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Have you ever wanted to depict flows using a graphical format? This is one of the things that many people tend to wonder about whether it’s possible or not. However, the reality is that you can accurately illustrate flows using a graph in an orderly manner that is easy to read and interpret. When you want to detect the flow of various data elements, you need to use a Sankey diagram to interpret the data.
What is a Sankey diagram? This is a special type of data visualization that is used to showcase the flow of data from one point to another. The flows can be combined or split into different aspects and later traced through a series of events or stages during data processing. The flow is labeled using arrows drawn from one point heading to another depending on the flow of the data.
In a Sankey chart, every data stream’s width represents the amount of material or energy flowing across the material. In addition, Sankey chart are known to showcase the energy transfer between various data processes. When the chart was introduced a long time ago, it was mainly meant to showcase the flow of energy within a steam engine. This has greatly changed as time goes by and is currently used in various activities involving data.
The chart was named after its founder, an Irish engineer, Mathew Sankey, who invented it during his research and later used it in an engineering publication which made it go viral and then underwent further testing to verify its functionality. A Sankey diagram is the most reliable tool used to identify data flow you can trust in your daily operations.
Use for Energy Balances
Representing energy balanced in a graphical format is not as simple as it may sound. The Sankey chart has your back covered since it offers the ideal technique that you can use to present and analyze your energy balance data figures. An energy balance shows the contribution and the flow of various commodities such as fuel, electricity, and heat. This mostly happens within a company setting where energy flows from one point to another.
The chart presents a visual format that the target audience can easily read and understand, even though energy flow entails lots of technical content that needs proper interpretation to make it easier to understand. Initially, the energy balances were presented in tables or spreadsheets, which are difficult to understand, especially when technical content has been used to generate the data report.
What to Do with the Sankey Diagram?
You may wonder how a Sankey diagram can help you attain your daily business objectives. The truth is that you cannot run a successful diagram if you aren’t using data to guide you on the next step in order to transform your business. Data serves at the center of all business operations, and you cannot do anything without it. However, you cannot use the data when it is in its raw format.
After collecting data from your business operations, you need to convert it into a different format that will give you insights that will guide you in the decisions you make within your business. But how do you convert data into insights? You need an advanced tool with incredible features that can help you in data processing. This is where the Sankey chart comes in since it aids in processing complex data elements into a simple format you can read and understand.
When interpreting a Sankey diagram, you need to understand that the flow mainly represents the input and amount of inputs of the data that you are presenting. On the other side, the blank nodes represent various events and data processes that are taking place within the system. The indicator that shows the balance variable shows the final consumption of the energy flowing within the chart.
This means that you can use the chart to detect the amount of energy that has been consumed within a particular duration within the company. The energy product refers to the type of product presented within the chart, which is the point of discussion within this setting. The amount of data flow can be presented using different units depending on your preferred choice and what the target audience can easily understand.
The unit you choose to use on your chart depends on how much energy you deal with in your business. However, choosing a popular unit known by your market audience is good to avoid confusing your readers from getting the desired message. You can easily customize your chart depending on the nature of the data you are dealing with to make it suit your needs.
In addition, you can handle more than one type of data within your chart and get exceptional data output that you can use to grow your brand to the next level. Besides, the chart can accommodate more than one type of graph representing different elements simultaneously. If you are dealing directly with different kinds of data at the same time, you only need to use a Sankey chart since it offers an expansive room that you can utilize to sort out your data presentation needs.
Also, you can identify the change of subsistences over a given time, depending on your data priorities. You only need to collect accurate data and outline it in your Sankey chart, and you will be better positioned to collect hidden data insights that you can utilize to monitor your data progress and make proper decisions that can impact the progressive development of your business in the long run.
When analyzing energy flows, depicting the change over time is a vital element that you need to consider to enhance the long-run success of your business. You can also depict the amount of data flowing through the nodes, predict the general consumption of data within a given duration, and detect the rate at which people consume energy within a given environment.
Conclusion
A Sankey diagram is a comprehensive option that plays an integral role in depicting the flow of energy and data within a given business environment. The big question is how this is made possible and how you can easily execute the process and get the ball rolling. If this is bothering you, this article offers a detailed guide to help you learn more about how this is fine and how you can implement this data processing methodology in your daily business operations.
You may also like: How do Graphs and Graph Databases Work?
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