Industry Study Activities Industrial Technology HSC Western Sydney High School

Template - You must follow this format for your industry study report. Your report must have these sections, headings, and
subheadings.
Tip

Note that you are conducting a broad study of the Timber Products and Furniture Technologies industry.
You should draw your information from a variety of sources within the industry focus area to answer the topics below
A variety of sources will help you to identify patterns, similarities, and differences across the industry
This will help your conclusion statement
You will have a broader knowledge of the industry, which will help you identify niches and entrepreneurial opportunities

Industry Study heading and What you need to do Follow the prompts in each Learning
Section
subheadings section below Outcomes
Section 1 1.1 Structural considerations 1. Choose two businesses within the Timber Products and Furniture
Technologies industry
organisation 2. For each business identify the structural considerations of the
management (roles and levels) business with reference to each structural point. You may wish
marketing and advertising to create a diagram to explain your answer
production and efficiency 3. Identify factors within each business that affect production,
H1.1
restructuring efficiency and quality control of that business
4. Compare the two businesses, highlight and discuss similarities
quality control and differences in their structure. Explain why these may have
occurred.
5. Analyse the choices and structure of both businesses in terms of
strengths and weaknesses. Create a SWOT table to show this.
Section 2 2.1 Technical considerations 1. Find examples of each item within the Timber Products and
Furniture Technologies industry.
mechanisation
2. Describe the purpose of the technical consideration within the
specialisation/generalisation
business, for example how does the technology work. Identify
mass production
the manual process is being replaced. Explain why this
automation
technology has been chosen. H1.2
new and emerging technologies 3. Provide images to support your text, which you may annotate
4. How does the technology improve manufacturing efficiency
5. How has the viability of the business been improved as a result
of the technology
6. Discuss the differences between the technologies, advantages
and disadvantages.

Created by Matthew Doyle: Western Sydney University 16347801

Section 3 3.1 Environmental and sociological
considerations
alternative resources
o power
o material
o processes
o limitations
recycling and reusing
waste management and
minimisation
pollution
sustainable development
rehabilitation of commercial sites
legislative requirements
o local
o state
o federal
o environmental studies
location
o land costs and availability
o transportation facilities
o workforce
o impact on surrounding
population
o resource availability
o geographical factors
o waste management
Section 4 4.1 Personnel Issues
Created by Matthew Doyle: Western Sydney University
1. Consider the Timber Products and Furniture Technologies
industry holistically
2. Identify examples of how the industry is making use of alternate
resources as listed
3. Identify examples of how industry is recycling, managing waste
and pollution.
4. Identify three examples of sustainable practice within the
industry
5. Discuss your findings with regard to how these practices are
improvements upon traditional industrial practice. In what ways
are these changes better for the environment? How does this
benefit the industry holistically? What impact do these changes
have upon the end product? What benefits are there for the
consumer? How do these changes impact upon the resources
the industry uses?
1. Identify legislation which relates to sustainability of the industry.
Legislation may vary according to state. If so identify and
discuss the differences, and the impact this has upon the H7.1
businesses within the industry. Use examples to support your
findings
1. Choose two different business with the Timber Products and
Furniture Technologies industry
2. Identify factors regarding location for each business as per the
list. For example, are the land cost for business A different to
business B? Does this affect the transportation of their goods
in terms of cost, and availability? Does the location influence
the workforce options? Does the location benefit the local
community? Has the choice been made because of the
availability of resources? Why?
3. Further describe the impact these factors have upon the overall
viability of the business. Have the choices made benefitted the
business?
4. Compare the choices the businesses have made and why they
may have made the choices that they did. Would you have done
something different?
1. Define the industrial relations list sub elements. Provide an H1.1
example for each of these.
16347801
 industrial relations 2. Identify industry bodies within the Timber Products and
o equity/EEO Furniture Technologies industry which serves to protect the
o unions rights of employees or employers
o group negotiated contracts 3. Looking closer at industry bodies that serve to protect workers
o individual contracts rights, explain how these bodies achieve this using two
o career and training examples
opportunities 4. Define specialisation and multiskilling. Provide examples of
specialisation and multi-skilling each. Explain how these benefit workers and employers. Create
roles of industry personnel a table for your answer.
work practices 5. What are industry personnel? Provide examples. What is their
role? Who do they benefit?
Section 5 5.1 Work Health and Safety 1. What is Workplace Health and Safety? Why is this important?
How is it implemented? Provide examples from the Timber
government legislation
Products and Furniture Technologies industry to illustrate your
industry requirements:
answer.
o standards
2. Identify the legislative bodies that govern workplace safety in
o policing
NSW. Explain their role and how they achieve this.
o prosecution
3. What is a risk assessment? Give an example. Explain how these
risk assessment
are carried out, why they are important?
safety training and human factors 4. Explain why training is important in terms of worker safety. H1.1
workplace culture Provide examples to illustrate your answer.
WHS communication 5. What is workplace culture? How might this impact upon worker
safety? Provide an example where workplace culture has
benefitted and negated worker safety. Compare the factors that
contributed to each case.
6. What avenues are there in place for workers to report workplace
issues? Who might they report to? What rights do workers have
with regard to a safe workplace?
Section 6 6.1 Historical Developments 1. Identify a historical development that has altered a
manufacturing process, altered materials, and altered work
manufacturing processes
practice.
materials
2. Describe the factors which contributed to the change
work practices 3. Discuss how these changes have affected the Timber Products
and Furniture Technologies industry H1.3
4. Evaluate whether these changes are beneficial or harmful.
Explain your answer
5. Analyse the pattern of change and predict a future development
which may occur in the Timber Products and Furniture
Technologies industry

Created by Matthew Doyle: Western Sydney University 16347801

Section 7 7.1 Innovative Technologies 1. Identify two businesses that are making use of innovative
technologies within the Timber Products and Furniture
new and emerging technologies
Technologies industry
impact upon industry, society and
2. Describe how the businesses are using the innovative H7.2
the environment technology
3. Identify the impact the technology is having upon the industry, H1.2
society and the environment
4. Differentiate between the two businesses by comparing the
different ways innovation is being implemented.
Section 8 8.1 Conclusion Write a concluding paragraph highlighting what you feel are
important revelations from your research. Briefly discuss how and
H1.2
why these findings are important for the Timber Products and
Furniture Technologies industry
Source: Adapted from the Industrial Technology Stage 6 Syllabus 2008

Created by Matthew Doyle: Western Sydney University 16347801