhere in the world. ICAEW Chartered Accountants work at the highest levels as finance directors, CEOs and partners of some of the world’s largest organisations.

ACA training FAQs

Do you have a question about the ACA training? Then look no further. Here, you can find answers to frequently asked questions relating to the ACA qualification and training. Find out more about each of the integrated components of the ACA, as well as more information on the syllabus, your training agreement, ICAEW’s rules and regulations and much more.

  • Anti-money laundering

Guidance and resources to help members comply with their legal and professional responsibilities around AML.

Technical releases

ICAEW Technical Releases are a source of good practice guidance on technical and practice issues relevant to ICAEW Chartered Accountants and other finance professionals.

  • ICAEW Technical Releases
  • Thought leadership

ICAEW's Thought Leadership reports provide clarity and insight on the current and future challenges to the accountancy profession. Our charitable trusts also provide funding for academic research into accountancy.

  • Academic research funding

Technical Advisory Services helpsheets

Practical, technical and ethical guidance highlighting the most important issues for members, whether in practice or in business.

  • ICAEW Technical Advisory Services helpsheets

Bloomsbury – free for eligible firms

In partnership with Bloomsbury Professional, ICAEW have provided eligible firms with free access to Bloomsbury’s comprehensive online library of around 80 titles from leading tax and accounting subject matter experts.

  • Bloomsbury Accounting and Tax Service

Country resources

Our resources by country provide access to intelligence on over 170 countries and territories including economic forecasts, guides to doing business and information on the tax climate in each jurisdiction.

Industries and sectors

Thought leadership, technical resources and professional guidance to support the professional development of members working in specific industries and sectors.

Audit and Assurance

The audit, assurance and internal audit area has information and guidance on technical and practical matters in relation to these three areas of practice. There are links to events, publications, technical help and audit representations.

The most up-to-date thought leadership, insights, technical resources and professional guidance to support ICAEW members working in and with industry with their professional development.

  • Corporate Finance

Companies, advisers and investors making decisions about creating, developing and acquiring businesses – and the wide range of advisory careers that require this specialist professional expertise.

  • Corporate governance

Corporate governance is the system by which companies are directed and controlled. Find out more about corporate governance principles, codes and reports, Board subcommittees, roles and responsibilities and shareholder relations. Corporate governance involves balancing the interests of a company’s many stakeholders, such as shareholders, employees, management, customers, suppliers, financiers and the community. Getting governance right is essential to build public trust in companies.

Corporate reporting

View a range of practical resources on UK GAAP, IFRS, UK regulation for company accounts and non-financial reporting. Plus find out more about the ICAEW Corporate Reporting Faculty.

Expert analysis on the latest national and international economic issues and trends, and interviews with prominent voices across the finance industry, alongside data on the state of the economy.

  • Financial Services

View articles and resources on the financial services sector.

  • Practice resources

For ICAEW's members in practice, this area brings together the most up-to-date thought leadership, technical resources and professional guidance to help you in your professional life.

Public Sector

Many ICAEW members work in or with the public sector to deliver public priorities and strong public finances. ICAEW acts in the public interest to support strong financial leadership and better financial management across the public sector – featuring transparency, accountability, governance and ethics – to ensure that public money is spent wisely and that public finances are sustainable.

Sustainability and climate change

Sustainability describes a world that does not live by eating into its capital, whether natural, economic or social. Members in practice, in business and private individuals all have a role to play if sustainability goals are to be met. The work being undertaken by ICAEW in this area is to change behaviour to drive sustainable outcomes.

The Tax area has information and guidance on technical and practical tax matters. There are links to events, the latest tax news and the Tax Faculty’s publications, including helpsheets, webinars and Tax representations.

Keep up-to-date with tech issues and developments, including artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, big data, and cyber security.

Trust & Ethics

Guidance and resources on key issues, including economic crime, business law, better regulation and ethics. Read through ICAEW’s Code of Ethics and supporting information.

Communities

Polaroids on pinboard

ICAEW Communities

Information, insights, guidance and networking opportunities on a range of industry sectors, professional specialisms and at various stages throughout your career.

  • Discover a new community

Faculties

ICAEW Faculties

The accountancy profession is facing change and uncertainty. The ICAEW Faculties can help by providing you with timely and relevant support.

  • Choose to join any of the faculties

UK groups and societies

We have teams on the ground in: East of England, the Midlands, London and South East, Northern, South West, Yorkshire and Humberside, Wales and Scotland.

  • Access your UK region

Worldwide support and services

Support and services we offer our members in Africa, America, Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, Greater China, the Middle East, Oceania and South East Asia.

  • Discover our services

ICAEW Faculties are 'centres of technical excellence', strongly committed to enhancing your professional development and helping you to meet your CPD requirements every year. They offer exclusive content, events and webinars, customised for your sector - which you should be able to easily record, when the time comes for the completion of your CPD declaration. Our offering isn't exclusive to Institute members. As a faculty member, the same resources are available to you to ensure you stay ahead of the competition.

Communities by industry / sector

Communities by life stage and workplace, communities by professional specialism, local groups and societies.

We aim to support you wherever in the world you work. Our regional offices and network of volunteers run events and provide access to local accounting updates in major finance centres around the globe.

  • Ukraine crisis: central resource hub

Learn about the actions that ICAEW members are taking to ensure that their clients comply with sanctions imposed by different countries and jurisdictions, and read about the support available from ICAEW.

Insights pulls together the best opinion, analysis, interviews, videos and podcasts on the key issues affecting accountancy and business.

  • See the latest insights
  • Making COP count

This series looks at the role the accountancy profession can play in addressing the climate crisis and building a sustainable economy.

  • Read more on COP28

Professional development and skills

With new requirements on ICAEW members for continuing professional development, we bring together resources to support you through the changes and look at the skills accountants need for the future.

  • Visit the hub

When Chartered Accountants Save The World

Find out how chartered accountants are helping to tackle some of the most urgent social challenges within the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and explore how the profession could do even more.

  • Read our major series

Insights specials

A listing of one-off Insights specials that focus on a particular subject, interviewing the key people, identifying developing trends and examining the underlying issues.

Top podcasts

Insights by topic.

Regulation graphic

ICAEW Regulation

Regulation graphic

  • Regulatory News

View the latest regulatory updates and guidance and subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Regulatory & Conduct News.

  • Regulatory Consultations

Strengthening trust in the profession

Our role as a world-leading improvement regulator is to strengthen trust and protect the public. We do this by enabling, evaluating and enforcing the highest standards in the profession. 

Regulatory applications

Find out how you can become authorised by ICAEW as a regulated firm. 

ICAEW codes and regulations

Professional conduct and complaints, statutory regulated services overseen by icaew, regulations for icaew practice members and firms, additional guidance and support, popular search results.

  • Training File
  • Practice Exam Software
  • Ethics Cpd Course
  • Routes to the ACA
  • ACA students membership application
  • Join as a member of another body
  • How much are membership fees?
  • How to pay your fees
  • Receipts and invoices
  • What if my circumstances have changed?
  • Difficulties in making changes to your membership
  • Faculty and community subscription fees
  • Updating your details
  • Complete annual return
  • Promoting myself as an ICAEW member
  • Verification of ICAEW membership
  • Become a life member
  • Become a fellow
  • Request a new certificate
  • Report the death of a member
  • Membership regulations
  • New members
  • Career progression
  • Career Breakers
  • Volunteering at schools and universities
  • ICAEW Member App
  • Working internationally
  • Self employment
  • Support Members Scheme
  • CPD is changing
  • CPD learning resources
  • Your guide to CPD
  • Online CPD record
  • How to become a chartered accountant
  • Register as a student
  • Train as a member of another body
  • More about the ACA and chartered accountancy
  • How ACA training works
  • Become a training employer
  • Access the training file
  • Why choose the ACA
  • Training routes
  • Employer support hub
  • Get in touch
  • Apprenticeships with ICAEW
  • A-Z of CPD courses by topic
  • ICAEW Business and Finance Professional (BFP)
  • ICAEW flagship events
  • Financial Talent Executive Network (F-TEN®)
  • Developing Leadership in Practice (DLiP™)
  • Network of Finance Leaders (NFL)
  • Women in Leadership (WiL)
  • Mentoring and coaching
  • Partners in Learning
  • Board Director's Programme e-learning
  • Corporate Finance Qualification
  • Diploma in Charity Accounting
  • ICAEW Certificate in Insolvency
  • ICAEW Data Analytics Certificate
  • Financial Modeling Institute’s Advanced Financial Modeler Accreditation
  • ICAEW Sustainability Certificate for Finance Professionals
  • ICAEW Finance in a Digital World Programme
  • All specialist qualifications
  • Team training
  • Start your training
  • Improve your employability
  • Search employers
  • Find a role
  • Role alerts
  • Organisations
  • Practice support – 11 ways ICAEW and CABA can help you
  • News and advice
  • ICAEW Volunteering Hub
  • Support in becoming a chartered accountant
  • Vacancies at ICAEW
  • ICAEW boards and committees
  • Exam system status
  • ICAEW systems: status update
  • Changes to our qualifications
  • How-to guides for ACA students
  • ACA induction presentation
  • Apply for credits - Academic qualification
  • Apply for credits - Professional qualification
  • Credit for prior learning (CPL)/exemptions FAQs
  • Applications for Professional and Advanced Level exams
  • Applications for Certificate Level exams
  • Tuition providers
  • Latest exam results
  • Archived exam results
  • Getting your results
  • Marks feedback service
  • Exam admin check
  • Training agreement: overview
  • Professional development
  • Ethics and professional scepticism
  • Practical work experience
  • Access your online training file
  • How training works in your country
  • Student rewards
  • TOTUM PRO Card
  • Student events and volunteering
  • Xero cloud accounting certifications
  • Student support
  • Join a community
  • Wellbeing support from caba
  • Student conduct and behaviour
  • Code of ethics
  • Fit and proper
  • Level 4 Accounting Technician Apprenticeship
  • Level 7 Accountancy Professional Apprenticeship
  • AAT-ACA Fast Track FAQs
  • ACA rules and regulations FAQs
  • ACA syllabus FAQs
  • ACA training agreement FAQs
  • Audit experience and the Audit Qualification FAQs
  • Independent student FAQs
  • Practical work experience FAQs
  • Professional development FAQs
  • Six-monthly reviews FAQs
  • Ethics and professional scepticism FAQs
  • Greater China
  • Latin America
  • Middle East
  • North America
  • Australasia
  • Russia and Eurasia
  • South East Asia
  • Charity Community
  • Construction & Real Estate
  • Energy & Natural Resources Community
  • Farming & Rural Business Community
  • Forensic & Expert Witness
  • Global Trade Community
  • Healthcare Community
  • Internal Audit Community
  • Manufacturing Community
  • Media & Leisure
  • Portfolio Careers Community
  • Small and Micro Business Community
  • Small Practitioners Community
  • Travel, Tourism & Hospitality Community
  • Valuation Community
  • Audit and corporate governance reform
  • Audit & Assurance Faculty
  • Professional judgement
  • Regulation and working in audit
  • Internal audit resource centre
  • Everything business
  • Latest Business news from Insights
  • Strategy, risk and innovation
  • Business performance management
  • Financial management
  • Finance transformation
  • Economy and business environment
  • Leadership, personal development and HR
  • Webinars and publications
  • Business restructuring
  • The Business Finance Guide
  • Capital markets and investment
  • Corporate finance careers
  • Corporate Finance Faculty
  • Debt advisory and growth finance
  • Mergers and acquisitions
  • Private equity
  • Start-ups, scale-ups and venture capital
  • Transaction services
  • Board committees
  • Corporate governance codes and reports
  • Corporate Governance Community
  • Connect and Reflect
  • Principles of corporate governance
  • Roles, duties and responsibilities of Board members
  • Shareholder relations
  • Corporate reporting resources
  • Small and micro entity reporting
  • UK Regulation for Company Accounts
  • Non-financial reporting
  • Improving Corporate Reporting
  • Economy home
  • ICAEW Business Confidence Monitor
  • ICAEW Manifesto 2024
  • Energy crisis
  • Levelling up: rebalancing the UK’s economy
  • Resilience and Renewal: Building an economy fit for the future
  • Social mobility and inclusion
  • Autumn Statement 2023
  • Investment management
  • Inspiring confidence
  • Setting up in practice
  • Running your practice
  • Supporting your clients
  • Practice technology
  • TAS helpsheets
  • Support for business advisers
  • Join ICAEW BAS
  • Public Sector hub
  • Public Sector Audit and Assurance
  • Public Sector Finances
  • Public Sector Financial Management
  • Public Sector Financial Reporting
  • Public Sector Learning & Development
  • Public Sector Community
  • Latest public sector articles from Insights
  • Climate hub
  • Sustainable Development Goals
  • Accountability
  • Modern slavery
  • Resources collection
  • Sustainability Committee
  • Sustainability & Climate Change community
  • Sustainability and climate change home
  • Tax Faculty
  • Budgets and legislation
  • Business tax
  • Devolved taxes
  • Employment taxes
  • International taxes
  • Making Tax Digital
  • Personal tax
  • Property tax
  • Stamp duty land tax
  • Tax administration
  • Tax compliance and investigation
  • UK tax rates, allowances and reliefs
  • Artificial intelligence
  • Blockchain and cryptoassets
  • Cyber security
  • Data Analytics Community
  • Digital skills
  • Excel community
  • Finance in a Digital World
  • IT management
  • Technology and the profession
  • Trust & Ethics home
  • Better regulation
  • Business Law
  • Company law
  • Data protection and privacy
  • Economic crime
  • Help with ethical problems
  • ICAEW Code of Ethics
  • ICAEW Trust and Ethics team.....
  • Solicitors Community
  • Forensic & Expert Witness Community
  • Latest articles on business law, trust and ethics
  • Audit and Assurance Faculty
  • Corporate Reporting Faculty
  • Financial Services Faculty
  • Academia & Education Community
  • Construction & Real Estate Community
  • Entertainment, Sport & Media Community
  • Retail Community
  • Career Breakers Community
  • Black Members Community
  • Diversity & Inclusion Community
  • Women in Finance Community
  • Personal Financial Planning Community
  • Restructuring & Insolvency Community
  • Sustainability and Climate Change Community
  • London and East
  • South Wales
  • Yorkshire and Humberside
  • European public policy activities
  • ICAEW Middle East
  • Latest news
  • Access to finance special
  • Attractiveness of the profession
  • Audit and Fraud
  • Audit and technology
  • Adopting non-financial reporting standards
  • Cost of doing business
  • Mental health and wellbeing
  • Pensions and Personal Finance
  • Public sector financial and non-financial reporting
  • More specials ...
  • The economics of biodiversity
  • How chartered accountants can help to safeguard trust in society
  • Video: The financial controller who stole £20,000 from her company
  • It’s time for chartered accountants to save the world
  • Video: The CFO who tried to trick the market
  • Video: Could invoice fraud affect your business?
  • Budget 2024: does it change anything?
  • Will accountants save the world? With ICAEW CEO Michael Izza
  • Crunch time: VAT (or not) on poppadoms
  • Where next for audit and governance reform?
  • A taxing year ahead?
  • What can we expect from 2024?
  • COP28: making the business case for nature
  • COP28: what does transition planning mean for accountants?
  • What’s in the Economic Crime Act 2023?
  • ICAEW/CIPFA dual membership, cyber security trends, and economic renewal
  • How to build a workforce of the future
  • More podcasts...
  • Top charts of the week
  • EU and international trade
  • CEO and President's insights
  • Diversity and Inclusion
  • Sponsored content
  • Insights index
  • Charter and Bye-laws
  • Archive of complaints, disciplinary and fitness processes, statutory regulations and ICAEW regulations
  • Qualifications regulations
  • Training and education regulations
  • How to make a complaint
  • Guidance on your duty to report misconduct
  • Public hearings
  • What to do if you receive a complaint against you
  • Anti-money laundering supervision
  • Working in the regulated area of audit
  • Local public audit in England
  • Probate services
  • Designated Professional Body (Investment Business) licence
  • Consumer credit
  • Quality Assurance monitoring: view from the firms
  • The ICAEW Practice Assurance scheme
  • Licensed Practice scheme
  • Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII)
  • Clients' Money Regulations
  • Taxation (PCRT) Regulations
  • ICAEW training films
  • Helpsheets and guidance by topic
  • ICAEW's regulatory expertise and history

