Product characterization

Product characterization is part of:

  • MX Market research and sensory analysis software

  • System configuration

    • Windows:
      • Versions: 9x/Me/NT/2000/XP/Vista/Win 7/Win 8
      • Excel: 97 and later
      • Processor: 32 or 64 bits
      • Hard disk: 150 Mb
    • Mac OS X:
      • OS: OS X
      • Excel: X, 2004 and 2011
      • Hard disk: 150Mb.

Benefits

  • Easy and user-friendly
    Easy and user-friendly XLSTAT is flawlessly integrated with Microsoft Excel which is the most popular spreadsheet worldwide. This integration makes it one of the simplest available tools to work with as it utilizes the same philosophy as Microsoft Excel. The program is accessible in a dedicated XLSTAT tab. The analyses are grouped into functional menus. The dialog boxes are user-friendly and setting up an analysis is straightforward.
  • Data and results shared seamlessly
    Data and results shared seamlessly One of the greatest advantages of XLSTAT is the way you can share data and results seamlessly. As the results are stored in Microsoft Excel, anyone can access them. There is no need for the receiver to have an XLSTAT license or any additional viewer which makes your team-work easier and more affordable. In addition, results are easily integrable into other Microsoft Office software such as PowerPoint, so that you can create striking presentation in minutes.
  • Modular
    Modular XLSTAT is a modular product. XLSTAT-Pro is a core statistical module of XLSTAT which includes all the mainstream functionalities in statistics and multivariate analysis. More advanced features contained in add-on modules can be added for specific applications. This way you can adapt the software to your needs making the software more cost-efficient.
  • Didactic
    Didactic The results of XLSTAT are organized by analysis and are easy to navigate. Moreover useful information is provided along with the results to assist you in your interpretation.
  • Affordable
    Affordable XLSTAT is a complete and modular analytical solution that can suit any analytical business needs. It is very reasonably priced so that the return of your investment is almost immediate. Any XLSTAT license comes with top level support and assistance.
  • Accessible - Available in many languages
    Accessible - Available in many languages We have ensured XLSTAT is accessible to everyone by making the program available in many languages, including Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese and Spanish.
  • Automatable and customizable
    Automatable and customizable Most of the statistical functions available in XLSTAT can be called directly from the Visual Basic window of Microsoft Excel. They can be modified and integrated to more code to fit to the specificity of your domain. Adding tables and plots as well as modifying existing outputs becomes easy. Furthermore, XLSTAT includes some special tools on the dialog boxes to generate automatically the VBA code in order to reproduce your analysis using the VBA editor or to simply load pre-set settings. This effortless automation of routine analysis will be a huge time saver on your part.

When to use product characterization

Product characterization provides the XLSTAT users with a user-friendly analytical method that helps finding in a sensory study which descriptors are discriminating well a set of products. You can also identify which are the most important characteristics of each product.

Computation for product characterization

All computations are based on the analysis of variance (ANOVA) model.

The data table must have a given format. Each row should concern a given product, eventually a given session and should gather scores given by a judge for one or more descriptors associated to the designated product. The dataset must contain the following columns: one identifying the judge, one identifying the product, eventually one identifying the session, and as many columns as there are descriptors or characteristics.

For each descriptor an ANOVA model is applied to check if the scores given by the judges are significantly different. The simplest model is:

Score = product effect + judge effect

If different sessions have been organized (each judge has evaluated at least twice each product), the session factor can be added and the model becomes:

Score = product effect + judge effect + session effect

An interaction factor can also be included. We then can test if some combines of the judges and products are giving higher or lower grades on the descriptors. The model is:

Score = product effect + judge effect + product effect * judge effect

The judge effect is always supposed to be random. It means we consider each judge to have its own way of giving scores to the products (on the score scale).

Product characterization is a very efficient tool to characterize products using judges’ preferences.

Results of XLSTAT for product characterization

Discriminating power by descriptor

This table shows the ordered descriptors from the most discriminating on the products to the least discriminating. Associated V-test and p-values are also displayed.

Model coefficients

This table displays the various coefficients of the chosen model for each combination product-descriptor. Adjusted mean, t test, p-value and confidence interval for each combination are also displayed. Graphics for each product with the coefficients are then displayed.

Adjusted means by product

This table shows the adjusted mean for each combination product-descriptor. The color corresponds to a significant positive effect for the blue color and a significant negative effect for the red color.

Tutorials

Screenshots