Sankey charts are a powerful tool that can be used to visualize flow diagrams, which are essential for understanding the movement of resources through different areas of a business. These diagrams can help companies streamline their workflows, improve efficiency, and make informed decisions based on data.
In this article, we will take a closer look at how to create and use sankey charts, delving into the basics, common applications, design elements, and real-life examples.
What are Sankey Charts?
Sankey charts are a type of flow diagram that visually represent the flow of a quantity (such as a currency, goods, or information) through different areas of a system. The chart includes a series of nodes, or “buckets,” connected by arrows that display the direction and volume of resource flow. The size and color of the nodes represent the quantity of the resource under consideration, while the direction of the arrows indicates the flow.
Sankey charts can be used to show the movement of resources through different departments, suppliers, or customers. For example, a company might use a sankey chart to visualize the flow of sales revenue between different departments, or to track the delivery of goods across a supply chain.
How to Create a Sankey Chart
Creating a sankey chart is relatively simple, and there are several free online tools and software options available that can help you get started. Here are the basic steps:
- Choose the quantity of resource you want to visualize on the chart. Common options are currency, goods, or information.
- Choose placement options for your nodes. These can include circular, linear, or a combination of both.
- Design the layout of your arrows and color the nodes based on the quantity of the resource represented.
Some commonly used design elements for sankey charts include:
- Node size and shape can change based on the flow or the quantity of the resource represented. For example, larger nodes might indicate a high flow, while smaller nodes might indicate a low flow.
- Node colors can be utilized to distinguish between different types of resources or sources.
- Arrows can be added to indicate the direction of the resource flow.
Real-life Example
Sankey charts are widely used in marketing to understand the flow of consumers through various marketing channels. For example, Coca-Cola uses a sankey chart to visualize the movement of sales revenue between different sources, such as television advertising, billboards, direct mail, and social media. This helps the company adjust its marketing strategy based on the evidence of consumer engagement.
Conclusion
Sankey charts are a versatile and effective tool for visualizing the movement of resources through different areas of a business. By creating and using sankey charts, companies can gain valuable insights and make data-driven decisions. Whether you’re a small startup or a large corporation, using sankey charts to understand and track your flow of resources can help streamline your operations and improve efficiency.
SankeyMaster
SankeyMaster is your go-to tool for creating complex Sankey charts . Easily enter data and create Sankey charts that accurately reveal intricate data relationships.