Overview of the Executive Summary

Published: 16 Sep 2021 Update History

What is an Executive Summary?

What should be in the executive summary, how to construct your executive summary, tips for success.

In this guide we will cover that the Executive Summary is, what should be in it and how to construct it as well as tips for success.

This series of Case Study exam resources will cover everything you need to know to prepare for the Case Study exam. This includes:

Introduction to the Case Study exam

  • How to approach the advance information
  • Using the advance information during the Case Study exam
  • A guide on Requirements one, two and three
  • An overview of the Executive Summary
  • How to prepare to retake the Case Study exam

The Executive Summary is arguably the most important part of any report. It is the section that the recipient is likely to read first, with the remainder of the report providing the substantive detail should the reader wish to refer to it. In short the Executive Summary is a brief synopsis of the findings of the main report. A useful analogy may be to think of your Executive Summary as the points you would include in a PowerPoint presentation to your client, with the details of the report itself being contained within the speaker notes.

A recurring criticism of the scripts of unsuccessful students is that their Executive Summary sections are weak. In theory the Executive Summary should be the easiest part of the report, as it contains no new information. This guide aims to demystify the Executive Summary, covering:

  • What the Executive Summary is
  • What should be in your Executive Summary
  • Recurring themes in Executive Summary mark keys
  • How to construct an Executive Summary
  • Tips for success.

The Executive Summary is the part of a report that is most likely to be read by the recipient of the report. In the context of the Case Study exam this will ultimately be the owners of the client firm. As a rule these people will be busy trying to run their business, and will not be financial experts. As such you need to concisely and clearly summarise the contents of main body and the appendices of your report.

  • Summarise the financial performance of the client
  • Integrate numbers with text
  • Evaluate and apply judgement to the key points
  • Draw conclusions
  • Make recommendations
  • Refer where appropriate to ethics and business trust issues

Aside from the contents themselves there are specific marks reserved for producing an Executive Summary for each requirement that is 'an appropriate summary of the main report'. Therefore, to earn these marks you should avoid copying large sections from your main report into you Executive Summary. 

As stated in the overview of the Case Study article you are advised to complete the Executive Summary for each requirement in the exam as you go. For instance, you should write-up your Requirement 1 Executive Summary once you have finished writing up your Requirement 1 section. This approach will ensure that your recollection of Requirement 1 is fresh when beginning to draft its Executive Summary.

While timings will vary from student to student, it should be possible to draft a complete Executive Summary for each section of the main report in 10 minutes each.

The key steps in producing a good Executive Summary include:

  • Planning your main section on paper, using blank marking keys. This will give you a summarised main requirement section from which to select the points you wish to transfer to your Executive Summary.
  • Use a specific highlighter pen colour to mark which points from your planning boxes you wish to include in your Executive Summary, this will make it quick and easy to transfer them into your answer.
  • Write up you Executive Summary from scratch. Do not copy and paste from the main body of you report. It is quicker and easier to write a concise analysis from a plan than it is to copy, paste and edit to reduce your word count.
  • Write in full English sentences - 'summary' does not mean bullet points!

Watch webinar

View this short webinar for an Overview of the Executive summary.

Requirement one, two and three in the Case Study exam

Read out this code to the operator.

  • Project planning |
  • How to write an executive summary, with ...

How to write an executive summary, with examples

Julia Martins contributor headshot

The best way to do that is with an executive summary. If you’ve never written an executive summary, this article has all you need to know to plan, write, and share them with your team.

What is an executive summary?

An executive summary is an overview of a document. The length and scope of your executive summary will differ depending on the document it’s summarizing, but in general an executive summary can be anywhere from one to two pages long. In the document, you’ll want to share all of the information your readers and important stakeholders need to know.

Imagine it this way: if your high-level stakeholders were to only read your executive summary, would they have all of the information they need to succeed? If so, your summary has done its job.

You’ll often find executive summaries of:

Business cases

Project proposals

Research documents

Environmental studies

Market surveys

Project plans

In general, there are four parts to any executive summary:

Start with the problem or need the document is solving.

Outline the recommended solution.

Explain the solution’s value.

Wrap up with a conclusion about the importance of the work.

What is an executive summary in project management?

In project management, an executive summary is a way to bring clarity to cross-functional collaborators, team leadership, and project stakeholders . Think of it like a project’s “ elevator pitch ” for team members who don’t have the time or the need to dive into all of the project’s details.

The main difference between an executive summary in project management and a more traditional executive summary in a business plan is that the former should be created at the beginning of your project—whereas the latter should be created after you’ve written your business plan. For example, to write an executive summary of an environmental study, you would compile a report on the results and findings once your study was over. But for an executive summary in project management, you want to cover what the project is aiming to achieve and why those goals matter.

The same four parts apply to an executive summary in project management:

Start with the problem or need the project is solving.  Why is this project happening? What insight, customer feedback, product plan, or other need caused it to come to life?

Outline the recommended solution, or the project’s objectives.  How is the project going to solve the problem you established in the first part? What are the project goals and objectives?

Explain the solution’s value.  Once you’ve finished your project, what will happen? How will this improve and solve the problem you established in the first part?

Wrap up with a conclusion about the importance of the work.  This is another opportunity to reiterate why the problem is important, and why the project matters. It can also be helpful to reference your audience and how your solution will solve their problem. Finally, include any relevant next steps.

If you’ve never written an executive summary before, you might be curious about where it fits into other project management elements. Here’s how executive summaries stack up:

Executive summary vs. project plan

A  project plan  is a blueprint of the key elements your project will accomplish in order to hit your project goals and objectives. Project plans will include your goals, success metrics, stakeholders and roles, budget, milestones and deliverables, timeline and schedule, and communication plan .

An executive summary is a summary of the most important information in your project plan. Think of the absolutely crucial things your management team needs to know when they land in your project, before they even have a chance to look at the project plan—that’s your executive summary.

Executive summary vs. project overview

Project overviews and executive summaries often have similar elements—they both contain a summary of important project information. However, your project overview should be directly attached to your project. There should be a direct line of sight between your project and your project overview.

While you can include your executive summary in your project depending on what type of  project management tool  you use, it may also be a stand-alone document.

Executive summary vs. project objectives

Your executive summary should contain and expand upon your  project objectives  in the second part ( Outline the recommended solution, or the project’s objectives ). In addition to including your project objectives, your executive summary should also include why achieving your project objectives will add value, as well as provide details about how you’re going to get there.

The benefits of an executive summary

You may be asking: why should I write an executive summary for my project? Isn’t the project plan enough?

Well, like we mentioned earlier, not everyone has the time or need to dive into your project and see, from a glance, what the goals are and why they matter.  Work management tools  like Asana help you capture a lot of crucial information about a project, so you and your team have clarity on who’s doing what by when. Your executive summary is designed less for team members who are actively working on the project and more for stakeholders outside of the project who want quick insight and answers about why your project matters.

An effective executive summary gives stakeholders a big-picture view of the entire project and its important points—without requiring them to dive into all the details. Then, if they want more information, they can access the project plan or navigate through tasks in your work management tool.

How to write a great executive summary, with examples

Every executive summary has four parts. In order to write a great executive summary, follow this template. Then once you’ve written your executive summary, read it again to make sure it includes all of the key information your stakeholders need to know.

1. Start with the problem or need the project is solving

At the beginning of your executive summary, start by explaining why this document (and the project it represents) matter. Take some time to outline what the problem is, including any research or customer feedback you’ve gotten . Clarify how this problem is important and relevant to your customers, and why solving it matters.

For example, let’s imagine you work for a watch manufacturing company. Your project is to devise a simpler, cheaper watch that still appeals to luxury buyers while also targeting a new bracket of customers.

Example executive summary:

In recent customer feedback sessions, 52% of customers have expressed a need for a simpler and cheaper version of our product. In surveys of customers who have chosen competitor watches, price is mentioned 87% of the time. To best serve our existing customers, and to branch into new markets, we need to develop a series of watches that we can sell at an appropriate price point for this market.

2. Outline the recommended solution, or the project’s objectives

Now that you’ve outlined the problem, explain what your solution is. Unlike an abstract or outline, you should be  prescriptive  in your solution—that is to say, you should work to convince your readers that your solution is the right one. This is less of a brainstorming section and more of a place to support your recommended solution.

Because you’re creating your executive summary at the beginning of your project, it’s ok if you don’t have all of your deliverables and milestones mapped out. But this is your chance to describe, in broad strokes, what will happen during the project. If you need help formulating a high-level overview of your project’s main deliverables and timeline, consider creating a  project roadmap  before diving into your executive summary.

Continuing our example executive summary:

Our new watch series will begin at 20% cheaper than our current cheapest option, with the potential for 40%+ cheaper options depending on material and movement. In order to offer these prices, we will do the following:

Offer watches in new materials, including potentially silicone or wood

Use high-quality quartz movement instead of in-house automatic movement

Introduce customizable band options, with a focus on choice and flexibility over traditional luxury

Note that every watch will still be rigorously quality controlled in order to maintain the same world-class speed and precision of our current offerings.

3. Explain the solution’s value

At this point, you begin to get into more details about how your solution will impact and improve upon the problem you outlined in the beginning. What, if any, results do you expect? This is the section to include any relevant financial information, project risks, or potential benefits. You should also relate this project back to your company goals or  OKRs . How does this work map to your company objectives?

With new offerings that are between 20% and 40% cheaper than our current cheapest option, we expect to be able to break into the casual watch market, while still supporting our luxury brand. That will help us hit FY22’s Objective 3: Expanding the brand. These new offerings have the potential to bring in upwards of three million dollars in profits annually, which will help us hit FY22’s Objective 1: 7 million dollars in annual profit.

Early customer feedback sessions indicate that cheaper options will not impact the value or prestige of the luxury brand, though this is a risk that should be factored in during design. In order to mitigate that risk, the product marketing team will begin working on their go-to-market strategy six months before the launch.

4. Wrap up with a conclusion about the importance of the work

Now that you’ve shared all of this important information with executive stakeholders, this final section is your chance to guide their understanding of the impact and importance of this work on the organization. What, if anything, should they take away from your executive summary?

To round out our example executive summary:

Cheaper and varied offerings not only allow us to break into a new market—it will also expand our brand in a positive way. With the attention from these new offerings, plus the anticipated demand for cheaper watches, we expect to increase market share by 2% annually. For more information, read our  go-to-market strategy  and  customer feedback documentation .

Example of an executive summary

When you put it all together, this is what your executive summary might look like:

[Product UI] Example executive summary in Asana (Project Overview)

Common mistakes people make when writing executive summaries

You’re not going to become an executive summary-writing pro overnight, and that’s ok. As you get started, use the four-part template provided in this article as a guide. Then, as you continue to hone your executive summary writing skills, here are a few common pitfalls to avoid:

Avoid using jargon

Your executive summary is a document that anyone, from project contributors to executive stakeholders, should be able to read and understand. Remember that you’re much closer to the daily work and individual tasks than your stakeholders will be, so read your executive summary once over to make sure there’s no unnecessary jargon. Where you can, explain the jargon, or skip it all together.

Remember: this isn’t a full report

Your executive summary is just that—a summary. If you find yourself getting into the details of specific tasks, due dates, and attachments, try taking a step back and asking yourself if that information really belongs in your executive summary. Some details are important—you want your summary to be actionable and engaging. But keep in mind that the wealth of information in your project will be captured in your  work management tool , not your executive summary.

