Pareto chart maker
Paste your categories with a count or a cost. The tool sorts them from largest to smallest, adds the cumulative percentage and marks the vital few: the categories that make up the first 80 % (or the cut-off you choose). A fictional example is loaded.
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| Category | Count | % | Cum % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scratch on cover ● | 42 | 38.5 | 38.5 |
| Burr on edge ● | 31 | 28.4 | 67.0 |
| Wrong label ● | 12 | 11.0 | 78.0 |
| Missing screw ● | 9 | 8.3 | 86.2 |
| Dent | 6 | 5.5 | 91.7 |
| Colour mismatch | 4 | 3.7 | 95.4 |
| Loose connector | 3 | 2.8 | 98.2 |
| Other cosmetic | 2 | 1.8 | 100.0 |
Total 109. ● 4 of 8 categories make up the first 80 % (vital few).
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How it calculates
- Lines with the same label are added together. Ties are listed A–Z so the order is stable.
- Percent = value ÷ total. Cumulative percent adds each bar to the ones before it.
- A category is in the vital few if the cumulative percent before it is below the cut-off, so the bar that crosses the line is included.
- Optional: categories below a chosen share are grouped into “Other”, shown last and never counted as vital. A single small category is not grouped.
Limits and assumptions
80/20 is a rule of thumb, not a law; your data may not show it, and the tool says so when values are spread evenly. Small totals (below 30 cases) give an unstable ranking. Counts and costs can rank differently: a rare defect can cost the most, so check both. The result depends on how you define categories; a large “Other” hides information. Costs are your own figures; no currency conversion. Not included: weighting by severity, stratification by line or shift, and statistical tests. A Pareto shows where to look first; it does not find the root cause. Check your customer's requirements for how problems must be analysed. Advisory only.
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