In today’s fast-paced businessworld, organizations often work with very complex systems that require detailed analysis, understanding and forecasting. Such systems are often represented using flow diagrams, or more frequently, Sankey charts. These diagrams can offer a valuable perspective on the interconnections between different elements in a system. This article aims to explore the power of Sankey charts in understanding the complex processes within organizations, and how such an approach can help organizations to achieve organizational health.

Complex systems such as those present in organizations often exhibit emergent behavior, meaning that they can produce unexpected results, some of which may not have been foreseen. These emergent phenomena are hard to control, and can occur at various levels of the system. Sankey charts can help organizations to grasp and visualize these complex behaviors.

Sankey charts are not just flow diagrams. They are network diagrams where each node represents a stream, flow, or source and each edge represents a flow from one node to another. Each path is connected to a symbol that provides more details about the flow. Colors and shapes used help to differentiate between nodes, flows and sources and sinks. This visual representation can help the viewer to understand the complex nature of the data.

Sankey charts can be used to analyze the relationships within an organization. They can help to see the paths of information flow, and the flow of resources, which are important to know in order to improve organizational health. Different types of relationships are often represented using different shapes. For instance, a circle can represent a supplier, while a diamond represents a customer. Another shape like an arrowhead can represent time, while a circle or a triangle can represent flow and source/sink respectively.

Another important use of Sankey charts is to visualize the feedback loops. It is useful to know the flow of information back to the original source. For example, if one department sends information to another department, Sankey charts can help show how this information flows back to the original source. Understanding the flow of information back to the original source is important as organizations strive to avoid unnecessary work.

Sankey charts can also be used to visualize the impact of different interventions on the system. For instance, if a new product is introduced in to the market, it is possible to visualize how this product interacts with existing information flows within the organization, and how it influences the flow of resources, etc.

In order to use a Sankey chart effectively, the observer has to understand the structure of the organization and the relationships between its elements. The observer also needs to understand the specific flow of information or resources within each element. Tools that help in such visualization can be used to aid users in making better decisions as it pertains to organizational health.

In conclusion, Sankey charts can provide a powerful analysis of the complex systems occurring within an organization. By using the appropriate shapes and colors, organizations can illustrate the interconnections and flows within the system. These charts can be used to visualize emergent behavior, feedback loops, and to understand the impact of interventions. The visual representation can help the organization to understand complex processes in a way that was previously unclear, which can help achieve greater organizational health.

Reference:
1. (2020). Sankey charting: Understanding complex systems in healthcare. Journal of Bioinformatics & Computational Biology.

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