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5.5.4: Pareto Charts

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    117773
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    A special type of bar chart that shows the number of occurrences of a particular characteristic, ordered from highest to lowest. The X axis represents each characteristic and the Y axis is the number of times this occurrence was recorded. In addition, a cumulative percent line shows the cumulative percentage that each category represents. The Y axis on the right hand side of the chart corresponds to the percentage on this line. In the management of quality, managers must allocate resources to rectify the most frequently occurring problems. A Pareto analysis helps us focus our attention on the defects that occur the most frequently and to allocate the resources accordingly.

    Video: How to make a Pareto chart in Excel

    Steps in a Pareto Analysis:

    1. Collect your raw data and put it into a simple table in descending order. Sum the total number of results at the bottom of the column.
    Complaints Number
    Long wait time 81
    food not hot 48
    Server unknowledgeable 20
    bill inaccurate 16
    floor not clean 9
    Menu items sold out 7
       
    1. Include a cumulative column and calculate the cumulative percentage of each.
    Complaints Number Cumulative Cumulative Percent
    wait time long 81 81 44.8
    food not hot 48 129 71.3
    Server unknowledgeable 20 149 82.3
    bill inaccurate 16 165 91.2
    floor not clean 9 174 96.1
    Menu items sold out 7 181 100.0
    1. In EXCEL, your Pareto analysis will look like this.
      A bar chart labelled Restaurant Complaints. The number of complaints is on the left and bars show for wait time long, food not hot, server not knowledgeable, bill inaccurate, floor not clean, menu items sold out.  A line going up to the right through the bars shows the cumulative percent.
      Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Example of a Pareto chart.

    5.5.4: Pareto Charts is shared under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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