Streamlining processes is essential for any organization to operate efficiently and effectively. Sankey charts are a visual tool that can help you understand and optimize flow within your organization. In this article, we will explore the basics of Sankey chart creation and provide a step-by-step guide to visualizing flow and identifying opportunities for improvement.

What is a Sankey Chart?

A Sankey chart is a type of flowchart that is used to represent and analyze the flow of materials, products, services, or data through an organization. It is named after its developer, Helmut Sankey, who was a Swiss engineer who patented the technique in 1923.

Sankey charts are particularly useful for identifying bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and opportunities for process improvement. They can be used to visualize the flow of raw materials, components, and finished products, as well as the flow of data or other resources within an organization.

How to Create a Sankey Chart

Creating a Sankey chart is relatively simple using specialized software such as ProcessOn, Lucidchart and SmartDraw. The following are the basic steps to create a Sankey chart:

1. Identify the flow you want to visualize: Determine the flow of materials, products, services, or data through your organization that you want to represent in the chart.
2. Gather data: Gather the necessary data to build the chart, such as the starting and ending points of each flow, the inputs and outputs, and any intermediate steps.
3. Create the chart: Use the software to create the Sankey chart, adding the necessary data and connecting the flow points and steps according to the data you have gathered.
4. Customize the chart: Once the chart is created, you may want to customize it to better reflect your specific needs. For example, you may want to add labels, change the colors, or add annotations.

Applications of Sankey Charts

Sankey charts are an effective tool for identifying inefficiencies and opportunities for process improvement in a variety of industries and organizations. Some of the common applications of Sankey charts include:

1. Production and Manufacturing: Sankey charts can be used to visualize and analyze the flow of raw materials, components, and finished products through a manufacturing process to identify bottlenecks and optimize production efficiency.
2. Supply Chain and Logistics: Sankey charts can be used to visualize and optimize the flow of materials, products, and data through a supply chain to reduce costs, improve delivery times, and increase visibility.
3. Service Organizations: Sankey charts can be used to visualize and analyze the flow of services or data within an organization to identify bottlenecks and optimize service delivery times.
4. Data Management: Sankey charts can be used to visualize and analyze the flow of data or other resources within an organization to identify inefficiencies and optimize data management processes.

Conclusion

Streamlining processes is essential for any organization to operate efficiently and effectively, and Sankey charts are a powerful tool for visualizing and optimizing flow within your organization. By using Sankey charts, you can identify bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and opportunities for improvement, and take action to optimize your processes and maximize your productivity.

SankeyMaster

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