Make sure the summary can stand alone

You know this project inside and out, but your stakeholders won’t. Once you’ve written your executive summary, take a second look to make sure the summary can stand on its own. Is there any context your stakeholders need in order to understand the summary? If so, weave it into your executive summary, or consider linking out to it as additional information.

Always proofread

Your executive summary is a living document, and if you miss a typo you can always go back in and fix it. But it never hurts to proofread or send to a colleague for a fresh set of eyes.

In summary: an executive summary is a must-have

Executive summaries are a great way to get everyone up to date and on the same page about your project. If you have a lot of project stakeholders who need quick insight into what the project is solving and why it matters, an executive summary is the perfect way to give them the information they need.

For more tips about how to connect high-level strategy and plans to daily execution, read our article about strategic planning .

Related resources

in a case study the executive summary is placed

How Asana uses work management for smoother creative production

in a case study the executive summary is placed

6 steps for writing a persuasive project proposal

in a case study the executive summary is placed

How to create crystal clear action items

in a case study the executive summary is placed

How to create a request for information (RFI) document

How To Write an Effective Executive Summary to Yield Results

By Kate Eby | April 3, 2018

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on LinkedIn

Link copied

In this article, you'll learn how to craft an organized, well written executive summary the next time you have to gain the attention of a time-strapped audience.

Included on this page, you’ll find information on how to write an executive summary that wins the proposal, how to format your executive summary , an executive summary checklist , and more. 

What Is the Purpose of the Executive Summary?

An executive summary should be clear and concise (typically one to two pages long) and present the main points in a formal tone. The purpose of an executive summary is to pique the reader’s curiosity by presenting facts from the larger piece of content it is summarizing.

The executive summary can be either a portion of a business document (a business plan, project proposal, or report) or long articles and documents common in research-driven communities and academia. When crafted correctly, the executive summary provides an overview of the information and objectives in the larger document. The executive summary stands alone from the content it summarizes, and should include the essential information, the recommendations, the findings, and the conclusion of the more extensive document.

The Benefits of a Well Written Executive Summary

A well planned, well written executive summary is a valuable tool because it prioritizes the reader’s time and reduces the effort required to learn the critical aspects of the content. The summary can convey the purpose of your business plan, project proposal, product launch presentation, or sales pitch to keep the reader engaged and reading further, or empowered to take action. Even if it is the only thing your audience reads, a strong executive summary creates value for the reader as a first impression. Use the executive summary to make a business case, support a position, or tell a story. The reader should know how the subject of your content impacts them, benefits their work, their company, or their projects after reading the executive summary.  

Various industries use executive summaries as a communication tool, including healthcare, education, government, technology, real estate, finance, law, the nonprofit sector, and more. One of the benefits of using an executive summary is that it is not exclusive to one type of communication. Executive summaries show up in a variety of use cases, including the following:

Business plans

Legal briefs

Product launch plans

College campus surveys

Market research reports

Environmental studies

Project proposals

Hospital planning and evaluation

How to Write an Executive Summary

Crafting a useful executive summary requires more than simply cutting and pasting vital information from the body of your report or proposal. The executive summary may be the only part of the report your target audience reads, so you should spend the time to make it valuable.

It doesn’t have to be an intimidating process, but before you begin writing, you should ask the following critical questions:

Who depends on the information? When you write the executive summary, decide who you are targeting and the critical information that audience needs. What do they need to know to make a decision? What would they already know? Do you have a specific customer you want to reach with your message or story? Writing the executive summary with that audience in mind will make it useful because the story you’re telling about your business, project, or proposal will resonate.

What is the objective? While it’s true that an executive summary recaps essential information from the body of the content it summarizes, that is its function, not its purpose. Write the summary to your intended audience and include the crucial information that supports your objective for creating the document. What do you need the reader to understand? Is the aim to recommend change based on the results of your research? What needs to happen for the project plan to succeed based on your proposal? Let your objectives determine the content and context of your summary.  

What are you recommending? Use the executive summary to draw conclusions and make recommendations to the reader. If your report presents the need for change, recommend the actions that the body of your document supports in the summary. State the benefits of your product or service, or the solutions you provide more detail on in the proposal. Ultimately, don’t make the reader work to find out what action they need to take: Make your recommendations clear in the executive summary.

How will you make an impression? The “executive” summary earned its name from the need to get the upper management’s attention. Executives did not have the time to read every word of every document. The summary had to make an impression because it might be the only part of the material that would be read. Regardless of its origins, the principle of using the summary to make an impression on the reader is sound, as that impression might encourage the reader to keep reading or take action. Consider how you shape the message, organize the sections of your summary, or present research to stand out in a brief space.

Executive Summary Checklist

After you answer these questions and begin writing your document, refer to the following checklist as you develop the executive summary.

Executive Summary Checklist

Download Executive Summary Checklist

What Is the Format of an Executive Summary?

Every executive summary intends to distill information to the reader upfront, so it is typically placed first in the document. (Sometimes it is a separate section of a formal business document listed in the table of contents.)

When used in a less formal manner, the executive summary is an opening paragraph, a separate one-page summary memo, or the first page of a report. For example, if your goal is to raise capital, use the executive summary like an investor profile that provides the reader the information necessary to land the meeting or get the funding, without further reading.

The format and length vary based on the purpose of the content that you are summarizing; there is no set structure to follow. Here are some formatting tips that you can use for any executive summary, regardless of the style:

Order of Appearance : Beyond the introduction, decide what sections of the summary are most important to the purpose of the document. Organize your subheadings or sections in that order. Use bullet points and plenty of spacing between the different parts of the summary to make the content more accessible to scanning eyes. By doing so, you naturally discard information better left to the body of the document, and you honor the reader’s time by prioritizing the message, recommendations, conclusions, or solutions in the longer document.  

How Much Is Too Much : Executive summaries vary in length based on the type of content they summarize or their purpose. Some recommend keeping the summary to a specific percentage of the overall document, while others advocate a set number of pages. Focus on keeping the summary brief but comprehensive, with the most important information available to the reader.

Audience Aim : The tone and language of the executive summary should match that of the target audience. Avoid using technical jargon that requires definitions, and present the information in an accessible manner based on the knowledge and expertise of your intended audience. Do not include acronyms or highlight data that need an extensive background for context, and avoid using casual, informal tones. That said, an executive summary used in internal communications will have a different tone and style than one used in external communication tools.

One-page Executive Summary Template

One Page Executive Summary Template

This template is designed to fit your executive summary on one page. Take advantage of the short sections and bullet points to keep the document concise and hook the reader with the information that will keep them reading. Organize the key points by customizing the subheadings to emphasize their importance based on your purpose for the document.

Download One-page Executive Summary Template

Excel  |  Word  |  PDF

What Are the Common Pitfalls of Executive Summaries?

When formatting and organizing the executive summary, beware of the following pitfalls that plague poorly written and poorly planned summaries:

Fact or Persuasion : Support your motives and the objective of the executive summary with the facts. If the summary is for a sales proposal or pitch deck, persuade your reader up front with data and information, not buzzwords and cliches. If the executive summary includes generalizations or opinions that you don't support within your material with market research, project examples, independent data, testimonials, etc., you risk misleading the reader. Avoid writing a summary that leads clients, policy makers, or management to an unsupported recommendation or conclusion for the sake of persuasion — instead, focus on the facts.  

Relevance Over Repetition : By nature, the executive summary is a repetitive summary of content. Therefore, only include the most relevant details — those that summarize the true purpose of the overall content. Use the rest of your business plan, research report, or client proposal to cover topics relevant background information at length. If you try to cut and paste too much information and context from your longer business or research document into the summary, the details might overshadow the impression you want to make on the reader. The background becomes the introduction, and you risk losing a reader’s attention (especially an online audience).

Consistency Is Key : The executive summary highlights the substance of the larger piece of content. Don’t feature information here that is not covered in the body of the proposal. Avoid using different subheadings to organize copy in the body of the report. For example, if you highlight “Project Milestones” in the executive summary, do not list them in a new section for “Project Goals” in the business proposal. Use the tone and language you establish in the summary throughout the material. If you target an audience without expertise in the subject matter, don’t switch to highly technical analysis in the body copy. Finally, if you cover something in the executive summary, cover it again in the report. Don’t make the reader work to learn more about something you highlighted in the summary.

Draw a Clear Conclusion : Write an executive summary that comes to a conclusion and supports your purpose for creating the document. Keep the reader’s interest in mind when you summarize a lengthy project proposal or report. Does the reader have a clear understanding of the solutions you propose? Can they identify the problems you solve? If the executive summary is the only thing they read, can they take action on your recommendations or anticipate a desired outcome based on the information you included?

Executive Summary Outline Template - PowerPoint

Executive Summary Outline Presentation Template

Use this free template to outline your next big presentation, or keep it updated as a live meeting record to keep up with your evolving internal business plans or funding needs. The slides are formatted to outline the important elements of a formal business plan summary. You can customize the slides to fit the order of importance for your content’s purpose or extend each. Use the slides as an outline to keep track of the content you want to summarize after every update or draft of the report.

‌ Download Executive Summary Outline Template - PowerPoint

What to Include in an Executive Summary

You will determine the components of each executive summary you write based on the reason for writing it and your target audience.

For example, a business plan for an external audience includes financial information and details on the size and scale of a company; startups seeking funding and investors will highlight specific financial requirements and how they impact the business strategy. Executive summaries vary in the content they cover, but here is a common framework:

Introduction : This opening statement, paragraph, or section should clearly state the document’s purpose and the content to follow. How you will use this section depends on the desired outcome for the reader or audience, who should immediately find value in the information you present. Therefore, the details included in the introduction should grab and hold the reader’s attention.  

Company Information : When writing an executive summary for an external audience, include your company name, a description of your mission or purpose, contact information, location, and the size and scale of your operations. In some cases, the summary introduces the founders, investors, and corporate leadership. It might include background information of each that outlines previous industry or startup experience, or historical context on the current state of the company. When used in a presentation or research report, introduce the team presenting or responsible for the report’s findings.

Products and Services : The executive summary is the place to highlight the problem you solve or the need you fulfill. For a report, this is where you might highlight what you researched and what the reader should know about your findings. For a project proposal, include what you’re planning to accomplish and what you need to make it successful. For marketing plans or product launch presentations, tell the reader why your service or product is relevant at this particular moment in time.

Market Analysis : The executive summary of a business plan might profile the target customer and explain the market opportunity for a product or service. Consider answering questions like: Is there a five year plan for this market? How do you anticipate growing the customer base and improving market share? What stands out from your research about your customers that the reader should know?

Competition Analysis : This section should include answers to the following questions:

What is the competitive advantage of your proposed solution or product and who or what do you compete with in this market?

What are the opportunities now and in the future?

What are the risks in your market and your product or service?

Do you have relevant experience with major competitors?

What are the future plans for growth and what obstacles do you anticipate addressing?

Financials : The executive summary might summarize key financial data that is relevant to the reader or data that supports your research. If the purpose is to secure funding, include the specific amount you are requesting. Be sure to provide context for the financial data or any number you highlight in the executive summary. This section is a great way to highlight growth, or to use metrics to provide perspective on the company.

Conclusions : Recap your findings, the problem and solution discussed, or the project and work proposed. If there is a decision the reader needs to make, be direct about it. Make the outcomes obvious, but leave enough intrigue for the rest of the content to follow.

How Do You End An Executive Summary?

Although the executive summary begins a document, it concludes so that it can stand alone from the rest of the content and still be of value. Use the conclusion to recap your findings, make recommendations, and propose solutions to the problem.

If there is a decision you want the reader to make, ask make a call to action in this section. If you are summarizing a research report, summarize the findings and the research methods used to conclude the work. Make the outcomes or recommendations visible, but leave enough out to incentivize the audience to continue reading. Close the executive summary with a strong statement or transition that sets up the theme or central message to the story you tell in the report or proposal.

What Should Be in the Executive Summary of a Business Plan?

Traditional business plans differ in context and content based on if the audience is internal or external. Both audiences benefit from some of the previously discussed elements of the executive summary (like a substantial introduction).

However, the summary of an internal business plan does not require a section that introduces management or key personnel. An external business plan targets an audience that expects to find crucial financial information in the summary. When you develop the executive summary of the business plan, determine the information to include based on the audience and purpose of the document.

Business Plan Executive Summary Template

Business Plan Executive Summary Template

This executive summary template is designed to get your business plan noticed and reviewed. In this scenario, you’re presenting to an external audience and therefore should include more attention to detail with a standard business plan document. Use bullet points and clear, formal language to guide the reader to the most important information about your company.

Download Business Plan Executive Summary Template

Excel  |  Word  |  PDF  | Smartsheet

You can find a variety of templates for various industries and needs by reading “Free Executive Summary Templates.”

What Should Be in an Executive Summary of a Report?

Josh Bernoff spent 20 years writing and editing reports for Forrester Research. He is an advocate of creating actionable reports that tell a story. He believes that the executive summary is crucial.

“If the report is a story, the right executive summary is the same story, written briefly,” writes Bernoff . He recommends imagining that your readers ask you questions like, “What’s the coolest stuff in this report?” and “What did you find out?” while writing the report.

“Your answer, written directly to the reader, is the executive summary,” Bernoff explains in his book.

The executive summary of a report requires vivid details that grab online readers’ attention in a hurry. According to Bernoff, the summary recaps the story you want to tell behind all the words in the report. Using this advice as a guidepost, consider including the following answers to these questions to create your report’s summary:

What is the central plot of your report?

Why is this story important?

What are the most memorable scenes (examples, data, case study results, etc.) from the different sections of the report?

How does your research address the story’s central conflict (the problem solved)?

How does your research support the story’s conclusion?

What actions does the story recommend the reader be aware of?

The executive summary of lengthy research reports — especially those used in academic articles, scientific journals, government studies, or healthcare initiatives — require additional formatting considerations and elements not found in business plans or proposals. Consider the following guidelines when developing the executive summary of a research report:

Present the sections of the executive summary in the same order as in the main report.

Do not include information or research that is not supported and presented in the body of the report.

