How Fast is a ‘Rapid Method’? An Application of Multivariate Analysis to Sensory and Consumer Data Collected Using Novel Rapid Data Collection Methods
In the sensory and consumer world, companies often look for ways to collect data more quickly with less burden on the testers. New methods deemed to be easy and intuitive have been shown to be reliable and quick to perform, even among consumers, and are now being used when profiling a product to save time training sensory panels. For these methods, panelists are asked to describe or compare a set of products using their own descriptors. In 'napping', panelists group the set of products on a two-dimensional surface, according to how similar they perceive them to be. In free choice profiling, panelists use their own words to describe the products and then score them on these descriptors. In each case, a consensus description or map is produced using a method known as multiple factor analysis. Previously it has been time-consuming to analyse this data, hence the term 'rapid methods' was used with caution. The statistical tools in JMP make it ideal to analyse these new fast data collection methods, making the whole experience truly rapid! We will illustrate the rapid methods on consumer products, demonstrating how different people's personal opinions can be combined to compare products.
