Visualizing Process Networks with Sankey Charts: A Beginner’s Guide
In today’s fast-paced world, it’s increasingly important to understand how different processes flow through our processes networks. Sankey charts are a powerful tool for visualizing the flow of data within a network, and they can be used to help us better understand the processes and relationships within our systems.
Sankey charts are two-dimensional diagrams that represent the flow of data between different components of a network. Each component is divided into a number of interconnected compartments, and the thickness of each line represents the amount of data that flows between the compartments.
To use Sankey charts effectively, you need to have a good understanding of the concepts that underpin the charts. In this article, we’ll provide you with a simplified explanation of how to create and apply Sankey charts to help you visualize your process network.
Creating a Sankey Chart
Creating a Sankey chart is a relatively simple process, but it’s important to remember the basic principles of how the chart works.
First, you need to identify the different components of your network. These will be the elements that represent the compartments. Think of them as “boxes” within your network, and the thicker the line between two boxes, the more data flow between them.
Next, you need to assign a flow rate to each component. For example, if you want to visualize data flow between a product production process and a warehouse, you might assign a high flow rate for the production process and a lower flow rate for the warehouse.
Finally, you need to connect the compartments with lines that match up with their flow rates, creating a clear depiction of the system’s flow of data.
Applications of Sankey Charts
Once you’ve created your Sankey chart, you can apply it to help you visualize the processes and relationships within your system. Below are a few examples:
1. Process Monitoring: Sankey charts can be used to monitor the flow of data through different processes within your system. As each component progresses through the process, the Sankey chart reflects its flow rate, which can help you to visualize the dynamics of the flow within your system.
2. Project Management: In project management, Sankey charts can help you track the progress of different tasks and their dependencies. By examining the flow of data within a chart, you can identify gaps in the project’s flow and make adjustments to ensure that it proceeds smoothly.
3. Supply Chain Analysis: Sankey charts can be used to analyze the flow of data within a supply chain. By examining the flow between different components, you can identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies within the system, helping you to identify areas for improvement.
Conclusion
Sankey charts are a powerful tool for visualizing processes flows within your network. With a simple process for setting up a basic Sankey chart, you can quickly understand the flow of data through your system, and apply that knowledge to help you improve its performance. So, get started with Sankey charts today!

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