Identifying frequent problems
An important first step in quality improvement is identifying the most frequent occurring problems.
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Open the file tutorials\Colorimeter.xlsx.
The worksheet is open with some of the data hidden. We will use the additional hidden data later in this tutorial.
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On the Analyse-it ribbon tab, in the
Statistical Analyses group, click
Pareto, and then click Single Pareto
Chart.
The analysis task pane opens.
- In the Variable drop-down list, select Failure.
- In the Frequency drop-down list, select Downtime.
- Select the Label frequencies, Label cumulative frequencies, and Frequency table check boxes.
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Click Calculate.
The results are calculated and the analysis report opens.
The Pareto plot bars show the amount of downtime spent fixing each failure sorted into descending order. A cumulative line shows the cumulative percentage of downtime.

Based on the plot you can see:
- 51 hours (60%) of downtime were spent dealing with colorimeter drift (for example, through recalibration).
- Colorimeter drift and deformed tubing accounted for nearly 75% of all downtime.
Next topic: Investigating stratification