Use the Pareto chart template (Excel) to create a Pareto chart and analyze the occurrences of up to 10 defects by entering the defects on the check sheet. If all complaints cause equal distress to the customer, working on eliminating document-related complaints would have the most impact, and of those, working on quality certificates should be most fruitful.įigure 1: Pareto Chart, Customer Complaintsįigure 2: Pareto Chart, Document Complaints The last dot should reach 100% on the right scale.įigure 1 shows how many customer complaints were received in each of five categories.įigure 2 takes the largest category, 'documents,' from Figure 1, breaks it down into six categories of document-related complaints, and shows cumulative values. Connect the dots, starting at the top of the first bar. To that sum add the subtotal for the third category, and place a dot above the third bar for that new sum. Calculate and draw cumulative sums: add the subtotals for the first and second categories, and place a dot above the second bar indicating that sum.

For example, the left measurement that corresponds to one-half should be exactly opposite 50% on the right scale. Draw a right vertical axis and label it with percentages. Calculate the percentage for each category: the subtotal for that category divided by the total for all categories.Note: Steps 8 and 9 are optional but are useful for analysis and communication.

If there are many categories with small measurements, they can be grouped as “other.” Place the tallest at the far left, then the next tallest to its right, and so on.

Construct and label bars for each category.

(If you will do optional steps 8 and 9 below, the maximum value will be the sum of all subtotals from step 5.) Mark the scale on the left side of the chart. The maximum value will be the largest subtotal from step 5.

Determine the appropriate scale for the measurements you have collected.

Subtotal the measurements for each category.

Collect the data, recording the category each time, or assemble data that already exist.

Decide what period of time the Pareto chart will cover: One work cycle? One full day? A week?.

Common measurements are frequency, quantity, cost and time.

Decide what measurement is appropriate.

Decide what categories you will use to group items.

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