Professional growth and the acquisition of new skills and knowledge is essential in any organization and for all professionals. IRIS: International Resources for Insights and Solutions, LLC (IRIS), a  key contributor in the continuing education of professionals in sensory evaluation and consumer science nationally and internationally , has designed and conducted numerous successful staff training programs for industry and academia . IRIS’ staff training programs are custom- designed to provide the needed breadth and depth of knowledge. 

In designing a staff training program special IRIS pays attention to:

–  The company’s objective, needs and conditions

•      What are the specific objectives of the staff training program?
•      What are the needs?
•      Who is the audience?
•     What is the company’s philosophy on the topic(s) of interest?

 – The audience

•  Is the staff training program designed for sensory professionals, sensory/consumer researches, management, product developers or other non-sensory professionals?
•  Will the training program be designed and conducted internationally and what additional country or site specific factors or philosophies need to be considered in the design of the most effective staff training program?

– The topic

•  Does the staff training program encompass a variety of sensory evaluation and consumer research topics?
•  Does the training program focus on a specific topic of interest?

– The level

• Should the staff training program to be taught at an introductory or advanced level?
• Should some topics be covered at a basic level for one audience and at an advanced level for another?

– The products and sensory dimensions

•  Should the staff training program include product demonstrations or development of lexicons?
•  Which products should be included?
•  Should the focus be on specific attributes?