Sankey charts are a powerful type of visual representation that allow for the easy visualization of complex flows and relationships between different entities or data points. By using a combination of arrows, colors, and widths, Sankey charts can effectively communicate the direction, intensity, and source of flow movement, making them a useful tool in a wide range of applications, from energy usage tracking to financial processes mapping. In this article, we’ll explore the benefits and uses of Sankey charts, as well as how to create your own to better understand the dynamics of any system or process.
Benefits of Sankey Charts
Comprehensive Visualization
Sankey charts offer a comprehensive view of data flows by illustrating the quantity, direction, and source of movement between entities. This is particularly valuable in fields like operations management, where it’s essential to understand how different components of a system interact.
Easy Understanding
Due to their visual nature, Sankey charts make it simple to understand complex relationships and patterns. The use of color and width to represent different entities and the flow volume makes it easier for viewers to grasp and analyze even the most intricate flows.
Decision Making
By visualizing flows and relationships, Sankey charts can aid in decision making by highlighting areas where resources are effectively flowing and where inefficiencies may exist. This can guide improvements and optimizations in various processes or systems.
Historical Tracking
Sankey charts can be used to track changes in flow dynamics over time, which is valuable for industries such as energy and finance, where trends and alterations in usage patterns are critical.
Applications of Sankey Charts
Energy Efficiency and Usage
Sankey charts are often used in the field of energy to visualize energy flows within a building, district, or entire system. They can show the sources of energy input, how energy is distributed, and the final usage, highlighting areas for potential energy savings.
Financial Processes
In finance, Sankey charts can be applied to track cash flows, illustrating revenue and expenses, as well as investment flows between different assets, entities, or departments. This can help identify opportunities for cost reduction or strategic financial planning.
Supply Chain Management
In logistics and supply chain management, Sankey charts can show the flow of goods, services, and materials between suppliers, manufacturers, retailers, and consumers. This visualization aids in identifying bottlenecks, assessing the impact of disruptions, and improving overall supply chain efficiency.
Water Management
For water resource management, Sankey diagrams can depict the inflow and outflow of water across various reservoirs, rivers, and distribution networks. This helps in planning policies, optimizing distribution, and managing resources sustainably.
Creating Sankey Charts
Creating a Sankey chart involves several steps, including data collection, preparing the data, setting up the flow matrix, and choosing an appropriate visualization tool.
Data Collection
Gather data on the entities involved in the flow, including the volume and direction of the flows. It’s also useful to consider the attributes that will be represented through color and width, which typically correspond to the importance or quantity of the flow.
Data Preparation
Clean your data to ensure there are no missing or incorrect values. Organize it into a format that suits the visualization tool you’ll be using. In many cases, this involves creating a matrix where each row represents an entity, identifying the sources, destinations, and corresponding flow volumes.
Setting Up the Flow Matrix
Determine the source, destination, and values (usually flow volume or percentage) for each flow. Ensure each entity is included as both a source and destination at least once to represent the system’s interconnected nature.
Visualization Tool
Select a tool that suits your needs, such as Microsoft Power BI, Tableau, or the Sankey diagram feature in libraries like Bokeh or Plotly in Python. Refer to the documentation provided by the tool for specific instructions on how to input your data.
Customization
Customize your chart by adjusting colors, widths, and labels according to the entities and flows represented. Use legends, tooltips, or interactive elements to enhance the user’s understanding of the chart.
Final Review
Check your chart for any errors and ensure the flow representation is clear and accurately reflects the data. Make adjustments as needed.
Conclusion
Sankey charts are a valuable tool for organizations looking to effectively visualize and understand complex flows and relationships in their processes, products, or systems. By leveraging color, width, and direction, these charts provide an intuitive way to identify patterns, inefficiencies, and potential opportunities for improvement. Whether used for energy efficiency, financial management, supply chain optimization, or water resource allocation, Sankey diagrams can greatly enhance the communication of data within your organization, ultimately supporting better decision-making and operational improvements.
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.
