Sankey charts are a powerful tool for visualizing flows and connections in data. They have been used in a variety of fields, from economics to engineering, to help better understand complex systems and relationships. In this article, we will explore what Sankey charts are, their key benefits, and how they can be created and applied in various contexts.
What are Sankey charts?
At their core, Sankey charts are flow diagrams that show the distribution and flow of quantities between different nodes. They are named after Captain Matthew Henry Phineas Riall Sankey, who invented the first known version of this diagram in 1898 to illustrate the energy loss in a steam engine.
Sankey charts have a tree-like structure, with nodes or blocks that represent different entities or categories, and arrows or links that represent the flow of quantities between them. The width of the arrows is proportional to the amount of flow between the pairs of nodes, making it easy to see which relationships are most significant.

Sankey charts can be used to visualize many different types of flows and connections, such as:

1. Physical flows: showing the transportation of goods or energy from one place to another. For example, a Sankey chart could show the flow of electricity from a power plant to different cities or countries.
2. Business flows: showing the distribution of sales or profits between different departments or products. A Sankey chart could illustrate the flow of revenue from a company’s main categories, such as sales, marketing, and research and development.
3. Information flows: showing the transmission of data between different sources or channels. For instance, a Sankey chart could depict the flow of website traffic across different channels, such as search engines, social media, and email campaigns.
4. Population flows: showing the migration of people from one region to another. A Sankey chart could show the distribution of population over time or between different countries or cities, based on factors such as age, gender, or occupation.

Benefits of Sankey charts
Sankey charts have several key benefits when it comes to visualizing data:

1. Clear and intuitive representation: Sankey charts are easy to read and understand, even for those who are not familiar with them. They use visual cues, such as color, width, and direction, to show complex relationships and patterns in the data.
2. Flexibility and customization: Sankey charts can be customized in various ways, such as adjusting the width, shape, and orientation of components, to suit different needs and contexts. They also allow for dynamic interactions, such as filtering, sorting, and zooming, to help users explore and analyze the data more effectively.
3. Comprehensive and comparative insights: Sankey charts provide a holistic view of the data, showing the relationships between different entities and categories at the same time. They also allow for easy comparison and contrast between different subsets of data, such as different time periods, locations, or sources.

4. Robust and scalable: Sankey charts are scalable and adaptable to different levels of complexity, from simple diagrams with a few nodes and links, to large and intricate visualizations with thousands of components. They are also robust against noisy or incomplete data, and can handle outliers or anomalies without distorting the overall picture.
   Creating Sankey charts
   Creating a Sankey chart involves several steps, including:

5. Data preparation: Gathering and organizing the data in a structured format, such as a CSV or Excel file, with columns for the source, target, and flow value for each link.

6. Data transformation: Cleaning and preprocessing the data to ensure consistency and accuracy, such as eliminating duplicates, fixing errors, and standardizing units and scales.
7. Tool selection: Choosing the right software or library to create the Sankey chart, based on factors such as ease of use, functionality, and customizability. Popular options include D3.js, Plotly, and Power BI.
8. Chart design: Customizing the appearance and layout of the Sankey chart, such as setting the colors, labels, tooltips, and filters, and adjusting the node and link shapes and styles.

Applications of Sankey charts
Sankey charts have a wide range of applications in different fields, such as:

1. Economics: Sankey charts can be used to show the flow of goods and services between different countries, companies, or sectors, such as GDP flows, trade balances, and value chains. They can also illustrate the distribution and allocation of resources and wealth, such as taxes, benefits, and investments.
2. Engineering: Sankey charts can be applied to show the flow of energy, materials, or forces in a system, such as a power plant, heat exchanger, or machine. They can also depict the distribution and routing of signals, data, or media, such as communication networks, pipelines, or

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3. Environmental science: Sankey diagrams can be used to illustrate the flow of resources and energy, such as water, biomass, or carbon, from one environment to another, including ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles. They can also showcase the changes in the environment, like the impact of deforestation, pollution, or climate change.
4. Healthcare: Sankey diagrams can be applied to represent patient flow or disease transmission in hospitals and clinics, as well as the flow of drugs, nutrients, or energy in the human body. Also, they can display the distribution of healthcare resources and health outcomes between different populations or regions.
5. Energy industry: Sankey diagrams can be utilized to depict the flow of energy resources, like fossil fuels, renewable energy, or nuclear power, across the various stages of production, transportation, and consumption. They can also track the efficiency and reliability of power grids, as well as the environmental impact of energy production and consumption.
6. Transportation analysis: Sankey diagrams can provide insights into the flow of traffic, cargo, or passengers across various modes of transportation and infrastructure, such as roads, railways, pipelines, or airways. By analyzing the routes and costs of transportation, cities, and industries can optimize logistics and reduce environmental impact.

Conclusion: Unleashing the Power of Sankey Charts

In conclusion, Sankey charts offer an unparalleled way to visualize and analyze the flow of materials, energy, information, or people in complex systems. With their flexibility, clarity, and comprehensiveness, Sankey diagrams can provide a wealth of insights across many fields, including economics, engineering, environmental science, healthcare, energy, and transportation. By mastering the creation and customization of Sankey charts, users can unlock their full potential to uncover hidden patterns, trends, and relationships, and optimize processes and systems for better performance and sustainability.

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.