Draw a conclusion with the executive summary that justifies the research and provides recommendations.

Use a tone and language to describe technical information that readers without advanced knowledge or expertise of the subject matter can understand.

Remember that an executive summary of a report is distinct from an abstract. Abstracts are shorter overviews of a report and are common in academia. They familiarize the reader with a synopsis of the research that is much shorter than an executive summary. You can also think of an abstract as a standalone statement that helps the reader determine if they will read on. The executive summary, by contrast, summarizes the research in a structure that includes the summary, methods, results, conclusions, and recommendations for the reader without necessarily having to read further.

Research Report Executive Summary Template

Research Report Executive Summary Template

Use this template to create a synopsis of research results for reports — these will typically be longer than an executive summary for a business plan and proposal. The template is formatted to accommodate in-depth reports that need space for charts and tables to illustrate research data. It is designed to summarize technical information in a concise manner, with clear subheadings that communicate key findings to readers with various expertise and interest.

Download Research Report Executive Summary Template

Word  |  PDF

Get Funding with Your Executive Summary

Startups seeking capital investment from venture capital funds and angel investors can repurpose the executive summary from a business plan as a more concise, less formal investor profile.

This type of summary memo is stripped down and focused on the specific financial requirements and how the funding makes an impact on the business strategy. It is the perfect template to create a profile on investor platform websites like AngelList and Gust . Use the following tips to transform traditional business plan summaries into the pitch that lands you a meeting or funding:

Include the specific dollar amount you’re requesting, the purpose for the funds raised, and any relevant data such as repayment terms, collateral, equity share information, etc.

Keep the financial data simple and round to the nearest whole dollar amount.

List founders, partners, and key management personnel and highlight specific domain expertise or previous startup experience.

Describe your company’s growth plan and the proposed exit strategy.

Remove any industry buzzwords, meaningless phrases, and cliches (for example “the Uber of…,” “game-changing,” “disruptive,” “next Facebook,” “world-class,” etc.).

Mention noteworthy achievements, intellectual property, important business partnerships, or information on product development stages in test markets.

Describe work in progress and highlight relevant information about customer growth, market demand, and product development.

Startup Executive Summary Template

Startup Executive Summary Template

Transform your executive summary into an investor document with this template. It acts as a one-page pitch that serves as your company profile on investor platforms. You can repurpose this template and save it as a PDF summary memo to land future meetings with investors. For more information on business plans for startups, including free budget templates, read “ Free Startup Plan, Budget & Cost Templates .”

Download Startup Executive Summary Template

Seamlessly Track the Progress of Your Executive Summary with Real-Time Work Management in Smartsheet

Empower your people to go above and beyond with a flexible platform designed to match the needs of your team — and adapt as those needs change. 

The Smartsheet platform makes it easy to plan, capture, manage, and report on work from anywhere, helping your team be more effective and get more done. Report on key metrics and get real-time visibility into work as it happens with roll-up reports, dashboards, and automated workflows built to keep your team connected and informed. 

When teams have clarity into the work getting done, there’s no telling how much more they can accomplish in the same amount of time.  Try Smartsheet for free, today.

Take your work to the next level. See how Smartsheet can help.

Storydoc

What Is an Executive Summary & How to Make It Count

Learn the definition and meaning of an executive summary, why it’s important, best practices, and what mistakes to avoid. And see examples of how it’s done.

in a case study the executive summary is placed

Jackie Plaza

6 minute read

What is an executive summary

Short answer

What is an executive summary.

An executive summary is a summary of a document that is intended to provide a quick and easy-to-understand overview of its key points, findings, and recommendations. It is often used as an introduction to a longer document, such as a business plan, report, or proposal.

Executive summaries are typically brief, ranging from 1 to 5 pages in length, and are written in a clear and concise manner.

They are designed to give busy executives and decision-makers a quick overview of the document's contents, without requiring them to read the entire document.

Consequences of a badly written executive summary

A poorly written executive summary undermines document effectiveness. Recognize the potential negative impacts, highlighting the importance of investing time and effort in crafting a high-quality summary.

1. Missed Opportunities: A poorly written summary can cause executives to lose interest or miss key points, leading to missed opportunities for support, funding, or collaboration.

2. Lack of Clarity: An unclear or confusing summary can lead to misinterpretation and miscommunication, hindering a shared understanding of the document's purpose.

3. Lost Investment: In funding or investment proposals, a poorly written summary can deter potential investors or sponsors, making it difficult to secure resources.

4. Diminished Credibility: Grammatical errors, vague statements, or unsubstantiated claims can damage your credibility and erode trust.

5. Ineffective Decision-Making: A badly written summary may fail to provide decision-makers with the necessary information, resulting in delayed decisions or incomplete understanding.

6. Wasted Time and Effort: A poor summary renders the work put into the underlying document ineffective, wasting time and effort.

By understanding these pitfalls, you can strive for excellence in your executive summaries, ensuring that your message is clear, impactful, and well-received.

Why is an executive summary important?

An executive summary is important because it provides decision-makers with the information they need to make informed decisions quickly and efficiently.

It is often the first thing that busy executives will read, and it is critical that it provides a clear and concise summary of the document's main points.

Additionally, an executive summary can help to ensure that the document is read and understood by a wider audience.

It can be distributed more widely than the full document and used to promote the document's contents to potential investors, partners, or customers.

Key roles of an executive summary in business documents

An effective executive summary is a strategic component that encapsulates key information concisely, maximizing communication impact and achieving desired outcomes. Below are some of the key benefits it provides.

Concise Communication:

An executive summary condenses the main points of a document into a concise format. It allows busy readers to quickly grasp the essential information without having to dive into lengthy reports or proposals.

Capturing Attention:

Executives and stakeholders often have limited time and attention spans. An engaging and well-crafted executive summary hooks their interest and encourages them to delve deeper into the details.

Decision-Making Tool:

Decision-makers rely on executive summaries to evaluate proposals, make informed choices, and allocate resources. A clear and persuasive summary can significantly impact their decisions and support your desired outcomes.

Alignment and Clarity:

An executive summary ensures that all parties involved have a shared understanding of the document's purpose, objectives, and key findings. It helps align perspectives and facilitates efficient collaboration.

Time and Resource Optimization:

By providing a succinct overview, an executive summary saves time and effort for both the writer and the reader. It helps streamline communication processes, ensuring that everyone is on the same page.

Standalone Value:

An executive summary can also function as a standalone document. In situations where a full report might not be required or feasible, a well-crafted summary can effectively communicate the main points and key takeaways.

When should an executive summary be used?

An executive summary should be used whenever a document is long or complex and requires a summary to help busy executives and decision-makers understand its contents.

Some common examples of when an executive summary should be used include:

- Business plans

- Proposals

- Research papers

- Marketing plans

- Investment proposals

Types of Executive Summaries

Before we dive into the steps of writing an executive summary, let's briefly explore the various types you may encounter:

1) Business Plan Executive Summary:

A succinct overview of a company's business plan , highlighting its mission, market analysis, products/services, financial projections, and growth strategies.

2) Project Proposal Executive Summary:

A condensed version of a project proposal, outlining its objectives, scope, methodology, budget, and anticipated outcomes.

3) Research Report Executive Summary:

A summary of a comprehensive research report, providing an overview of the study, methodology, key findings, and recommendations.

4) Marketing Plan Executive Summary:

An overview of a marketing plan, encompassing market analysis, target audience, marketing strategies, and anticipated results.

How to write an effective executive summary

Writing an effective executive summary is an art form. Done right it will create interest and drive for your audience to grant you their full attention and read your business document in full.

There’s a lot that goes into this. So much so, we wrote an entire post about how to write an executive summary . But the basics are also included here.

1) now Your Audience:

The first step in writing an effective executive summary is to know your audience. Who will be reading your summary? What are their interests and concerns? What are their goals and objectives?

Understanding your audience will help you tailor your summary to their specific needs and interests.

2) Keep It Concise:

One of the most important aspects of an executive summary is its brevity. Your summary should be concise and to the point, highlighting only the most important information.

A good rule of thumb is to keep your summary to no more than one or two pages.

3) Use Clear and Simple Language:

When writing an executive summary, it is important to use clear and simple language. Avoid technical jargon and complex terminology that may be difficult for your audience to understand.

Use language that is easy to read and comprehend.

4) Highlight Key Points:

Your executive summary should highlight the key points of your document or proposal. Identify the main ideas and arguments, and present them in a clear and concise manner. Tools like a text summary generator may prove useful for this task.

Use bullet points or numbered lists to make your summary easy to scan and read.

5) Edit and Proofread:

It is important to edit and proofread your executive summary carefully. Check for spelling and grammar errors, and make sure that your summary is free of typos and other mistakes.

Read your summary aloud to check for flow and clarity, and make any necessary revisions .

Executive summary examples

Below are a few real-world example uses of executive summary in business documents.

I brought you different use cases that more or less represent the common writing format for executive summaries. From the informal (report foreword) to the strictly formalized (IPO executive summary).

1) Amazon: Jeff Bezos 1997 shareholder letter

This executive summary is a 2-page informal executive summary written as a letter to investors personally by Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezos.

In his 1997 shareholder letter, Jeff Bezos provided an executive summary of Amazon's growth strategy.

He highlighted the company's focus on customer satisfaction, the importance of expanding product offerings, and the goal of becoming the "Earth's biggest bookstore."

This executive summary helped investors understand Amazon's vision and strategy for success.

Read Jeff Bezos' 1997 shareholder letter.

2) From the Facebook: 2012 IPO Prospectus executive summary

This executive summary example is a 9-page coverage of Facebook’s entire activity. This type of summary should be reserved for formal documents with strict rules like an IPO Prospectus.

Facebook's 2012 IPO prospectus included an executive summary that conveys the company's mission to create a more open and connected world.

They emphasize the importance of user engagement, connecting with friends and family, and staying informed about global events.

Facebook highlights the value they provide to developers by offering a platform for creating personalized and social apps. Advertisers are presented with Facebook's vast reach and targeting capabilities.

The summary outlines Facebook's strategies for growth, including expanding their user base, improving products, and enhancing mobile experiences.

The summary concludes with information about the company's public offering and mentions potential risks they face.

Read Facebook's 2012 IPO prospectus.

3) Tesla 2021 impact report foreword

This example is of an executive summary of the kind you’ll commonly find in corporate reports and white papers. It’s not formally called an executive summary but could be called different things like a foreword, introduction, or something else.

The foreword of Tesla's 2021 Impact Report emphasizes the company's commitment to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues.

Tesla conducted a comprehensive materiality analysis to understand key ESG topics that impact their business and stakeholders.

The report also highlights Tesla's engagement with a diverse ecosystem of stakeholders, including employees, customers, investors, suppliers, non-profit organizations, educational institutions, governments, and trade associations.

The foreword sets the stage for Tesla's ongoing efforts to innovate and grow sustainably.

Read Tesla's 2021 impact report foreword.

Hi, I’m Jackie, Creative Marketing Specialist at Storydoc, I write on everything business presentations. I love to research and bring to light critical information that helps marketing, sales, and design teams get better results with their collateral.

What Are Content Pillars? What Is a Pillar Content Strategy?

in a case study the executive summary is placed

Found this post useful?

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

Get notified as more awesome content goes live.

(No spam, no ads, opt-out whenever)

You've just joined an elite group of people that make the top performing 1% of sales and marketing collateral.

Create your best report to date

Try Storydoc interactive presentation maker for 14 days free (keep any presentation you make forever!)

  • Contact sales

Start free trial

How to Write an Executive Summary (Example & Template Included)

ProjectManager

Here’s the good news: an executive summary is short. It’s part of a larger document like a business plan, business case or project proposal and, as the name implies, summarizes the longer report.

Here’s the bad news: it’s a critical document that can be challenging to write because an executive summary serves several important purposes. On one hand, executive summaries are used to outline each section of your business plan, an investment proposal or project proposal. On the other hand, they’re used to introduce your business or project to investors and other stakeholders, so they must be persuasive to spark their interest.

Writing an Executive Summary

The pressure of writing an executive summary comes from the fact that everyone will pay attention to it, as it sits at the top of that heap of documents. It explains all that follows and can make or break your business plan or project plan . The executive summary must know the needs of the potential clients or investors and zero in on them like a laser. Fortunately, we’ll show you how to write and format your executive summary to do just that.

Getting everything organized for your executive summary can be challenging. ProjectManager can help you get your thoughts in order and collaborate with your team. Our powerful task management tools make it easy to get everything prioritized and done on time. Try it free today.

List view in ProjectManager

What Is an Executive Summary?

An executive summary is a short section of a larger document like a business plan , investment proposal or project proposal. It’s mostly used to give investors and stakeholders a quick overview of important information about a business plan like the company description, market analysis and financial information.

It contains a short statement that addresses the problem or proposal detailed in the attached documents and features background information, a concise analysis and a conclusion. An executive summary is designed to help executives and investors decide whether to go forth with the proposal, making it critically important. Pitch decks are often used along with executive summaries to talk about the benefits and main selling points of a business plan or project.

Unlike an abstract, which is a short overview, an executive summary format is a condensed form of the documents contained in the proposal. Abstracts are more commonly used in academic and research-oriented writing and act as a teaser for the reader to see if they want to read on.

in a case study the executive summary is placed

Get your free

Executive Summary Template

Use this free Executive Summary Template for Word to manage your projects better.

How to Write an Executive Summary

Executive summaries vary depending on the document they’re attached to. You can write an executive summary for a business plan, project proposal, research document, or business case, among other documents and reports.

However, when writing an executive summary, there are guidelines to ensure you hit all the bases.

Executive Summary Length

According to the many books that have been written about executive summaries, as well as training courses, seminars and professional speakers, the agreed-upon length for an executive summary format should be about five to 10 percent of the length of the whole report.

Appropriate Language

The language used should be appropriate for the target audience. One of the most important things to know before you write professionally is to understand who you’re addressing. If you’re writing for a group of engineers, the language you’ll use will differ greatly from how you would write to a group of financiers.

