Title: Introduction:
A Sankey Chart is a versatile visualization tool that helps you understand flow and decision-making processes. Sankey charts are frequently used in business analysis, project management, supply chain management, and more. In this article, we’ll take you through the basics of creating and interpreting Sankey charts, as well as provide some real-world applications.
What is a Sankey Chart?
Sankey charts are a type of flow diagram that uses rectangles, arrows, and lines to visually represent the flow of information or resources between two interconnected points. The diagram consists of rectangles or disks (which represent sources, sinks, or flows) connected by lines that connect them. These lines represent how the resources or information flow between the source and sink.
How to Create a Sankey Chart
Creating a Sankey chart involves several steps. You need to first identify the sources and sinks, or the origins and destinations of the information or resources. After that, you need to identify the paths or flows in the diagram. Finally, you need to connect the rectangles to their corresponding paths by drawing connecting lines.
Once you have your diagram, you can translate it into a flow representation. You can do this by counting up the number of times a particular element appears along a path or flow. This method allows you to interpret the diagrams more concretely.
Different types of Sankey charts
Sankey charts can be categorized into different types depending on how many elements are involved. The most commonly used type of Sankey analysis is the single source, single sink (SSS) or two-source, two-sink (2SS) type.
In the SSS type, you have a single group of input elements and a pair of sinks for output. Each source has one output connected to a sink.
In the 2SS type, you have a source group and a sink group. Each source also connects to one sink. The flow of information is represented as a line between the source and the first sink, and then as a loop back to the source.
Real-world applications
Sankey charts are widely used in different applications to facilitate decision-making. For example, in project management, they can help you track progress and identify bottlenecks. In supply chain management, they can help you understand the flow of goods and materials. In business analysis, they can help you identify the key drivers of customer engagement.
Sankey charts can also be used to compare the efficiency of different processes. For instance, you can compare the flow of resources from an input to an output in different units to evaluate the productivity and efficiency of a process.
Conclusion
Sankey charts are a powerful tool for understanding flow and decision-making processes. By visualizing the movement of resources or information, you can identify patterns and trends, assess efficiency, and make data-driven decisions. Whether you are a business analyst, project manager, or supply chain professional, learning how to create and interpret Sankey charts can greatly enhance your understanding of these processes.
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