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

Learning
Section Industry Study heading and subheadings What you need to do Follow the prompts in each section below
Outcomes
1. Choose two businesses within the Timber Products and Furniture Technologies
Section 1 1.1 Structural considerations
industry
organisation 2. For each business identify the structural considerations of the business with
management (roles and levels) reference to each structural point. You may wish to create a diagram to explain
marketing and advertising your answer
production and efficiency 3. Identify factors within each business that affect production, efficiency and H1.1
restructuring quality control of that business
quality control 4. Compare the two businesses, highlight and discuss similarities 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.
1. Find examples of each item within the Timber Products and Furniture
Section 2 2.1 Technical considerations
Technologies industry.
mechanisation 2. Describe the purpose of the technical consideration within the business, for
specialisation/generalisation example how does the technology work. Identify the manual process is being
mass production replaced. Explain why this technology has been chosen.
automation 3. Provide images to support your text, which you may annotate H1.2
new and emerging technologies 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
industrial relations
o equity/EEO
o unions
o group negotiated contracts
o individual contracts
o career and training opportunities
specialisation and multi-skilling
roles of industry personnel
work practices
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 businesses within the industry. Use examples to H7.1
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 example for each of
these.
2. Identify industry bodies within the Timber Products and Furniture Technologies
industry which serves to protect the rights of employees or employers
3. Looking closer at industry bodies that serve to protect workers rights, explain
how these bodies achieve this using two examples H1.1
4. Define specialisation and multiskilling. Provide examples of each. Explain how
these benefit workers and employers. Create a table for your answer.
5. What are industry personnel? Provide examples. What is their role? Who do
they benefit?
16347801
 1. What is Workplace Health and Safety? Why is this important? How is it
Section 5 5.1 Work Health and Safety
implemented? Provide examples from the Timber Products and Furniture
government legislation Technologies industry to illustrate your answer.
industry requirements: 2. Identify the legislative bodies that govern workplace safety in NSW. Explain
o standards their role and how they achieve this.
o policing 3. What is a risk assessment? Give an example. Explain how these are carried out,
o prosecution why they are important?
risk assessment 4. Explain why training is important in terms of worker safety. Provide examples H1.1
safety training and human factors to illustrate your answer.
workplace culture 5. What is workplace culture? How might this impact upon worker safety? Provide
WHS communication 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?
1. Identify a historical development that has altered a manufacturing process,
Section 6 6.1 Historical Developments
altered materials, and altered work practice.
manufacturing processes 2. Describe the factors which contributed to the change
materials 3. Discuss how these changes have affected the Timber Products and Furniture
H1.3
work practices Technologies industry
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
1. Identify two businesses that are making use of innovative technologies within
Section 7 7.1 Innovative Technologies
the Timber Products and Furniture Technologies industry
new and emerging technologies 2. Describe how the businesses are using the innovative technology H7.2
impact upon industry, society and the 3. Identify the impact the technology is having upon the industry, society and the
environment environment H1.2
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 why these findings are important for H1.2
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