That includes more than just the words, but the content and depth of explanation. Remember, it’s a summary, and people will be reading it to quickly and easily pull out the main points.

Pithy Introduction

You also want to capture a reader’s attention immediately in the opening paragraph. Just like a speech often opens with a joke to break the tension and put people at ease, a strong introductory paragraph can pull a reader in and make them want to read on. That doesn’t mean you start with a joke. Stick to your strengths, but remember, most readers only give you a few sentences to win them over before they move on.

Don’t forget to explain who you are as an organization and why you have the skills, personnel and experience to solve the problem raised in the proposal. This doesn’t have to be a lengthy biography, often just your name, address and contact information will do, though you’ll also want to highlight your strengths as they pertain to the business plan or project proposal .

Relevant Information

The executive summary shouldn’t stray from the material that follows it. It’s a summary, not a place to bring up new ideas. To do so would be confusing and would jeopardize your whole proposal.

Establish the need or the problem, and convince the target audience that it must be solved. Once that’s set up, it’s important to recommend the solution and show what the value is. Be clear and firm in your recommendation.

Justify your cause. Be sure to note the key reasons why your organization is the perfect fit for the solution you’re proposing. This is the point where you differentiate yourself from competitors, be that due to methodology, testimonials from satisfied clients or whatever else you offer that’s unique. But don’t make this too much about you. Be sure to keep the name of the potential client at the forefront.

Don’t neglect a strong conclusion, where you can wrap things up and once more highlight the main points.

Related: 10 Essential Excel Report Templates

What to Include in an Executive Summary

The content of your executive summary must reflect what’s in the larger document which it is part of. You’ll find many executive summary examples on the web, but to keep things simple, we’ll focus on business plans and project proposals.

How to Write an Executive Summary for a Business Plan

As we’ve learned above, your executive summary must extract the main points of all the sections of your business plan. A business plan is a document that describes all the aspects of a business, such as its business model, products or services, objectives and marketing plan , among other things. They’re commonly used by startups to pitch their ideas to investors.

Here are the most commonly used business plan sections:

  • Company description: Provide a brief background of your company, such as when it was established, its mission, vision and core values.
  • Products & services: Describe the products or services your company will provide to its customers.
  • Organization and management: Explain the legal structure of your business and the members of the top management team.
  • SWOT analysis: A SWOT analysis explains the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of your business. They describe the internal and external factors that impact your business competitiveness.
  • Industry & market analysis: This section should provide an overview of the industry and market in which your business will compete.
  • Operations: Explain the main aspects of your business operations and what sets it apart from competitors.
  • Marketing plan: Your marketing plan describes the various strategies that your business will use to reach its customers and sell products or services.
  • Financial planning: Here, you should provide an overview of the financial state of your business. Include income statements, balance sheets and cash flow statements.
  • Funding request: If you’re creating your business plan to request funding, make sure to explain what type of funding you need, the timeframe for your funding request and an explanation of how the funds will be used.

We’ve created an executive summary example to help you better understand how this document works when using it, to sum up a business plan.

To put all of that information together, here’s the basic format of an executive summary. You can find this same information in our free executive summary template :

  • Introduction, be sure to know your audience
  • Table of contents in the form of a bulleted list
  • Explain the company’s role and identify strengths
  • Explain the need, or the problem, and its importance
  • Recommend a solution and explain its value
  • Justify said solution by explaining how it fits the organization
  • A strong conclusion that once more wraps up the importance of the project

You can use it as an executive summary example and add or remove some of its elements to adjust it to your needs. Our sample executive summary has the main elements that you’ll need project executive summary.

Executive summary template for Word

Executive Summary Example

For this executive summary example, we’ll imagine a company named ABC Clothing, a small business that manufactures eco-friendly clothing products and it’s preparing a business plan to secure funding from new investors.

Company Description We are ABC Clothing, an environmentally-friendly manufacturer of apparel. We’ve developed a unique method of production and sourcing of materials that allows us to create eco-friendly products at a low cost . We have intellectual property for our production processes and materials, which gives us an advantage in the market.

  • Mission: Our mission is to use recycled materials and sustainable methods of production to create clothing products that are great for our customers and our planet.
  • Vision: Becoming a leader in the apparel industry while generating a positive impact on the environment.

Products & Services We offer high-quality clothing products for men, women and all genders. (Here you should include pictures of your product portfolio to spark the interest of your readers)

Industry & Market Analysis Even though the fashion industry’s year-over-year growth has been affected by pandemics in recent years, the global apparel market is expected to continue growing at a steady pace. In addition, the market share of sustainable apparel has grown year-over-year at a higher pace than the overall fashion industry.

Marketing Plan Our marketing plan relies on the use of digital marketing strategies and online sales, which gives us a competitive advantage over traditional retailers that focus their marketing efforts on brick-and-mortar stores.

Operations Our production plant is able to recycle different types of plastic and cotton waste to turn it into materials that we use to manufacture our products . We’ve partnered with a transportation company that sorts and distributes our products inside the United States efficiently and cost-effectively.

Financial Planning Our business is profitable, as documented in our balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statement. The company doesn’t have any significant debt that might compromise its continuity. These and other financial factors make it a healthy investment.

Funding Request We’re requesting funding for the expansion of our production capacity, which will allow us to increase our production output in order to meet our increasing customer demand, enter new markets, reduce our costs and improve our competitiveness.

If you’d like to see more executive summary examples for your business plan, you can visit the U.S. small business administration website. They have business plans with executive summary examples you can download and use.

Executive summaries are also a great way to outline the elements of a project plan for a project proposal. Let’s learn what those elements are.

How to Write an Executive Summary for a Project Proposal

An executive summary for your project proposal will capture the most important information from your project management plan. Here’s the structure of our executive summary template:

  • Introduction: What’s the purpose of your project?
  • Company description: Show why you’re the right team to take on the project.
  • Need/problem: What is the problem that it’s solving?
  • Unique solution: What is your value proposition and what are the main selling points of your project?
  • Proof: Evidence, research and feasibility studies that support how your company can solve the issue.
  • Resources: Outline the resources needed for the project
  • Return on investment/funding request: Explain the profitability of your project and what’s in for the investors.
  • Competition/market analysis: What’s your target market? Who are your competitors? How does your company differentiate from them?
  • Marketing plan: Create a marketing plan that describes your company’s marketing strategies, sales and partnership plans.
  • Budget/financial planning: What’s the budget that you need for your project plan?
  • Timeline: What’s the estimated timeline to complete the project?
  • Team: Who are the project team members and why are they qualified?
  • Conclusions:  What are the project takeaways?

Now that we’ve learned that executive summaries can vary depending on the type of document you’re working on, you’re ready for the next step.

What to Do After Writing an Executive Summary

As with anything you write, you should always start with a draft. The first draft should hit all the marks addressed above but don’t bog yourself down in making the prose perfect. Think of the first draft as an exploratory mission. You’re gathering all the pertinent information.

Next, you want to thoroughly review the document to ensure that nothing important has been left out or missed. Make sure the focus is sharp and clear, and that it speaks directly to your potential client’s needs.

Proofread for Style & Grammar

But don’t neglect the writing. Be sure that you’re not repeating words, falling into cliché or other hallmarks of bad writing. You don’t want to bore the reader to the point that they miss the reason why you’re the organization that can help them succeed.

You’ve checked the content and the prose, but don’t forget the style. You want to write in a way that’s natural and not overly formal, but one that speaks in the manner of your target audience . If they’re a conservative firm, well then, maybe formality is called for. But more and more modern companies have a casual corporate culture, and formal writing could mistakenly cause them to think of you as old and outdated.

The last run should be proofing the copy. That means double-checking to ensure that spelling is correct, and there are no typos or grammatical mistakes. Whoever wrote the executive summary isn’t the best person to edit it, however. They can easily gloss over errors because of their familiarity with the work. Find someone who excels at copy-editing. If you deliver sloppy content, it shows a lack of professionalism that’ll surely color how a reader thinks of your company.

Criticism of Executive Summaries

While we’re advocating for the proper use of an executive summary, it’d be neglectful to avoid mentioning some critiques. The most common is that an executive summary by design is too simple to capture the complexity of a large and complicated project.

It’s true that many executives might only read the summary, and in so doing, miss the nuance of the proposal. That’s a risk. But if the executive summary follows the guidelines stated above, it should give a full picture of the proposal and create interest for the reader to delve deeper into the documents to get the details.

Remember, executive summaries can be written poorly or well. They can fail to focus on results or the solution to the proposal’s problem or do so in a vague, general way that has no impact on the reader. You can do a hundred things wrong, but if you follow the rules, then the onus falls on the reader.

ProjectManager Turns an Executive Summary Into a Project

Your executive summary got the project approved. Now the real work begins. ProjectManager is award-winning project management software that helps you organize tasks, projects and teams. We have everything you need to manage each phase of your project, so you can complete your work on time and under budget.

Work How You Want

Because project managers and teams work differently, our software is flexible. We have multiple project views, such as the kanban board, which visualizes workflow. Managers like the transparency it provides in the production cycle, while teams get to focus only on those tasks they have the capacity to complete. Are you more comfortable with tasks lists or Gantt charts? We have those, too.

A screenshot of the Kanban board project view

Live Tracking for Better Management

To ensure your project meets time and cost expectations, we have features that monitor and track progress so you can control any deviations that might occur. Our software is cloud-based, so the data you see on our dashboard is always up to date, helping you make better decisions. Make that executive summary a reality with ProjectManager.

ProjectManager’s dashboard view, which shows six key metrics on a project

You’ve now researched and written a persuasive executive summary to lead your proposal. You’ve put in the work and the potential client sees that and contracts you for the project. However, if you don’t have a reliable set of project management tools like Gantt charts , kanban boards and project calendars at hand to plan, monitor and report on the work, then all that preparation will be for nothing.

ProjectManager is online project management software that gives you real-time data and a collaborative platform to work efficiently and productively. But don’t take our word for it, take a free 30-day trial.

Click here to browse ProjectManager's free templates

Deliver your projects on time and under budget

Start planning your projects.

  • Strategy Templates

Consulting Templates

  • Market Analysis Templates

in a case study the executive summary is placed

  • Business Case

in a case study the executive summary is placed

  • Consulting Proposal

All Templates

How to write an effective executive summary like a mckinsey or bcg consultant.

Alexandra Hazard Kampmann

Table of contents

Key components of an effective executive summary, an in-depth look at each component of the executive summary (with examples), some practical tips and tricks, the bottom line.

Management consultants at firms like McKinsey, BCG, and Bain are renowned for their ability to present complex ideas in a clear, concise manner that is easy to digest and understand. A key component of this process is the executive summary slide – often presented as the first part of a presentation deck on a given topic or problem. 

An executive summary aims to provide the audience with an overview of the subject at hand or a snapshot of the key points that will be discussed in greater depth. It should serve to quickly get the main messages and conclusions across and motivate audiences to dive deeper into the details.

In this post, we will outline the essential components of an effective executive summary using techniques from McKinsey, BCG, and Bain. We will also provide tips on how to craft a compelling executive summary in practice and give examples of best practices.

For a broader view on how to create consultant-style presentations take a look at our blog post 'How McKinsey Consultants Make PowerPoint Presentations' .

A good executive summary provides all the key information in one slide. The goal is to communicate as much information in as few words as possible.

To achieve this goal, you should focus on the following key components when crafting an executive summary slide: 

  • [optional] Objective: Clearly state the purpose and objective of the presentation.
  • Situation: Provide relevant background information to set the context for the problem or opportunity being addressed.
  • Complication: Define the complication (problem or opportunity) the presentation addresses in simple, to-the-point sentences. This includes identifying the root cause of the problem or opportunity and its implications for the organization.
  • Resolution: Present the recommended solution or solutions to the complication in a clear and concise manner. This should be based on data-driven insights and analysis.
  • [optional] Benefits: Articulate the benefits of implementing the recommended solution. These benefits should be linked to the organization's strategic objectives.
  • Call to Action: Provide a clear call to action outlining what the organization needs to do to implement the recommended solution. This should be actionable and linked to the organization's strategic objectives.

This structure is similar to the SCQA (situation-complication-question-answer) framework.

Craft effective executive summaries for your consulting presentations .

Let's take a closer look at each component of the executive summary and how it can be used to craft an effective executive summary deck using the McKinsey/BCG/Bain methodology.

1. Objective

The objective of the executive summary should succinctly define the purpose of the presentation and why it is important for the audience to understand the key points.

To craft an effective objective, you should consider the following: 

  • Who is the target audience?
  • What are the key points that the audience needs to understand?
  • What is the purpose of the presentation?
  • Why is it important for the audience to understand the key points?

An effective objective should be brief, clear, and focused on the needs of the audience. It should be written to clearly communicate what the presentation will cover and why it matters.

 Example: "This presentation will provide an overview of the current state of the industry and highlight key trends and opportunities for growth."

2. Situation

The background or situation section of the executive summary provides relevant context to the audience to help them better understand the problem or opportunity being addressed. 

This section should include:

  • Relevant background information on the industry, market, or organization.
  • Any key trends or developments that are important to the problem or opportunity being addressed.
  • Any relevant historical information that helps to explain the current situation.

Some questions to ask when crafting the background section include:

  • What is the context for the problem or opportunity being addressed?
  • What are the key factors that have led to the current situation?
  • What are the relevant historical or industry-specific factors that are important to understanding the problem or opportunity?

An effective background section should be concise and focused on the most important information. It should provide enough context for the audience to understand the problem or situation being addressed without overwhelming them with unnecessary information.

Here are some examples from McKinsey and BCG:

Executive Summary example from McKinsey presentation

3. Complication

The complication section of the executive summary clearly and concisely defines the reason the situation requires action, either because there is a serious problem or there is a good opportunity. This includes identifying the root cause of the problem or opportunity and its implications for the organization.

  • What is the problem or opportunity that the presentation is addressing?
  • What are the root causes of the problem or opportunity?
  • What are the implications of the problem or opportunity for the organization?

