Which quality control technique illustrates the 80/20 Principle?

Question

Options

• AIshikawa diagram
• BControl Chart
• CRun Chart
• DPareto Chart

• A
  5% (1)
• B
  10% (2)
• C
  15% (3)
• D
  70% (14)

Explanation

A Pareto Chart directly embodies the 80/20 Principle (Pareto Principle), which states that roughly 80% of problems stem from 20% of causes - the chart visually ranks defects/causes in descending order with a cumulative line, making it easy to identify the "vital few" issues to prioritize.

Why the distractors are wrong:

• A. Ishikawa (Fishbone) Diagram - identifies and categorizes potential causes of a problem, but doesn't quantify or prioritize them by frequency/impact.
• B. Control Chart - monitors a process over time to detect variations and determine if a process is in statistical control; no 80/20 analysis involved.
• C. Run Chart - plots data points over time to spot trends or patterns, but doesn't rank causes or apply the Pareto Principle.

Memory tip: "Pareto = Prioritize" - both start with P, and Pareto charts help you prioritize the 20% of causes causing 80% of your problems. If you see "80/20" or "vital few vs. trivial many" on an exam, the answer is always Pareto.

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