Sankey charts are a data visualization tool that creates visual representations of information in the form of a flow diagram. They are particularly useful for presenting complex relationship flows such as project work breakdown structure (WBS), project budget data, and supply chain analysis, among others. In this article, we’ll explore how to create and apply Sankey charts in a simple manner, despite their complexity.

Creating a sankey chart starts with selecting which aspect of complex data to visualize. A basic sankey chart can include three main elements: nodes (sources or sinks), links, and values. For example, we can begin by selecting nodes for suppliers, manufacturing processes, and distribution centers (sink). Then pick links representing each process from supplier to manufacturing process to distribution center, and add values to each link reflecting the volume of material being transferred or value of resources at each node.

One essential difference between sankey charts and other similar flow diagrams is that they can be used to represent complex scenarios with a single chart, making the visual comparison of multiple flow data sets easier. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to create and use sankey charts.

Step 1: Define Key Key Parameters
The first step in creating a sankey chart involves defining key parameters. This includes choosing appropriate values such as volume, rate, flow rate, and link types. In the case of project work breakdown structure (WBS), these parameters might revolve around the number of tasks under the project, rate at which tasks are started, and the duration of each task. Adjusting the parameters can help refine the chart to show the most important relationships.

Step 2: Choose the Right Software
Sankey chart creation is particularly useful in software that allow you to visualise flow data. For example, Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, or even dedicated charting apps. These can help simplify the process of creating complex data using the sankey chart, making it easy for non-experts to use. Apps such as Tidy Diagrams, SankeyChart, and Echarts for Javascript can be especially useful.

Step 3: Create Your First Sankey Diagram
A simple setup of sankey charts involves selecting a node (source or sink) for each element, each with a unique value. This will likely be the most straightforward setup, but you can always add more information by adding more sources, sinks, or values. For example, creating a simple WBS consists of selecting suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors as source nodes and sink nodes (sales) as well as the volume/number of tasks (value). The value of each link can be determined by assigning a flow rate to each process flow.

Step 4: Customize the Chart
As you might expect, sankey charts are customizable, so you can add decorations, labels, and other visual components to help make the chart more informative. For example, you can add labels to each node to explain their significance or color-code them for readability. You can also make adjustments to the layout to better reflect the data flow.

Step 5: Display and Share
Once your sankey chart is ready, there are several ways to display and share it. For instance, you can add it to a presentation or webpage to present your data. Additionally, you can use it to create reports or presentations, allowing a clear and effective overview of the data flow.

Conclusion
Creating and visualising complex flow data using sankey charts is simple and effective. They offer a straightforward way to display and understand multi-layered relationships and dependencies, making them a powerful data visualization tool. With these steps, you can start visualizing flow data in your project easily. It’s a great way to present complex data sets and help stakeholders understand project progress.

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