Sankey charts are a versatile and creative visualization technique that can help you understand complex data relationships clearly. These charts are similar to Gantt charts that visualize project timelines, but instead of horizontal data in a column, they use a vertical flow or a bar chart in a Sankey chart style. This makes it easier to understand the flow of resources, processes, or ideas and can be useful in many fields.
Overview of Sankey Charts
A Sankey chart is an interactive chart with multiple bars that show flow and direction of data. Each bar, also known as a “link,” indicates the direction, amount, or relation of a specific data value, and its color or size varies depending on the relationship. The primary data elements that can be visualized with a Sankey chart are: Process, Resource, Activity, and Data. For example, you can use a Sankey chart to show flow of resources in a project, or to visualize the flow of information between two organizations.
Sankey Chart Structure
A Sankey chart is divided into two sections – Resource and Activity. The Resource section lists the resources that are used, such as people, material, hardware, software. Here, you would show a series of bars indicating the amount of these resources, along with their color or size to differentiate between various resources.
The Activity section of the chart lists the activities for which resources are needed, such as a manufacturing process, a project, or some sort of information flow. In this section, you would show the bars with the flow direction, which shows the direction in which resources are needed from resources to activities, along with similar color or size.
Sankey Chart Designation
You can use customizing options to make Sankey charts look unique and attractive. You can customize colors and text, add arrows, labels or legends, and more. Furthermore, you can use different types of data such as time series data, numeric data, binary data, and more.
Sankey Chart Applications
Sankey charts can be applied in various fields for data visualization. In manufacturing, this chart can track how resources are used and how these resources are related to activities. In project management, this chart can show how tasks connect to one another and how much resources are required for each task. In information technology, the chart can show how various data sources and sinks are related and the flow of data.
Sankey Chart Complexity
The complexity of a Sankey chart is determined by the size and complexity of the data. A small activity or process can be simplified by using only a few bars and arrows to show direction. However, when the number of tasks or activities increase, the complexity increases, and you may need to use a more detailed Sankey chart style with multiple links and bars to represent both direction and size.
Conclusion
Sankey charts can provide a unique and effective way to visualize complex data. They can help you understand the flow of data better and can help you track resources and activities more efficiently. The Sankey chart style can be applied in various fields, from manufacturing to project management to information technology, and can be customized to suit your needs. Additionally, sankey charts can help you provide a clear and attractive visual representation of your data for easy comprehension.
SankeyMaster
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