Flow in a Flash: The Ultimate Simplification of Sankey Charts

What Are Sankey Charts?

Sankey charts, also known as Sankey diagrams, are a specific type of flow diagram often used in the fields of industrial ecology, business, and technical processes. These diagrams are named after their inventor, Dr. Edwardasanty, a British engineer who developed such a diagram in 1898. They are particularly useful for displaying directional flows and are designed to show the magnitude of flow at various points within a system. The flow in a Sankey chart often represents physical quantities like electricity or water, or abstract quantities such as resources or costs.

How Sankey Charts Work

Sankey charts are characterized by a series of rectangles connected by wide and narrow lines that indicate the flow of a substance or product between areas. The width of a line denotes the quantity of flow; wider lines correspond to higher flows, while narrower lines denote lower flows. This visually represents the energy or materials conservation principle in the system.

Simplifying the Creation Process

Creating Sankey charts can seem daunting, but with today’s tools, it’s simpler than you might think. Below is a step-by-step guide to crafting a Sankey chart swiftly:

1. Identify the main processes or components:

Break down the process you are studying into smaller components or steps. For instance, a manufacturing process might include production, assembly, packaging, storage, and shipment.

2. Choose the right tool:

Select a tool that provides an intuitive Sankey chart creation process. There are many tools available:

• Microsoft Excel or similar spreadsheet software: Utilize Sankey chart templates, or plot your own using flow visualization libraries like D3.js.
• Sankey Diagram Maker online tools: Sites like Sankey Flow offer simple interfaces for drag-and-drop chart creation.
• Graphing libraries in programming languages: For those familiar with coding, libraries like Sankey in Python can be an effective choice.

3. Create your Sankey chart:

For Excel users:
– Use the Flowchart or SmartArt feature to design the structure of your Sankey chart.
– Adjust the links and flows by changing the width of the lines according to the actual flow values.

Using online tools or programming libraries:
– Input your nodes (processes/components) and flows (quantities).
– The tool automatically adjusts the widths of the lines, based on the values provided, to represent the flow magnitude.

4. Customize the appearance:

Personalize your chart with labels, colors, and any other style elements to clearly present the data in your presentation or report.

5. Annotate and refine:

Ensure that your Sankey chart tells a clear story. Add explanations or annotations for any particularly significant data points or trends.

Applications of Sankey Charts

Sankey charts are valuable across various fields and are highly effective in illustrating:

• Energy flows: Visualizing the efficiency of energy conversion and consumption in different systems.
• Economic flows: Demonstrating the distribution of revenues and expenses in businesses.
• Transportation flows: Illustrating the movement of goods within logistics networks or the flow of people in public transportation systems.
• Environmental analysis: Tracking the flow of pollutants or assessing the environmental impact of different activities.

Conclusion

The power of Sankey charts to communicate complex process flows and quantities is undeniable, and their applications span a wide array of disciplines. Creating a Sankey chart can seem like a steep learning curve at first, but with today’s tools and resources, even the most technically-challenged individuals can create simple and elegant Sankey diagrams in a flash. Whether for scientific presentations, business analysis, or logistical planning, Sankey charts are a powerful visualization tool that every data analyst should be equipped to use.

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.