Sankey charts are a specialized type of flow diagram used to visualize the distribution, flow, and transfer of data between nodes. They are named after the Scottish engineer and physicist Matthew Henry Phineas Riall Sankey, who developed the Sankey diagram in the late 19th century. Today, this powerful visualization tool is widely used by professionals in various fields, including engineering, economics, and data science, to present complex data relationships in an easy-to-understand format.
Understanding Sankey Charts
Sankey charts are characterized by their unique arrow-like elements that connect the nodes representing different categories or data sources. Each arrow is color-coded and labeled with the amount or value of flow between the two nodes, making it easy to trace the data’s path in its entirety. The intensity of the color and width of the arrows represent the volume of flow, making it possible to spot trends, patterns, and outliers quickly.
Moreover, Sankey charts can be customized to fit the user’s needs, with options to add labels, text, and tooltips to offer additional insights into the underlying data. This flexibility allows users to create informative and visually appealing charts that are easy to interpret, even for those without specialist knowledge in data visualization.
Applications of Sankey Charts
One of the most popular applications of Sankey charts is in supply chain management. They help businesses understand their raw material sources, production processes, and distribution networks, which can aid in making more informed decisions on purchasing, production, and logistics.
Sankey charts are also used in energy sector to illustrate energy consumption patterns over time or across different sources. This helps energy companies to analyze the efficiency of their systems, identify areas for improvement, and plan for future investments.
Moreover, Sankey charts are increasingly being used in economic development to illustrate the flow of capital, goods, and services between various sectors and regions. This can help policymakers to identify regional strengths and weaknesses, target resources and investments more effectively, and create more sustainable economic systems.
Creating Sankey Charts
Creating a Sankey chart involves several steps, including selecting the data sources, defining the categories or nodes, and choosing the layout and style. The following is a brief guide on how to create a basic Sankey chart using a popular data visualization library, Plotly.
Step 1: Data preparation
The first step is to prepare the data, which should be in a format that can be easily read by the visualization library. This typically includes organizing the data sources, categories or nodes, and the corresponding values.
Step 2: Define categories and nodes
Next, you need to define the categories or nodes in your Sankey chart. For example, in a supply chain management context, you might have nodes representing raw material sources, production processes, and distribution networks. These nodes should be defined with unique labels and assigned a value or weight based on the volume of flow.
Step 3: Layout and style
Once you have defined the categories and nodes, you can choose the layout and style of your Sankey chart. You can choose the direction of the arrows, the color scheme of the nodes and arrows, and other design elements to make the chart visually appealing.
Step 4: Plot the chart
Finally, you can plot the Sankey chart using the data preparation, nodes, and layout/stylesheet that you have defined in the previous steps. You can customize the chart further by adding labels, tooltips, and other elements to enhance the information you want to present.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Sankey charts are a powerful visualization tool that help individuals and organizations understand complex data relationships easily. Whether you’re presenting supply chain management, energy consumption, or economic development data, Sankey charts offer a highly visual and informative way to display trends and flow patterns. By following the steps outlined above, you can easily create your own Sankey chart and unleash the power of data visualization.

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