Abstract This paper extends the characteristic ratio approach using novel inequalities to ensure zero/low overshoot for linear‐time‐invariant systems with zeros. The extension provided by this paper is based on the maximally‐flatness property of a transfer function, where the square‐magnitude of the transfer function is ensured to be a low‐pass filter. In order to be able to design low‐order/fixed structure controllers, a partial pole‐assignment approach is used instead of the full pole‐assignment used in the Characteristic Ratio Assignment (CRA) method. The developed inequalities and additional stability conditions are combined into an optimization problem using time domain restrictions when necessary. Although the method given in the paper is general, particular inequalities are developed for PI and PI‐PD controller cases, due to their frequent use in industrial applications. Similarly, First‐Order‐Plus‐Delay‐Time (FOPDT) and Second‐Order‐Plus‐Delay‐Time (SOPDT) systems are considered specifically, since most of the practical systems can be approximated by one of these types. The study is extended to plants with uncertainties where a theorem is developed to decrease computation time dramatically. The benefits of the proposed methods are demonstrated by several examples.