What is Pareto principle ? | Definition from TechTarget (2024)

The Pareto principle, also known as the 80/20 rule, is a theory maintaining that 80 percent of the output from a given situation or system is determined by 20 percent of the input.

The principle doesn’t stipulate that all situations will demonstrate that precise ratio – it refers to a typical distribution. More generally, the principle can be interpreted to say that a minority of inputs results in the majority of outputs.

Here are a few examples of the Pareto principle in action:

  • 20 percent of employees produce 80 percent of a company’s results.
  • 20 percent of a given employee’s time yields 80 percent of their output.
  • 20 percent of software bugs cause 80 percent of the software’s failures.
  • 20 percent of a company’s investments produce 80 percent of its investment profits.

The principle is named for Vilfredo Pareto, an Italian economist. In 1906, Pareto noted that 20 percent of the population in Italy owned 80 percent of the property. He proposed that this ratio could be found many places in the physical world and theorized it might indicate a natural law.

In the 1940s, Pareto’s theory was advanced by Dr. Joseph Juran, an American electrical engineer who is widely credited with being the father of quality control. It was Dr. Juran who decided to call the 80/20 ratio the "The Pareto Principle." Applying the Pareto Principle to business metrics helps to separate the "vital few" (the 20 percent that has the most impact) from the "useful many" (the other 80 percent).

Applications of the Pareto principle:

A Pareto chart illustrates the Pareto principle by mapping frequency, with the assumption that the more frequently something happens, the more impact it has on outcome.

Pareto efficiency is a balance of resource distribution such that one individual’s lot cannot be improved without impairing the lot of another individual.

A Pareto improvement is assistance that benefits one individual without causing impairment to another.

Another application of the Pareto principle is the 96-minute rule, which maintains that knowledge workers should devote themselves to their most important tasks for that time period each day to improve productivity.

Learn more:
Understanding the Pareto Principle (The 80/20 Rule)

This was last updated in August 2013

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What is Pareto principle ? | Definition from TechTarget (2024)

FAQs

What is Pareto principle ? | Definition from TechTarget? ›

Juran who decided to call the 80/20 ratio the "The Pareto Principle

Pareto Principle
The Pareto principle (also known as the 80/20 rule, the law of the vital few and the principle of factor sparsity) states that for many outcomes, roughly 80% of consequences come from 20% of causes (the "vital few").
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Pareto_principle
." Applying the Pareto Principle to business metrics helps to separate the "vital few" (the 20 percent that has the most impact) from the "useful many" (the other 80 percent).

What is Pareto's principle in simple words? ›

The Pareto principle (also known as the 80/20 rule) is a phenomenon that states that roughly 80% of outcomes come from 20% of causes. In this article, we break down how you can use this principle to help prioritize tasks and business efforts.

What is the Pareto Principle in Quizlet? ›

The Pareto principle (also known as the 80-20 rule, the law of the vital few, and the principle of factor sparsity) states that, for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. From a business vantage, "80% of your sales come from 20% of your clients".

What is a Pareto Chart in simple words? ›

The Pareto Chart is a complex bar chart containing a line graph. It represents individual values in descending order using bars. Meanwhile, a line represents the cumulative total of the individual values in percentage form.

What is the 80-20 rule in learning? ›

How Does The 80/20 Rule Apply To Our Studies? When we are looking at this principle in relation to our education, the primary factor we should consider is that 20% of the time you spend studying will be leading to 80% of the results you see.

What is the 80 20 principle summary? ›

The 80-20 rule, also known as the Pareto Principle, is a familiar saying that asserts that 80% of outcomes (or outputs) result from 20% of all causes (or inputs) for any given event. In business, a goal of the 80-20 rule is to identify inputs that are potentially the most productive and make them the priority.

What is an example of Pareto? ›

80% of sleep quality occurs in 20% of sleep. 80% of results are caused by 20% of thinking and planning. 80% of family problems are caused by 20% of issues. 80% of retail sales are produced by 20% of a store's brands.

What is the Pareto principle also known as ____? ›

The Pareto principle, also known as the 80/20 rule, is a theory maintaining that 80 percent of the output from a given situation or system is determined by 20 percent of the input.

What is the essence of Pareto principle? ›

In essence the Pareto principle is a means of separating the vital few from the trivial many. To give some examples: 80% of your sales volume will come from 20% of your customers. 80% of your profit will come from 20% of your customers.

What is the purpose of a Pareto analysis? ›

Pareto Analysis is a simple decision-making technique that can help you to assess and prioritize different problems or tasks by comparing the benefit that solving each one will provide.

What are 80/20 rule examples? ›

To set goals with the 80-20 rule, you primarily establish that 20% of your efforts/tasks will result in 80% of your results. For example, at work, 20% of the effort you put into your job will result in 80% of your tasks being completed/successful.

How to read a Pareto? ›

A Pareto chart is a bar graph. The lengths of the bars represent frequency or cost (time or money), and are arranged with longest bars on the left and the shortest to the right. In this way the chart visually depicts which situations are more significant.

How to use Pareto Principle? ›

The Pareto Principle helps you realize that the majority of results come from a minority of inputs. Knowing this, if… 20% of workers contribute 80% of results: Focus on rewarding these employees. 20% of bugs contribute 80% of crashes: Focus on fixing these bugs first.

What is the 64 4 rule? ›

That will give you the 64/4 rule (80/20 times 80/20) which tells you that two thirds (64 percent) of your results come from just 4% of your most effective time. I know you're good at math. You can apply the 64/4 rule to every aspect of your life, from being a leader, a business owner, a spouse and a parent.

What is the most productive way to apply the 80-20 rule? ›

Also known as the Pareto principle, the 80-20 rule is a timeless maxim that's all about focus. Because so much of your output is determined by a relatively small amount of what you do each day, focusing on the most productive tasks will result in greater output.

What is the 80-20 rule for dummies? ›

The Pareto (pronounced pah reh taw) Principle states that most of the time 20 percent of invested input is responsible for 80 percent of the results obtained. Put another way, 80 percent of effects or consequences come from 20 percent of the causes.

What is the Pareto concept? ›

The Pareto principle, also known as the 80/20 rule, is a theory maintaining that 80 percent of the output from a given situation or system is determined by 20 percent of the input. The principle doesn't stipulate that all situations will demonstrate that precise ratio – it refers to a typical distribution.

Which of the following best describes Pareto's law? ›

Which of the following best describes the Pareto principle? It is the concept stating that 80% of the problem is caused by 20% of the contributing root causes.

What is the Pareto formula? ›

Example: The equation for the first percentage is the most common defect divided by the total defects and multiplied by 100, or (15/45) x 100 = 34%. In order to calculate the next cumulative percentage, take the next most common defect, add it to the first data point, divide it by the total and multiply it by 100.

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