Definition
The column chart, arranged from size to size, focuses on key minorities rather than on a trivial majority (the 80/20 rule).
In detail
A Pareto Chart is a bar chart sorted by contribution size, used to highlight the vital few problems, following the 80/20 rule. It helps teams focus on the most important improvement opportunities, avoiding wasted effort on trivial issues. In quality management, it is a foundational tool for problem solving and continuous improvement. Unlike histograms (showing distribution) and fishbone diagrams (analyzing causes), Pareto charts are used for ranking and prioritization. Its output is typically a Pareto chart and a list of key problems.
Example in practice
An injection molding factory compiled customer complaints and found over a dozen defect types. They drew a Pareto chart and discovered that the top three defects accounted for 80% of complaints. They concentrated resources on solving these three defects, and through mold and process improvements, the complaint rate dropped significantly.