Which quality tool helps prioritize problems by showing that a small number of causes account for most effects?

Which quality tool helps prioritize problems by showing that a small number of causes account for most effects?

• A. Scatter diagram.
• B. Fishbone diagram.
• C. Pareto chart.
• D. Histogram.

Answer: (C)

The key idea here is prioritizing actions by focusing on the few causes that drive most of the problems. A Pareto chart does exactly this by listing problems or defect types in order from most to least frequent (or costly) and adding a running total line that shows the cumulative impact. This visualization makes it clear which few causes are responsible for the majority of effects, so resources can be directed to address those vital few first. It embodies the practical 80/20 principle—that a small number of causes often accounts for most problems. Other tools don’t do this prioritization in the same way. A scatter diagram explores relationships between two variables, a fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram helps brainstorm potential causes, and a histogram shows the distribution of a single variable without revealing which specific causes drive the majority of issues.

The key idea here is prioritizing actions by focusing on the few causes that drive most of the problems. A Pareto chart does exactly this by listing problems or defect types in order from most to least frequent (or costly) and adding a running total line that shows the cumulative impact. This visualization makes it clear which few causes are responsible for the majority of effects, so resources can be directed to address those vital few first. It embodies the practical 80/20 principle—that a small number of causes often accounts for most problems.

Other tools don’t do this prioritization in the same way. A scatter diagram explores relationships between two variables, a fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram helps brainstorm potential causes, and a histogram shows the distribution of a single variable without revealing which specific causes drive the majority of issues.