 An effective complication section should be short and to-the-point, focusing on the most important aspects of the problem or opportunity. The root cause of the complication should be clearly identified, along with the most relevant data or evidence that supports this analysis. In addition, the implications of the problem or opportunity for the organization should be clearly articulated, highlighting why it is important for the audience to understand the problem/opportunity and its impact and why it requires action.

Executive Summary example - complication

Enhance your proposal writing with our Consulting Proposal template , or explore our collection of 10 Real Consulting Proposals .

4. Resolution

The resolution section of the executive summary presents the proposed solution or strategy for addressing the complication. This should include a brief overview of the approach and any relevant supporting information or evidence.

  • What is the proposed approach for addressing the problem or opportunity?
  • What are the key elements of the strategy?
  • What are the expected benefits or outcomes of the approach?
  • What evidence is there to support the proposed solution or strategy?

An effective resolution section should provide enough detail for the audience to understand what is being proposed and why without overwhelming them with unnecessary detail. The proposed approach and any relevant supporting information or evidence should be clearly outlined. In addition, the expected benefits or outcomes of the approach should be highlighted, as this helps to emphasize why it is important for the audience to understand and support the proposed solution.

Executive Summary example BCG - Resolution

5. Benefits

The benefits section of the executive summary presents a brief overview of any expected benefits or outcomes from implementing the proposed solution. This section is optional, and sometimes included as a bullet point under the resolution section.

  • What are the primary benefits or outcomes of implementing the proposed solution?
  • What are the secondary benefits or outcomes?
  • How will these benefits impact the organization and its stakeholders?

An effective benefits section should provide a clear and concise overview of any expected benefits or outcomes from implementing the proposed solution. The primary benefits should be highlighted, as well as any secondary benefits that are relevant to the audience. Emphasis should be on quantifiable benefits.

In addition, the impact of these benefits on the organization and its stakeholders should be emphasized, highlighting why it is important for the audience to understand and support the proposed solution. 

Example: "The proposed approach will generate an incremental $10 million in revenue, reduce costs by 5%, and increase customer satisfaction by 10%. This will help to improve profitability, create new growth opportunities, and strengthen our competitive position in the sector."

6. Call to Action

The call to action section of the executive summary presents a brief overview of key proposed actions or decisions that need to be taken by the audience in order to implement the proposed solution. This section is also sometimes a bullet point under the resolution section.

  • What are the proposed actions or decisions that need to be taken?
  • Who needs to take these actions or make these decisions?
  • What is the timeline for implementing the proposed solution?

An effective call to action/recommendation section should provide a clear and concise overview of any proposed actions or decisions that need to be taken by the audience. The proposed actions or decisions and who needs to take these actions or make these decisions should be clearly outlined. 

In addition, the timeline for implementing the proposed solution should be highlighted, ensuring that the audience understands when and how these actions or decisions need to be taken.

Executive Summary example McKinsey - Call to action

Apply these summary techniques in your Business Strategy template .

  • Consultants typically communicate in a 'top down' or pyramid fashion, starting with the conclusion and then providing the supporting information.
  • Write the most important takeaway of each section as the bolded text and follow with numbers and other supporting facts as bullet points.
  • Read through the bolded text and see if the story makes sense.  
  • Spend the majority of the executive summary focusing on the solution/recommendation, rather than the situation and supporting analysis.
  • The executive summary is not a play-by-play summary of a project. Instead, it is a decision document for your audience to understand the proposed solutions they have to decide on, and just enough information to set the solution in context and grasp the expected outcomes.
  • Read through your executive summary and remove anything that is not directly relevant to deciding/agreeing with your proposed solution.  
  • Try to keep the executive summary as a single slide (sometimes two).
  • Eliminate unnecessary words and sentences, and make sure that each sentence adds value to the overall message.

Creating executive summary slides like a McKinsey consultant can have a significant impact on the success of your communication and decision-making efforts. Although it seems simple and many people treat the executive summary like an after-thought, it should in fact be one of the slides you spend the most time on in any presentation.

A well-crafted executive summary helps you structure your entire presentation by making you focus on the solution you are proposing and only keeping in analyses and arguments that help explain the why, what, and how of that solution.

By following the essential components and strategies outlined above you can create a clear, concise, and compelling executive summary that effectively communicates complex ideas and drives action. 

Cheat sheet

What is an executive summary exactly?

A short summary of the key messages and conclusions in a longer presentation, focused on actionable solutions or recommendations. In McKinsey and BCG consulting presentations the executive summary is typically one or two slides, but sometimes executive summary can also refer to a short deck.

What does an executive summary include and how do I write one?

See our 'How to' guide in this post.

Does an executive summary come before or after the table of contents? 

Typically before the table of contents, as the first (or one of the first) slides after a title page.

Is there a good executive summary slide example?

Yes, you can download some examples from McKinsey and BCG here . You can also see full presentations from BCG and McKinsey here and here .

Or take a look at our full Business Strategy template or our Business Case template for real-life client examples.

Should I include visuals? 

Generally McKinsey and BCG executive summaries do not include visuals, except perhaps icons to make the summary more visually appealing.

Download our most popular templates

High-end PowerPoint templates and toolkits created by ex-McKinsey, BCG, and Bain consultants

in a case study the executive summary is placed

Consulting toolkit and template

A comprehensive library of slide layouts, templates, and typically consulting tools and frameworks.

in a case study the executive summary is placed

  • Business Strategy

This template, created by ex-McKinsey and BCG consultants, includes everything you need to create a complete strategy.

in a case study the executive summary is placed

Create a full business case incl. strategy, roadmap, financials and more.

Related articles

What is the MECE Framework – McKinsey Toolbox

What is the MECE Framework – McKinsey Toolbox

In this post, we cover the MECE principle and how you can apply it to sharpen your thinking and simplify complex ideas into something that can easily be understood.

Dec 6, 2023

Corporate Strategy: What Is It and How To Do It (With Examples)

Corporate Strategy: What Is It and How To Do It (With Examples)

In this post, we'll cover corporate strategy as defined by BCG, McKinsey, and Bain. We'll go over what corporate strategy is, the key elements in defining a corporate strategy, examples of corporate strategies, and typical mistakes.

Nov 22, 2023

What are the Three Levels of Strategy in Organizations?

What are the Three Levels of Strategy in Organizations?

The three levels of strategy are corporate level strategy, business level strategy, and functional level strategy. In this article, we explain the differences and give you practical tips and tricks for each based on our experience at McKinsey, BCG, and Bain.

Nov 8, 2023

in a case study the executive summary is placed

  • Consulting Toolkit
  • Market Analysis
  • Market Entry Analysis
  • Due Diligence Report
  • Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Digital Transformation
  • Product Strategy
  • Go-To-Market Strategy
  • Operational Excellence I
  • Operational Excellence II
  • Operational Excellence III
  • Consulting PowerPoint Templates

  • How it works
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

© 2023 Slideworks. All rights reserved

Denmark : Farvergade 10 4. 1463 Copenhagen K

US : 101 Avenue of the Americas, 9th Floor 10013, New York

Bibloteka

How to Write Executive Summary for a Case Study|Business Plan

Executive Summary

What is an executive summary?

Executive Summary is the brief introduction to and summary of your business plan (or case study). It should describe your business, the problem it solves, your target market, and the financial highlights.

A good executive summary takes your reader’s attention and lets them know what you’re doing and why they should read the rest of your business plan or proposal. It’s not unusual for investors to make an initial decision simply on the basis of reading the Executive Summary, so it’s important to get it right. We ‘re going to show you how to write an executive summary that sets your business plan apart from the rest.

For example, if a company performs a competitor analysis before deciding whether or not to move in a different strategic direction, a business plan would be put together to articulate the findings and propose further steps. This business plan would be opened with an executive summary.

As such, the executive summary quickly becomes the most important part of any business plan.

Is an executive summary important?

Are you writing a business plan to show it to investors or bankers? Then you need to have a good executive summary. A lot of people will read only the summary, no matter what. Others will first read the summary to decide whether or not to read the rest of the plan. The Executive Summary is essential to the plans that are being written for outsiders.

Now, if you are writing a business plan for internal use only, you may not need to write an executive summary. However, there are some internal plans – such as an annual operational plan or a strategic plan – that can use the summary to highlight the necessary information and to present a digestible version of the overall plan.

How long should an executive summary be?

The general rule is to have as short as possible executive summaries. Your audience has limited time and attention and needs to see your business plan information as quickly as possible.

Try to keep your executive summary under 2 pages, if necessary, even if it can be longer.

Sometimes you may need a longer executive summary

For complex case studies, you may need a more in-depth executive summary to provide readers with an overview of the case study.It may be long, but it effectively introduces the client, outlines their challenge, and describes the solution and the outcome. Sets the stage for further reading.

Guide to write an effective executive summary for Business Plan

1. a product or service description and the problem solved by your company.

Include a brief description of the product or service you are offering and why it is necessary. Your business does not need to address a larger social problem, but it should address customer needs or market opportunities.

2. A description of your target market

Your target market is who you think your clients are going to be. Sometimes the name of the product itself defines the market, such as “Peoria ‘s Best Thai Food” or “Mini Cooper Dashboard Accessory.” If not, a brief description of the target market — your primary audience or the people you think will spend money on your solution — will suffice.

3. Competition

Assuming that your business has competition, briefly describe how your business will be differentiated. Are you competing for a price, quality, or something else? Briefly describe what makes you different from your business here.

4. Financial Overview

If you are an existing company, this may be as simple as highlighting recent annual sales and growth over the last year. For start-ups, it could be a brief description of aspirations, such as the sales forecast target for the next year or three years from now. I often recommend a simple highlights chart, a sales bar chart, and a gross margin for the next three years.

5. Write About Your Team

This is particularly important for startup companies. Investors want to know who’s behind the business idea, and why you and your team are the right people to build the business. It may also be worth highlighting any gaps in your team and how you intend to fill them. If you have potential partners or candidates in mind, briefly mention them and expand their qualifications to your full business plan.

6. Funding Needs

If you’re using your business plan to raise money for your business, your executive summary should show how much money you ‘re looking for. Investors will want to know this in advance, and they won’t have to dig through a business plan to find this detail.

How To Write the Executive Summary for Case Studies?

The term “case study” brings to mind a psychologist who explores the patient’s history and treatment and writes down the details, but in fact, a case study is just as likely to involve an industry or law research report. It identifies a problem or a need, investigates its causes, presents a variety of opinions, and suggests certain actions. This involves a lot of information, which is why you might want to present it along with an executive summary – an additional document, something like a mini-report, which consolidates the most important information.

Remember, when writing this section, this is your best chance to interest the reader — and get them to act! For example: call your sales team and get more information about your products, sign up for a newsletter, download a trial product, or ask for more information about your product line.

  • Understanding an Executive Summary: Consider the Executive Summary as a time-saving measure. It’s not necessarily for you, but for the people who will be receiving and reviewing your study. It captures the most important information so that your readers can understand your data and conclusions within a fraction of the time it takes them to read the entire study. For example, if you’re a financial executive building up a business case for the planned IT acquisitions, you ‘d bring your management team together to make their input into the acquisition of funds for specific IT projects. The case explains their own motivations and needs and their desire to be involved in high-level strategic decisions. It must be extremely detailed to be accurate and credible. Top-level management and chief executives have a lot of issues on their plates, so they might postpone reading your full report because it’s sure to be a time-consuming project. If you’re preparing an executive summary to go along with your report, it’s more likely to be read.
  • Preparing the Data: You ‘re going to want to include enough details about your research in your executive summary to make it powerful and compelling, but brevity is key. Your summary should answer most – if not all – of the important questions that senior management may have, but be comparatively brief. A good place to start with is a review of your study, taking note of what jumps out to you as the most important data.
  • Organizing the Summary: Even if your case study is 300 pages long, you may want to keep your executive summary down to 10 pages or so. If your study is shorter, your summary should be shorter. You might start with an introduction, explaining why you prepared a case study, even if it was because higher-level management asked for it. Explain why the study was needed. Describe how you’ve done your research. Lay out your findings, and then finish with your recommendations. With most executive summaries, quoting the corresponding word-by-word report is a bad idea, but when summarizing a case or research study, it is considered permissible to “cut and paste” parts of your recommendation section.
  • Writing the Document:  Not every great analytical mind has a gift of words as well. If writing isn’t your strong suit, you might want to consider brainstorming your management team for their ideas or hire a professional writer to draft a summary for you based on your notes. If you feel confident about your abilities, remember that your summary is your first and best chance of achieving your business objectives. Use a language that makes it clear that you believe strongly in your business case. Remember that although you know your area of expertise both inside and outside, your audience, often higher-level management, may have only a general overview of your specific field of expertise.

Download Free executive summary template for case study from HERE

See Also How to write business plan step by step How to calculate business startup costs

You may also like

How Security Firms Are Evolving to Meet Expanding Threats

Navigating the New Era: How Security Firms Are...

Embracing Precision Medicine and Biomarker Strategies

The Future of Clinical Trials: Embracing Precision...

Tips for Hiring Top Talent in Logistics and Warehousing

Maximizing Efficiency: Tips for Hiring Top Talent in...

The Crucial Role of Mining Scales in Ensuring Efficiency and Accuracy in the Mining Industry

The Crucial Role of Mining Scales in Ensuring...

The Importance of Ergonomic Chairs in Your Home Office

Fostering a Healthy Work Environment: The Importance...

Exploring the Global Street Food Culture

The Rise of Food Carts: Exploring the Global Street...

Protect Your Rights In Legal Cases

Protect Your Rights In Legal Cases: A How-To Guide

Mistakes To Avoid When Finding Skilled Lawyers

Building Strong Legal Defense: Mistakes To Avoid When...

