← All Elements

Validate

Pareto Analysis

Ranking the causes of a problem by how much each contributes, to find the few that matter most.

What is Pareto Analysis?

Ranking the causes of a problem by how much each contributes, to find the few that matter most.

What you learn

A few causes make up most of the problem. Fix those first.

When it helps

a problem has many causes, and every team wants its own fixed first.

Use it at work

  1. Count how often each cause happens.
  2. Sort causes from largest to smallest, with a running total.
  3. Check whether ranking by cost or harm changes the order.
  4. Fix the top few, then count again.

Your output

Count the causes of one recurring problem. Sort them by how often they happen, fix the top few, then count again.

Watch for

Fixing whatever each team asks for, or spreading effort evenly.

Related practices

Sources

Enable JavaScript to try the interactive activity.

Elements.
48 elements · 8 families
Filters
DESIGN CONTEXT
What are you trying to do?

Scroll sideways within the map to explore all columns.

Created by Alan Hurt. Activities and notes are stored on your device. Privacy · Usage counts

ELEMENTS FIELD GUIDE