Pareto Analysis (80/20) Calculator
Paste causes with their counts and get the sorted Pareto table, cumulative percentages and the “vital few” that account for 80% of the problem.
How it works
Sort causes by count descending; cumulative % = running total ÷ grand total; the vital few are the causes up to the first that crosses the cut-off
Pareto analysis ranks problems by frequency or cost so effort goes where it pays back most. The 80/20 label is a rule of thumb, not a law — the real split might be 70/30 or 90/10 — which is why the table shows the actual cumulative share. Use counts weighted by cost when a rare fault is expensive, and re-run the analysis after fixes to find the next vital few.
Worked example
Seven complaint types totalling 137: late delivery, wrong item and damaged goods (3 of 7 causes) make up 78% of complaints; adding billing errors crosses 80%.
Frequently asked questions
What if the counts are all similar?
Then Pareto offers little leverage — no vital few exists and you may need to re-categorise by root cause instead of symptom.
Should “Other” be included?
Keep it in the total but never treat it as a vital cause; if it grows large, break it down.
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This calculator is for educational purposes. Double-check important results before acting on them.