How to Do an Executive Summary on a Case Study

by Beverly Bird

Published on 21 Nov 2018

The term “case study” brings to mind a psychologist delving into a patient's history and treatment and writing up the details, but in fact, a case study is just as likely to involve a research report of an industry or the law. It identifies a problem or need, researches its causes, presents a variety of opinions and suggests certain actions. This involves a lot of information, which is why you might want to present it along with an executive summary – an additional document, something like a mini-report, that consolidates the most important information.

Understanding an Executive Summary

Think of an executive summary as a time-saving measure. It's not necessarily for you, but for the people who are going to receive and review your study. It captures the most important information, so your readers can understand your data and conclusions in a fraction of the time it would take them to read the entire study. For example, if you’re a financial executive building the business case for planned IT acquisitions, you would bring together your management team for their input with the focus on getting funds for specific IT projects. The case explains their personal motivations and needs and their desire to be involved in high-level strategic decisions. To be accurate and credible, it must be extremely detailed. Top-level management and chief officers have a lot of issues on their plates, so they might postpone reading your full report because it’s sure to be a time-consuming project. If you prepare an executive summary to go along with your report, it's more likely to get read.

Preparing the Data

You’ll want to include enough details of your research in your executive summary to make it powerful and compelling, but brevity is key. Your summary should answer most – if not all – important questions senior management might have, yet be comparatively brief. A good place to start is with a review of your study, making note of what jumps out at you as being most important data.

Organizing the Summary

Even if your case study is 300 pages, you’ll want to keep your executive summary to 10 pages or so. If your study is shorter, your summary should be as well. You might begin with an introduction, explaining why you prepared the case study even if it was because higher-level management requested it. Explain why the study was necessary. Describe how you conducted your research. Lay out your findings, then finish with your recommendations. With most executive summaries, quoting the corresponding report word for word is a bad idea, but when you’re summarizing a case or research study, it’s considered permissible to “cut and paste” portions of your recommendation section.

Writing the Document

Not every great analytical mind also has a gift with words. If writing isn’t your strong suit, you might want to consider brain-storming with your management team for their ideas or hiring a professional writer to draft the summary for you based on your notes. If you feel confident in your abilities, remember that your summary is your first and best chance of achieving your business goals. Use language that makes it clear you believe strongly in your business case. Remember that although you know your area of expertise inside and out, your audience, often higher-level management, may have only a general overview of your particular field of specialization.

executive summary

What is an Executive Summary (with Example): The 5 Mistakes You Should Avoid 

Debashis Konger

  • March 14, 2022

An executive summary is a concise overview of what something is about.

As a business professional, you know that an excellent executive summary can make a big difference in how well a document gets read and understood by others.

Whether you’re writing a proposal or report or just trying to get someone interested in your idea, having a clear and concise summary makes a huge difference.

Table of Contents

What is an Executive Summary?

An executive summary (ES) or executive outline is a condensed version of a longer document.

The ES should contain the main points of the report. In addition, it should include information such as the purpose of the study, the methodology used, the findings, the conclusions, and recommendations.

An executive summary is usually written for senior executives unfamiliar with the topic at hand.

This type of writing is often found in reports, presentations, proposals, and other documents where the writer has limited time to convey important information.

An executive summary should always begin with the title; then immediately follow with a concise sentence stating the purpose of the study.

Next, present a brief overview of the project and its goals. After that, summarize the significant findings of the research. Finally, provide a conclusion that summarizes the key takeaways from the study.

what-is-an-executive-summary

  • Every time you sit down to write an executive summary, you have to reinvent the wheel and make it 100% tailored to that one customer, that one investor, or that one board member. ( storydoc.com )

How to Write an Executive Summary and Why to Write it?

Executive summary writing is similar to writing a business plan.

The main difference between the two is that a business plan focuses on financial projections, whereas an executive summary focuses on what you’re going to do about something.

When you write an executive summary, you’re writing about a specific project that you’ve decided to take on.

For example, you could write an executive summary for a research paper, a proposal, or a thesis.

But most people use them when they prepare their annual reports and/or quarterly reports for stockholders.

Writing an executive summary takes some practice, but if you work hard enough, you’ll eventually get better at this skill.

Whether you’re preparing a report for school or work, a cover letter, or a proposal, an executive summary can help communicate your ideas to others more effectively.

1. Start With the Title – Include the Project Purpose

The first step in creating an executive summary is to decide on the overall purpose of the document.

This could be anything from summarizing a lengthy report to giving feedback to a client. If you’re working on a particular project, you may want to explain why you chose this specific project and how it fits into your more extensive portfolio.

2. State Your Objectives – Define What You Want to Achieve

Now that you know what you want to achieve through your project think about the objectives of writing your executive summary.

How will this particular piece benefit your audience? Are there any questions you need to be answered by the end of the project? What key findings does this project produce?

You might also consider using these questions as a checklist to ensure your executive summary meets all your project’s requirements.

For example, “Why did I choose this project?” and “What was my goal with this project?” can help you assess whether your project fulfills the stated purposes of the project outline.

3. Summarize the Results

An executive summary should always start with a title and a short summary of the results. This should include the following elements:

• A brief description of the project

• Any technical terms used in the research

• Key findings, such as recommendations

• Conclusions based on the data collected

A good executive summary should answer the following questions:

• Who are the intended audiences?

• What information will they need to understand the project?

• How will this project add value to their lives?

You may find it helpful to set up a template before you start writing. You could even create several templates, so you don’t have to spend too much time coming up with new ones every time you start a project.

4. Conclusion

After you’ve summarized the results of your project, you’ll want to conclude the document.

The conclusion section helps readers see the big picture. It brings together everything you learned throughout the rest of your report.

So make sure you carefully plan this part of your writing process.

5. References & Resources

Finally, you should reference sources used in your project and list any resources (such as websites) that helped you complete it.

Make sure that you provide links to valuable resources whenever possible. Also, keep in mind that many academic institutions require referencing for projects completed outside of class.

Why should you write an executive summary?

what is an executive summary

First, you should write an executive summary if you have a goal or objective.

This means that you’re writing an executive summary because you want to accomplish something.

For example, maybe you want to apply to graduate school. Or perhaps you want to get a job after graduation.

Whatever your goal is, you must first decide it before you can write an executive summary.

Second, writing an executive summary makes you more marketable to potential employers and clients.

An executive summary gives the reader a quick overview of what you’ve done and who you are as a professional. This allows them to quickly learn about you and how you can benefit them.

Third, writing executive summaries teaches you the basics of effective communication. Your ability to communicate effectively will continue to grow as you work with different types of documents over the years.

What to Include in an Executive Summary:

An executive summary is a short document that summarizes what is included in a more extended report. It’s meant to be read quickly instead of wading through pages of text and charts.

An executive summary should address three main points:

• What is the purpose of the report?

• Who is the audience?

• Why does the reader care about the information?

When writing an executive summary, focus first on answering these questions.

1 . What Is The Purpose Of The Report?

A report summarizing an investment opportunity may explain the company’s business strategy or provide details about the specific project.

An executive summary may summarize the key findings that evaluated a product or service. A report about a scientific experiment may describe the results of the research.

2. Who Is The Audience?

The audience for an executive summary usually consists of people who have read the full report.

The summary must accurately reflect the original document’s content and answer the questions posed in the title of the report.

3. Why Does The Reader Care About The Information?

The report’s author wants readers to understand the importance of the information presented in the report.

To do this effectively, the executive summary should highlight the most critical aspects of the report.

This means focusing on the critical points of the report rather than repeating everything found in the original document.

For example, if the report explains why a particular financial instrument is attractive, the executive summary should state why investors should consider buying the security.

If the report provides background information about the company, the executive summary should give context so that readers understand why the information is essential.

4. Include Key Points In Your Executive Summary

Include some of the following elements in your executive summary:

• Title page

• Introduction

• Background

• Conclusion

Title Page:

This part of the executive summary includes the name of the report, its title, author(s), publisher, publication date, and location.

The title page may also contain contact information and acknowledgments.

The abstract briefly describes the content of the report. It typically begins with a one-sentence summary of the report’s main points.

Introduction:

The introduction briefly states the report’s purpose and provides information about the subject matter.

Usually, it begins with a thesis statement that defines the key concepts and terms used in the report.

Background:

The background section describes the history of the subject being reported upon.

It also gives an overview of the organization or type of business involved in producing the report.

Conclusion:

The conclusion presents a summary of the report’s major points. It should clearly show how the report answers the question that prompted its creation.

What to Avoid:

in a case study the executive summary is placed

Many people still don’t realize what an executive summary really is. An executive summary is a short statement about your business proposal.

It’s a summary of everything in your report that helps the reader understand what you’re trying to do.

In fact, an executive summary is often one of the first things a client sees in your proposal.

So, what should you avoid in an executive summary?

Here are the top 5 mistakes you shouldn’t make:

1. Don’t Make Your Executive Summary Too Long

Most clients won’t read every word of the entire document. They’ll skim it, take notes, and then decide whether to hire you based on what they see.

Keep your executive summary under 1 page. The average person skims over a page and decides within 30 seconds if they want to continue reading.

If you write a more extended executive summary, you may cause the client to skip past you and go straight to the following proposal.

2. Don’t Include Unnecessary Details

Executive summaries aren’t meant to provide a full explanation of your project. Instead, you should include information that’s relevant to the reader.

For example, if you’re writing an executive summary for a marketing plan, don’t give details on your company’s history. That’s not relevant.

Instead, focus on what would interest your target audience most: your product, service, or idea.

3. Don’t Include Marketing Information

Don’t use your executive summary to promote yourself or your company. Focus instead on explaining your idea so that your potential customer understands why this is important to them.

Once you’ve done that, you can talk about yourself or your company later in the proposal.

4. Avoid Using Excessive Grammar Or Punctuation Marks

As mentioned earlier, your job isn’t to sell yourself or your company. Your goal is to convince your client that you’re the best person for the job.

You need to create a clear message that makes your case to accomplish this.

Avoid using words like “I,” “me,” “myself,” and “my” whenever possible. The same goes for the phrases “it was my idea” and “we did it.”

Use simple language that emphasizes the benefits of your proposal. You want to show that you’re capable of delivering results professionally.

5. Don’t Use Wordy Language

While you can add personality to your proposals, don’t use too many adjectives. Just stick to factual information.

Also, avoid using passive voice. For example, say: “We had a great experience working with X company.” Don’t say: “X company worked well with us.” Active voice is better than passive voice.

By avoiding these five common mistakes in your executive summary, you’ll increase your chances of getting hired.

Executive Summary Example 1: A Study of Obesity Among Adults With Low Income and Education Levels

Introduction

Obesity is a significant public health concern affecting both children and adults worldwide. The World Health Organization estimates that approximately 2 billion adults are overweight and 400 million are obese. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity has increased from 30% of U.S. adults in 1980 to almost 40% today. While the prevalence of obesity among children has decreased since the late 1990s, the rate of increase among adults has been much higher. In fact, according to the CDC, the number of obese adults rose from 17.5% in 1999 to 29.6% in 2010.

To determine whether obesity rates differ among adults with different socioeconomic backgrounds, researchers used data collected during the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted by the CDC from 2005 through 2007. These surveys consist of interviews and physical examinations administered to more than 20,000 participants aged 18 years and older. Participants completed questionnaires about their lifestyle habits, including diet, exercise, and alcohol intake. Researchers also measured height and weight to calculate body mass index (BMI), a measure of body fat based on height and weight. BMI was calculated using the formula: Weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared.

From the NHANES survey, researchers identified 3,926 individuals who had low income and/or low educational status. Of these individuals, 1,879 (46%) were classified as obese. Compared to those with high incomes and/or college degrees, obese individuals with low incomes and/or low educational levels were significantly less likely. However, they did not have significantly different dietary patterns compared to other groups. They also reported exercising less frequently than others and consuming fewer fruits and vegetables. However, no significant differences were found regarding alcohol consumption.

While it is clear that obesity affects all social classes, lower socioeconomic status does not necessarily lead to poorer eating habits or lack of exercise. Further studies need to be done to identify the link between obesity and low socioeconomic status.

1. How long should an executive summary be?

An Executive Summary is a short document that summarizes the report’s main points. It’s usually around 500-1000 words.

2. What is an executive summary in a business plan?

An Executive Summary (ES) is your business plan’s first section. It’s designed to grab the reader’s attention and provide them with a quick overview of what you are doing, why you are doing it, who you are doing it for, and how you intend to achieve success.

3. What is the difference between an executive summary and a summary?

An executive summary is shorter than a summary. A summary is usually one page. It provides a brief description of the contents of the report. It contains information about the report’s purpose, its audience, and its structure. The executive summary is similar to a synopsis.

The Bottom Line: 

An executive summary is the first paragraph of your Business Plan. This is where you introduce yourself and tell readers what you’re going to do. You can use this space to describe the problem you want to solve, the market opportunity you see, your target customer, your business objective, and your business model.

The executive summary should be written in the third person, passive voice, and present tense and should be concise.

Debashis Konger

Debashis Konger

Related posts.

biweekly pay

How Does Biweekly Pay Work: Everything You Should Know in 5-Minutes

  • May 16, 2022

brand partnerships

Brand Partnerships: 20 Examples To Inspire You Today

  • May 13, 2022

customer journey

Customer Journey: The Ultimate Guide to Mapping Your Customer’s Journey in 2023

  • May 11, 2022

Business Case Executive Summary Template

  • Ready-to-use, fully customizable Doc
  • Get started in seconds

slide 1

When it comes to presenting a business case to senior stakeholders and decision-makers, a strong executive summary is crucial. It's the first thing they'll read and can make or break the approval process. That's why ClickUp's Business Case Executive Summary Template is here to help you create a compelling and concise overview of your project or initiative.

With this template, you can:

  • Clearly communicate the purpose, benefits, and expected outcomes of your project
  • Showcase the financial implications and return on investment to gain support
  • Structure your executive summary in a professional and visually appealing way

Don't let a poorly crafted executive summary hold you back. Get ClickUp's Business Case Executive Summary Template and win over the decision-makers today!

