A global food ingredients company needed more sensory panel capacity, and more consistency, than its part-time team could deliver. Vertage took full ownership, blending existing talent with specialist recruits under clear governance.
A part-time panel with limited flexibility could not meet rising demand, and inconsistent data put product decisions at risk.
Vertage built a blended panel of existing and new recruits, backed by structured training, a statement of work and reviews.
Panel capacity rose 67%, delivering accurate, reproducible data through one accountable partner managing recruitment, training and performance.
A multinational food ingredients organization faced rising demand from internal customers for sensory panel services. It's incumbent panel, made up of part-time panellists with limited flexibility and availability, could not stretch to meet growing business needs.
The gap between demand and capacity created a significant problem. Inconsistent data output began to surface, and the client struggled to manage and coordinate the panel effectively. For a business where the accuracy and reproducibility of sensory data directly shapes product decisions, that inconsistency carried real risk.
The client needed more than extra headcount. It needed a trusted partner to take full ownership of sensory panel delivery, end to end.
Vertage was brought on board to take full ownership of the sensory panel operation. The approach combined existing panel members with new specialist recruits, building a balanced team capable of producing reliable, usable data consistently.
A dedicated, experienced Account Manager worked directly with the client, building a clear understanding of their specific business needs and acting as a single point of accountability throughout.
A targeted recruitment campaign drew on Vertage's expertise and established contacts across the sensory science space. Successful candidates progressed to an assessment day, completing interviews and acuity tests under the supervision of the client's Sensory Manager. Acuity results were analyzed alongside interview feedback to identify the strongest fit for the panel.
Vertage then developed full training plans in partnership with the client, giving panellists a clear understanding of their role, agreed milestones and a defined path to becoming productive, engaged members of the panel team.
A formal Statement of Work and an agreed set of KPIs provided the governance structure. Quarterly business reviews kept performance on track, shared successes and found solutions quickly whenever business needs shifted.
Through Vertage's managed sensory panel operation, the client moved from a stretched, part-time setup to a flexible, dependable capability that scales with the business.
Panel capacity delivered to the internal customer base rose by 67% increase in panel capacity, with full end-to-end coverage from recruitment and training through to ongoing management. Accurate, reproducible sensory data now flows consistently.
This was not a recruitment exercise. It was a managed capability solution, built around a defined outcome and governed for the long term. The client gained one accountable partner managing teams, performance and quality, with the coordination burden lifted from inside their own business.
Sensory science is business-critical work in food and FMCG. When panel capacity cannot match internal demand, the consequences reach further than delayed results: inconsistent data affects formulation decisions, slows product development and introduces quality risk at scale. The stronger move is rarely more internal resource. It is connecting specialist expertise to a clearly governed delivery structure, with a single partner accountable for the outcome.
Talk to Vertage about how our Professional Services capability can build and manage specialist scientific delivery for your business.
