Fs. Fogliatto et Sl. Albin, A hierarchical method for evaluating products with quantitative and sensory characteristics, IIE TRANS, 33(12), 2001, pp. 1081-1092
In some industries, such as food processing, product performance is assesse
d with multiple criteria including both quantitative measurements and subje
ctive characteristics evaluated by a sensory panel. A sensory panel consist
s of trained individuals who compare products yielding data often in the fo
rm of matrices of paired comparisons. This paper presents a hierarchical me
thod, based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process, for computing weights, or co
mposite performance measures, for products of this type. The paper also pre
sents a new method for collecting and analyzing sensory panel data. The pro
posed method enables comparison of alternative products taking into account
multiple quantitative and sensory responses, their relative importance, an
d the experience and reliability of panel members.