Sankey charts are a type of flowchart that are particularly useful for visualizing the flow of items or entities between different locations or stages in a process. They are named after their creator, George Sankey, who introduced them in the 1960s.

One of the key advantages of Sankey charts is their ability to show the relative frequencies of different types of flow. This makes it easy to identify bottlenecks or areas where improvements can be made to increase efficiency.

To create a Sankey chart, you will need to gather data on the flow of items or entities between different stages in a process. This data should include the number or volume of items passing through each stage, as well as the time or duration it takes to move from one stage to the next.

Once you have your data, you can import it into a charting software such as Microsoft Visio or Lucidchart. These programs have a range of templates and pre-built shapes that you can use to create your chart.

To start creating your chart, you will need to create a main flow chart with a single starting point and a single ending point. From the starting point, you will draw arrows to each of the stages in your process, and the arrows will represent the flow of items or entities between these stages.

To make your chart more informative, you can add labels to each arrow to show the number or volume of items passing through the stage it represents. You can also add shapes or images to each stage to show what it involves and how it fits into the overall process.

Once your chart is created, you can use it to identify areas where bottlenecks or inefficiencies exist in your process. For example, if you notice that a large number of items are flowing through one stage but relatively few are flowing through another, this may indicate that the process is having trouble moving on to the next stage.

To address this issue, you could look for ways to improve the efficiency of the bottlenecked stage. This could involve reordering the process or finding ways to accelerate the flow of items through this stage.

Overall, Sankey charts are a powerful tool for visualizing the flow of items or entities between different stages in a process. By using them, you can gain a better understanding of the efficiency of your process and identify areas where improvements can be made.

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.