Benefits of Business Case Executive Summary Template

When creating a business case executive summary, you can expect the following benefits:

  • Quickly communicate the key details and value proposition of your project
  • Gain the attention and support of senior stakeholders and decision-makers
  • Clearly outline the purpose, benefits, and expected outcomes of your project
  • Present the financial implications and return on investment (ROI) to justify the project's feasibility
  • Streamline the decision-making process and increase the likelihood of project approval.

Main Elements of Business Case Executive Summary Template

ClickUp's Business Case Executive Summary Template is the perfect tool to create comprehensive and professional executive summaries for your business cases.

  • Custom Statuses: Define the progress of your executive summary with custom statuses such as Draft, In Review, and Finalized to keep track of the document's approval process.
  • Custom Fields: Utilize custom fields like Project Name, Objective, Key Metrics, and Risks to capture all the necessary information and ensure a complete and well-rounded executive summary.
  • Different Views: Access the executive summary template in multiple views, including the Document Outline view for a hierarchical structure, the Comments view for collaboration and feedback, and the Document History view to track changes and revisions.

With ClickUp's Business Case Executive Summary Template, you can streamline the process of creating impactful summaries and effectively communicate your business ideas.

How to Use Executive Summary for Business Case

If you're tasked with creating a business case executive summary, don't worry - it's easier than it sounds! Just follow these steps to create a compelling and concise summary:

1. Start with a clear objective

Before you begin writing your executive summary, make sure you have a clear understanding of the purpose and objective of your business case. Are you seeking approval for a new project, requesting funding for a specific initiative, or presenting a new business opportunity? Clearly defining your objective will help guide your writing and ensure that your summary is focused and impactful.

Use the Goals feature in ClickUp to set and track your objective for the business case.

2. Provide an overview of the business case

In the first section of your executive summary, provide a brief overview of the business case. Summarize the problem or opportunity that the case addresses, and explain why it is important for the organization to take action. Highlight the potential benefits and impact of the proposed solution.

Create a Doc in ClickUp to outline the key points and information for your business case overview.

3. Present the key findings and analysis

Next, present the key findings and analysis from your research and evaluation. This may include market research, financial analysis, risk assessment, and other relevant data. Clearly communicate the evidence and rationale supporting your proposed solution, and address any potential challenges or risks.

Use the Table view in ClickUp to organize and present your key findings and analysis in a structured and visually appealing format.

4. Outline the recommended solution

In this section, provide a clear and concise explanation of the recommended solution or course of action. Describe how the proposed solution aligns with the organization's strategic goals and objectives, and highlight the expected outcomes and benefits. Be sure to address any potential objections or concerns that stakeholders may have.

Create tasks in ClickUp to outline the steps and actions required to implement the recommended solution.

5. Summarize the next steps

Conclude your executive summary by summarizing the next steps and the timeline for implementation. Clearly communicate the resources, budget, and timeline required to execute the proposed solution. Emphasize the expected return on investment and the potential impact on the organization's overall success.

Use the Calendar view in ClickUp to create a timeline and set deadlines for each step of the implementation process.

add new template customization

Get Started with ClickUp’s Business Case Executive Summary Template

Business professionals can use this Business Case Executive Summary Template to create a compelling and persuasive summary to gain support and approval for their projects or initiatives.

First, hit “Add Template” to sign up for ClickUp and add the template to your Workspace. Make sure you designate which Space or location in your Workspace you’d like this template applied.

Next, invite relevant members or guests to your Workspace to start collaborating.

Now you can take advantage of the full potential of this template to create an effective executive summary:

  • Use the Introduction section to provide a concise overview of the project and its purpose
  • Outline the key stakeholders and their roles in the Stakeholder Analysis section
  • Describe the goals and objectives of the project in the Project Objectives section
  • Provide a detailed analysis of the benefits and expected outcomes in the Benefits and Outcomes section
  • Use the Financial Analysis section to present the financial implications and return on investment
  • Include a Risk Assessment section to identify potential risks and mitigation strategies
  • Customize the Conclusion section to summarize the key points and make a compelling case for approval
  • Use the References and Appendices section to provide supporting documentation and references

By following these steps, you can create a comprehensive and persuasive executive summary that will help you gain the support and approval you need for your projects or initiatives.

Related Templates

  • Hedge Fund Managers Executive Summary Template
  • Work Immersion Executive Summary Template
  • Salon Executive Summary Template
  • Job Interview Executive Summary Template
  • Leadership Assignment Executive Summary Template

Free forever with 100MB storage

Free training & 24-hours support

Serious about security & privacy

Highest levels of uptime the last 12 months

  • Product Roadmap
  • Affiliate & Referrals
  • On-Demand Demo
  • Integrations
  • Consultants
  • Gantt Chart
  • Native Time Tracking
  • Automations
  • Kanban Board
  • vs Airtable
  • vs Basecamp
  • vs MS Project
  • vs Smartsheet
  • Software Team Hub
  • PM Software Guide

Google Play Store

Cart

  • SUGGESTED TOPICS
  • The Magazine
  • Newsletters
  • Managing Yourself
  • Managing Teams
  • Work-life Balance
  • The Big Idea
  • Data & Visuals
  • Reading Lists
  • Case Selections
  • HBR Learning
  • Topic Feeds
  • Account Settings
  • Email Preferences

How to Actually Execute Change at a Company

  • Tom Hunsaker

in a case study the executive summary is placed

Four factors that will determine the success — or failure — of your initiative.

The author analyzed project teams across 257 firms to identify why only 60% of planned value is typically realized in change initiatives, focusing on four key factors: effective initial communication (“ACE the Memo”), ensuring resource accessibility and autonomy (“Master the Means”), employing mechanisms to align actions with goals (“Amplify with Mechanisms”), and strategic measurement to influence future outcomes (“Measure to Account”). These factors emphasize the importance of clear, credible, and emotionally resonant messaging, the necessity for teams to have the right resources and freedom, the use of mechanisms to increase transparency and precision, and the role of measurement in adapting and improving execution. This comprehensive approach underscores the significance of execution in turning the potential of an idea into realized value.

As important as it is to make great change decisions, equally important is to consider what happens after the decision to act is made. It is well documented that on average just 60% of planned value is realized . To what can be attributed the “lost” 40%?

in a case study the executive summary is placed

  • TH Tom Hunsaker is clinical professor of strategic leadership and former associate dean of innovation at ASU’s Thunderbird School of Global Management and advisor to senior leaders ranging from the Fortune 500 to rapid-growth private enterprises.

Partner Center

IMAGES

  1. 💌 How to begin an executive summary. How To Write A High. 2022-10-28

    in a case study the executive summary is placed

  2. How to Write an Executive Summary for a SaaS Case Study

    in a case study the executive summary is placed

  3. FREE 12+ Case Study Summary Samples & Templates in PDF

    in a case study the executive summary is placed

  4. 1. Business Case Template

    in a case study the executive summary is placed

  5. 30+ Perfect Executive Summary Examples & Templates ᐅ TemplateLab

    in a case study the executive summary is placed

  6. executive summary template for report

    in a case study the executive summary is placed

VIDEO

  1. Case Studies

  2. Executive Summary

  3. Advance case studies compilation for Company Law || CS Executive

  4. News summary with the Executive Chairman: Technical update on the current drill program

  5. ICAB CA Case Study Executive Summary part .Please subscribe my channel for more aspiration

  6. Reduce Risk and Streamline Workplace Investigations with Case IQ

COMMENTS

  1. How to Write an Executive Summary for a Case Study

    summarize the story by introducing the customer and their pain points. explain what your organization did. highlight the key results, including 1 or 2 statistics that drive home the takeaway message. Write the executive summary first to help you focus the rest of the case study. But don't be too rigid: in the process of reviewing the ...

  2. Executive Summary

    An executive summary is a thorough overview of a research report or other type of document that synthesizes key points for its readers, saving them time and preparing them to understand the study's overall content. ... The best way to avoid a disorganized or cluttered executive summary is to write it after the study is completed.

  3. How To Write the Executive Summary for Case Studies

    In your mind's eye, see the Executive Summary and the Case Study are two separate documents. Approach each one with a different 'writer's hat'. The tone, style, and language may be different. In general, the Executive Summary will be tightly-written, direct, and high-level. You dive into these points in the case study itself.

  4. How to Write a Great Executive Summary

    Ideally, the executive summary is the part of your document you write last, since you can't summarize the full document if you don't yet have a full document. With the full document in hand, jot down the key sections you need to include in your executive summary and the points to hit in each section. By doing this, you're creating an ...

  5. Overview of the Executive Summary

    What is an Executive Summary? The Executive Summary is the part of a report that is most likely to be read by the recipient of the report. In the context of the Case Study exam this will ultimately be the owners of the client firm. As a rule these people will be busy trying to run their business, and will not be financial experts.

  6. PDF How to Write an Executive Summary

    How to Write an Executive Summary . An executive summary is a concise document, demonstrating the problem, findings and recommendation of a longer policy report. Writing an executive summary will help your audience quickly understand the policy problem and proposed solution of your report. It is intended for a busy reader; and is a

  7. How to write an executive summary, with examples

    Environmental studies. Market surveys. Project plans. In general, there are four parts to any executive summary: Start with the problem or need the document is solving. Outline the recommended solution. Explain the solution's value. Wrap up with a conclusion about the importance of the work.

  8. Writing an Executive Summary in Business Docs (+ Examples)

    Example of how to write an executive summary for a case study. We used this template in Storydoc for our Start-Up Nation Central case study:. 1. Introduction: Start-Up Nation Policy Institute (SNPI), a think tank operating under Start-Up Nation Central, an NGO aimed at fostering the development of high-tech companies. 2. Problem/Challenge: SNPI was dissatisfied with the presentation of their ...

  9. How to Write an Executive Summary

    An executive summary should be clear and concise (typically one to two pages long) and present the main points in a formal tone. The purpose of an executive summary is to pique the reader's curiosity by presenting facts from the larger piece of content it is summarizing. The executive summary can be either a portion of a business document (a ...

  10. PDF Title Page Executive Summary.

    A case study is the study of the particularity and complexity of a single case. Relevant cases will include public and not-for-profit administrators and their programs. Most often, these cases will be embedded in a political system in which actors exercise power and influence over processes and decisions. We are interested in cases for both ...

  11. What Is an Executive Summary & How to Make it Count

    An executive summary is a summary of a document that is intended to provide a quick and easy-to-understand overview of its key points, findings, and recommendations. It is often used as an introduction to a longer document, such as a business plan, report, or proposal. Executive summaries are typically brief, ranging from 1 to 5 pages in length ...

  12. How to Write an Executive Summary (Example & Template Included)

    Here's the good news: an executive summary is short. It's part of a larger document like a business plan, business case or project proposal and, as the name implies, summarizes the longer report. Here's the bad news: it's a critical document that can be challenging to write because an executive summary serves several important purposes.

  13. Case Study Executive Summary Template

    To create a compelling and effective case study executive summary, follow these five steps: 1. Understand the purpose. Before you start writing your executive summary, it's important to understand its purpose. The executive summary is a concise overview of the case study that highlights the key points and findings.

  14. How to Write an Executive Summary Like McKinsey

    Let's take a closer look at each component of the executive summary and how it can be used to craft an effective executive summary deck using the McKinsey/BCG/Bain methodology. 1. Objective. The objective of the executive summary should succinctly define the purpose of the presentation and why it is important for the audience to understand the ...

  15. How to Write Executive Summary for a Case Study|Business Plan

    A good place to start with is a review of your study, taking note of what jumps out to you as the most important data. Organizing the Summary: Even if your case study is 300 pages long, you may want to keep your executive summary down to 10 pages or so. If your study is shorter, your summary should be shorter.

  16. How to Do an Executive Summary on a Case Study

    Even if your case study is 300 pages, you'll want to keep your executive summary to 10 pages or so. If your study is shorter, your summary should be as well. You might begin with an introduction, explaining why you prepared the case study even if it was because higher-level management requested it. Explain why the study was necessary.

  17. How to Write an Executive Summary in 10 Steps

    Step 2: Write for Your Audience. When writing your executive summary, you want to keep your intended audience in mind always and write it for them. First off, you need to consider your reader's current level of knowledge. Then use languages and terms appropriate for your target audience.

  18. How To Write an Executive Summary (With Example)

    Here are several general steps to consider when writing an executive summary: 1. Research effective executive summaries. Before you write your own executive summary, it may be helpful to review summaries written by others. This is especially true for those writing an executive summary for the first time.

  19. How to write an executive summary

    An effective executive summary should be written in an easily digestible form that quickly conveys the main idea and purpose of its larger document. Think of it as both a summary of what's inside and a preview of what to expect. Overall, the goal of the executive summary is to act as a report-in-brief.

  20. How To Write an Executive Summary for a Research Paper (With ...

    The executive summary briefly describes the study's key points and suggests changes, actions and implementation strategies for the business. You can use the following steps to write an executive summary for a research paper: 1. Read the entire research paper.

  21. What is an Executive Summary (with Example): The 5 ...

    An executive summary (ES) or executive outline is a condensed version of a longer document. The ES should contain the main points of the report. In addition, it should include information such as the purpose of the study, the methodology used, the findings, the conclusions, and recommendations.

  22. (Solved)

    1. In a case study, the executive summary is placed: (a) at the end (b) at the beginning (c) with the recommendations (d) as part of the introduction. 2. The first requirement for being able to write an analysis of a theoretical case is thorough knowledge of the concerned: (a) case (b) subject (c) objective (d) methodology. 3.

  23. Business Case Executive Summary Template

    That's why ClickUp's Business Case Executive Summary Template is here to help you create a compelling and concise overview of your project or initiative. With this template, you can: Clearly communicate the purpose, benefits, and expected outcomes of your project. Showcase the financial implications and return on investment to gain support.

  24. How to Actually Execute Change at a Company

    Summary. The author analyzed project teams across 257 firms to identify why only 60% of planned value is typically realized in change initiatives, focusing on four key factors: effective initial ...