Sankey charts are a powerful visualization tool that can help you unlock insights by visualizing flows and connections between data points. Whether you want to understand resource allocation, track the movement of products, or analyze energy consumption, Sankey charts can help you see the big picture and identify patterns and trends.

In this article, we’ll explore the power of Sankey charts and provide a step-by-step guide on how to create your own.

Understanding Sankey Charts

Sankey charts are named after Matthew Henry Phineas Riall Sankey, an engineer who invented this type of chart in 1898. A Sankey diagram is a flow chart that uses arrows to represent the flow of data, with the width of the arrows indicating the amount of data passing through. This allows you to easily see where data is being lost, gained, or distributed, and how different components are related to each other.

Applications of Sankey Charts

Sankey charts can be used in a variety of fields, from business and economics to energy and environmental science. Some common applications include:

1. Energy consumption: Visualizing energy distribution within a building, a power grid, or an industry can help identify energy-saving opportunities and evaluate the impact of new devices or efficiency improvements.
2. Resource allocation: Analyze how resources, such as funds, personnel, or materials, are allocated within an organization or across departments, highlighting potential bottlenecks and imbalances.
3. Supply chain analysis: Trace the movement of products through the supply chain, identifying bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and potential areas for optimization.

Creating Your Own Sankey Chart

To create a Sankey chart, you’ll need a data set that includes three main columns:

1. Source: This represents the origin or starting point of the flow.
2. Target: This represents the destination or ending point of the flow.
3. Value: This indicates the amount or volume of the flow. In a Sankey diagram, the width of the arrow represents the value.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to creating a Sankey chart:

1. Gather your data: Make sure you have a data set with the three columns mentioned above, and add any labels or categories you want to include in the chart.
2. Choose a visualization tool: Popular tools for creating Sankey diagrams include Tableau, Microsoft Power BI, and various online data visualization libraries such as D3.js, matplotlib, or Plotly in Python.
3. Map your data: Assign your source, target, and value columns to the appropriate dimensions in your chosen tool. This will automatically generate the arrows and create the initial chart layout.
4. Customize the appearance: Adjust the chart’s style to make it more visually appealing and easier to understand. For instance, you can change arrow colors, add labels, or apply filters to focus on specific data points.
5. Analyze and refine: Review the created chart, looking for key trends, patterns, or insights. You’ll be able to identify where data flows smoothly or where there are significant bottlenecks or inefficiencies.
6. Share your findings: Once you’ve gathered meaningful insights, create a report or presentation to share your findings with stakeholders, colleagues, or decision-makers.

Examples of Sankey Charts

Let’s look at a few examples of how Sankey charts have been used in real-world applications:

1. An energy company created a Sankey chart to visualize the flow of electricity within their grid, highlighting losses at specific transformers. This helped them identify which transformers needed maintenance and optimize energy distribution.
2. A retail store used a Sankey chart to analyze the flow of products through their supply chain, uncovering inefficiencies in the logistics process. By modifying their distribution routes, they were able to reduce transportation costs and increase customer satisfaction.
3. A government agency employed a Sankey chart to display the distribution of public funds across various programs. This visualization made it easier to identify underfunded initiatives and reallocate resources more effectively.

In conclusion, Sankey charts are a powerful tool for visualizing and understanding complex flows of data. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can create a Sankey chart that sheds light on patterns, trends, and inefficiencies within your organization or industry. Additionally, considering the examples of real-world applications, learning how to work with Sankey charts can bring clarity and insights in various sectors and fields.

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.