How to read a Pareto chart poster

A Pareto chart ranks the categories of a problem from biggest to smallest, with a line showing how much the first bars cover together. Joseph Juran called the few big categories "the vital few". This poster explains how to read one and how to use it well: count what matters (cost or minutes, not only how often), put "other" last, split the top bar again, and redraw on the same scale to show a fix worked.

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Pareto chart reading poster — 24 x 36 in18 x 24 inA2A3LetterA4PNG 300 dpi

The words on the poster

Read a Pareto chart

Work on the tallest bar first. Then split it again.

Bars, tallest first One bar per category, biggest to smallest. "Other" goes last.
The line Running total in percent: how much the first bars cover together.
Count what matters Count, cost or minutes lost. The order can change.
Split the top bar A new Pareto of the biggest bar, by machine, shift or cause.
Before and after Same categories, same scale, to show the fix worked.
The vital few A few categories often make most of the problem. Not always 80/20.

A tall "Other" bar? The categories are too vague. Split them before you choose.

The vital few after Joseph M. Juran. 80/20 is a rule of thumb, not a law.

On the floor

How to use it

Putting the How to read a Pareto chart poster to work

1
Hang it next to the Pareto charts on the quality or tier board.
2
Before choosing a problem to work on, check the chart against the six cards.
3
When the top bar is still too broad, make a new Pareto of that bar alone.
4
Pair it with the free Pareto chart template and defect check sheet.

Where the poster goes and how to teach with it, in the order to try them.

Which size to print

24 x 36 in or A2: a main wall or team board, read from a few metres away.
18 x 24 in or A3: a station or notice board. The A3 file also fits 11 x 17 in paper.
Letter or A4: a clipboard, binder or handout, on any office printer.

Every PDF is vector, so it stays sharp at full size. Nothing runs to the edge of the page, so no bleed is needed.

Sources and notes

Joseph M. Juran named the Pareto principle in quality, "the vital few and the useful many": Juran's Quality Handbook (McGraw-Hill, 5th edition 1999). The 80/20 split is a rule of thumb, not a law.