Which tool is primarily used to prioritize problems based on their frequency and impact?

The Pareto chart is a powerful tool specifically designed to help prioritize problems based on their frequency and impact. This chart is rooted in the Pareto Principle, often referred to as the 80/20 rule, which suggests that a small number of causes (typically around 20%) are responsible for a large majority (generally around 80%) of the problems or effects in a system.

By using a Pareto chart, organizations can visually represent data in a way that highlights the most significant issues at a glance. The chart typically consists of bars that show the frequency of different problems along with a line that represents the cumulative impact, allowing teams to quickly identify which issues to address first. This enables focused improvement efforts and efficient resource allocation, leading to higher overall effectiveness in quality management.

In comparison, the control chart is primarily used for monitoring process stability and variation over time rather than direct prioritization of problems. A flowchart visually represents the steps in a process but does not prioritize problems based on their occurrence or severity. A histogram provides a distribution of data points but lacks the prioritizing capability intrinsic to the Pareto chart.