01 · Purpose
Why and when to use it
Use it to prioritise investigation when many issue categories compete for attention.
Who takes part?
The measurement owner works with people who understand the process and the recorded data. Statistical or measurement-system decisions should involve someone able to check the assumptions and study design.
02 · Application
How to apply it
Start with an agreed measurement purpose, explicit units and trustworthy observations. Identify missing cases and assumptions before calculating.
- Choose the unit of burden and define categories.
- Collect consistent counts or costs over a stated period.
- Sort categories in descending order.
- Calculate cumulative burden and percentage.
- Use the concentration to prioritise investigation, considering severity and feasibility too.
03 · Example
A worked measurement example
Original fictional teaching example. Small datasets illustrate the method; they are not proposed as sufficient study sizes. Supplied parameters are assumptions, not estimates from a real process.
| Issue | Count | Cumulative percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Missing stock | 50 | 50% |
| Picking correction | 30 | 80% |
| Other | 20 | 100% |
04 · Interpretation
What the result tells you
The first two categories account for 80 of 100 recorded issues. This happens to resemble an 80/20 pattern; the rule is not guaranteed, and issue categories are not verified root causes.
Completion check: A ranked burden view supporting a transparent investigation priority.
05 · Judgement
Mistakes and limitations
Frequent minor issues may deserve less attention than rare severe ones. Categories, exposure and double-counting can change the ranking; state the selected burden.
07 · Reading
Sources and further reading
The tool list follows the accepted LeanTrainingLab overview and its reference to Six Sigma+Lean Toolset, second edition (Lunau, editor; Springer, 2013). The book chapters were not available for direct review during this build. Explanations, examples and worksheets are original teaching material. Further reading supplies professional background; local conventions are stated explicitly.