Sankey charts are a powerful tool for visualizing complex data flows, and are used in a variety of industries including finance, healthcare, engineering, and more. In this article, we will explore the basics of creating a Sankey chart, and provide a step-by-step guide on how to interpret and understand its visual representation of data flow.
What is a Sankey Chart?
A Sankey chart is an overlapping bar chart that represents data flow. It is composed of a horizontal row of bars and a diagonal row that traces the “flow” direction. The bars of the horizontal rows represent the “sources” (inputs) and the bars of the diagonal rows represent the “destinations” (outputs). Each bar in the horizontal row, labeled with its source and destination, is connected to each bar in the diagonal row via a link between them. The relationship between the various bars indicates the flow of data (or information) between the sources and destinations.
Steps to Create a Sankey Chart
1. Gather your data: The first step in creating a Sankey chart is gathering your data. You will need to identify the sources and destinations of your data flow and any data that needs to be transferred between them.
2. Organize your data: Once you have your data, you will need to organize it in a way that makes it easy to plot the Sankey chart. This can be done by grouping your data points by category or entity. For example, if you were analyzing data on the flow of information between organizations, you would group the data points by organization.
3. Define the flow direction: The flow direction of your data flow should be defined in advance. This can be done by placing a marker on the center of each data point. This will serve as a visual indicator of the direction of the flow.
4. Plot the horizontal bars: The horizontal bars of your Sankey chart will represent the sources of your data flow. You will want to place these bars opposite each other along the bottom of the chart to create the “sinker” shape.
5. Plot the vertical bars: The vertical bars of your Sankey chart will represent the destinations of your data flow. You will want to place these bars above each source in the horizontal bar chart to create the “sinker” shape.
6. Draw the links between the bars: To make your chart visually appealing and easy to understand, you will need to draw lines connecting each bar to its neighbors. This will show the flow of data (or information) between the sources and destinations.
7. Customize your chart: You can further customize your Sankey chart by adding additional markers, colors, or labels. You can also adjust the sizes of the bars to highlight certain flows or highlight the most significant flows.
8. Interpret and visualize your chart: Once you have your chart plotted and customized, you can now interpret and visualize the data flow between the sources and destinations. You can use different colors or icons to highlight the most significant flows or to differentiate between different categories.
Applications of Sankey Charts
Sankey charts have a wide range of applications in the business world, but they are also used in research and academia. The following are some examples of how you can use a Sankey chart to illustrate data flow in various industries:
- Finance: Sankey charts are used by financial analysts to visualize the flow of money between different accounts or portfolios. They can help track the movement of funds and identify any discrepancies or anomalies.
- Healthcare: Sankey charts can be used in healthcare to visualize the flow of patients and their treatment plans. This can help clinicians track the flow of resources and identify any inefficiencies in the system.
- Engineering: Sankey charts can be used in engineering to visualize the flow of materials or components between processes. They can help identify bottlenecks or inefficiencies in the flow process.
- Education: Sankey charts can be used in education to visualize the flow of information between different units (e.g. a classroom, a subject area) in a course or program.
- Sports: Sankey charts can be used in sports to visualize the flow of players between different teams or players between different positions. This can help show which players are receiving the most exposure and which players are receiving the least.
In conclusion, Sankey charts offer a powerful and insightful way to visualize complex data flow. They provide a visual representation of data flow and can be used in a variety of fields such as finance, healthcare, engineering, education, and sports to help make sense of complex data. By following the steps laid out in this article, you can create your own Sankey chart and start interpreting and visualizing complex data flows in your industry.
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.
