Impellam Project Services successfully boosted a food company’s sensory panel capacity by 67%, delivering reliable data while easing the workload through expert management and a skilled, adaptable panel.
Challenge
A multinational food ingredients firm faced rising demands for sensory panel services from its internal clients. The existing panel, composed of part-time members, lacked the flexibility and availability needed to meet these growing needs, leading to inconsistent data output and challenges in panel management and coordination.
Solution
Impellam Project Services was brought on board as an independent partner to manage the sensory panel. This involved integrating current panel members with new recruits to create a balanced and effective team capable of producing reliable data.
A dedicated, experienced Account Manager from Synergy worked closely with the client to fully understand their specific requirements. A recruitment campaign leveraged Synergy’s industry expertise and connections in the sensory field, followed by a thorough screening process to identify candidates with the right skills while also checking for any allergies or health issues.
Successful candidates participated in an assessment day, where they underwent interviews and acuity tests under the guidance of the Client Sensory Manager. The results were carefully analysed alongside interview feedback to select the most suitable participants. We then collaborated with the client to develop comprehensive training plans, ensuring panellists understood their roles and expectations as they progressed toward achieving key training milestones.
Outcome
With our outsourced sensory panel management service, the client has achieved a remarkable 67% increase in panel capacity to support their internal customers. Regular quarterly business reviews ensure that the clear Statement of Work (SOW) and agreed Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are continuously monitored, allowing us to effectively manage the sensory panel and adapt to evolving business needs.
By providing a flexible and trained pool of panellists, we can address both planned and unexpected absences, giving the client confidence that results will remain reliable and projects on schedule. We handle all aspects of training, management, safety, and HR for the panellists, significantly reducing the client’s workload and enabling their team to focus on commercial projects and the generation of accurate, reproducible sensory data.
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