Data visualization is a comprehensive process that requires you to utilize different tools and techniques to extract meaningful information from raw data sets. Identifying a suitable chart type to visualize your data is the number one step in helping you visualize your raw data sets. A Sankey diagram is one of the tools with a successful track record of helping data analysts and business owners to extract meaningful information from their data and help in the decision-making process.
On the flip side, Google Sheets is one of the spreadsheet organizations used in analyzing and organizing data in a simple and attractive way. In addition, Google Sheets has the capability to conduct extensive data visualization to enable you to visualize technical data sets in the simplest way possible. During data visualization, there is a high chance that you may need to contact different commands to get the best from your data.
Sometimes, you may want to visualize the flow of your data to highlight the major pain points that you need to consider during the decision-making process. When you need to depict the data flow, you need a specialized tool to do this job on your behalf. This becomes more serious when you want to present the data flow visually. This is where the Sankey chart comes into the process to help you determine the flow of your data points.
Creating a Sankey diagram in Google Sheets is one of the easiest activities to achieve within the shortest time possible and extract meaningful information from your raw data. Despite the fact that there are other requirements needed along the way, there is a need for you to learn more about a Sankey diagram and how it operates. This article describes how you can create a Sankey diagram in Google Sheets and use it to visualize your data.
What is a Sankey Diagram?
Before learning how to create a Sankey diagram, you need to understand what it is and how it works. A Sankey diagram is a data visualization tool used to determine the flow of data points. The chart can determine the movement of data from one end to the other, among other elements such as energy, money, and many more. The diagram is made up of different aspects that work collectively to achieve a specific objective.
The Sankey diagram has nodes that are used to represent entities, while the links are used to depict the general flow of the data. The width of every link is directly proportional to the quantity of the flow inside the system. This aspect helps you to visualize the relationship between your data points and how one aspect results in the other. The Sankey diagram offers you an effective method to use when you want to visualize complex datasets that you cannot read and comprehend.
The chart can also determine trends and patterns available in a data set. The accuracy and efficiency of the Sankey diagram make it a better tool that can be adapted across industries. Business researchers and decision-makers use the Sankey diagram to identify patterns and trends available in the data, which helps them when making critical decisions that impact the success of their companies.
When looking for a simple method that can help you understand how resources move from one department to the other across a company environment, the Sankey diagram is the best option. The diagram digs deeper into your operations to determine how activities are conducted within different departments and how they contribute to the general growth and development of the business.
Components of a Sankey Diagram
The Sankey diagram comprises different components that collectively work together to visualize data. These components include:
- Links
Links are used to showcase the flow of data, money, or energy, depending on what you are visualizing. The thickness of the link reciprocates the magnitude of the flow. They also showcase how data interconnect at various points within the chart.
- Nodes
Nodes are used to represent data categories depending on the nature of your data. They can also be used to showcase data categories across your datasets, enabling you to understand your data better. The nodes are mostly displayed in the form of rectangles or circles with a size that reflects the magnitude of the flow.
- Flow
The flow refers to the quantity of the data under visualization. This is the amount of data that flows between different nodes across the chart. They are mostly presented in the form of ribbons or arrows. The flow size varies from one point to the other depending on the amount of law available between the nodes.
Understanding these major components of a Sankey diagram enables you to develop a compelling chart to visualize your data sets in the best way possible. All these aspects give you a glimpse of how a Sankey diagram looks and what you should incorporate in your final chart.
Creating a Sankey Diagram in Google Sheets
Even though creating a Sankey diagram in Google Sheets sounds like a technical aspect at first glance, the truth is that this is a simple process that only takes a few minutes of your time. Anybody can access Google Sheets, provided that you have a Gmail account. This is a free platform that you can use to analyze and organize your data for future reference, especially when working in an environment that deals with large volumes of data.
Google Sheets offer a simple method to create a Sankey diagram. A Sankey chart in Google Sheets enables you to depict data and extract meaningful information that you cannot achieve without the aid of the tool. Even though Google Sheets operates as a shortcut that makes your work easier, you need to understand that Google Sheets does not offer a default option to create a Sankey diagram.
However, this does not make Google Sheets useless during the process since it still has a significant role to play in getting the job done. You need to identify a suitable Google Sheets add-on that you can utilize to help you generate the chart. In such circumstances, you need to identify a simple option that goes hand-in-hand with your budget and is friendly to use. ChartExpo is one of the best Google Sheets add-ons that you can download from the Microsoft store and use to complete the process.
Before you start thinking of a suitable add-on to use in Google Sheets, you need to ensure that you have access to high-quality data and it is already available on your Google working sheet. You can copy and paste the data on your worksheet or import it directly from the source. ChartExpo is available in the Microsoft store, and you can download it and sign in using your Microsoft account.
Once you sign into the tool, you are likely to encounter a wide range of charting options that you can utilize during data visualization. You can access it via the extensions section in Google Sheets. You can then highlight the data you intend to use to create a Sankey diagram and let the tool complete the remaining task on your behalf. After a few seconds, a Sankey visualization will appear on your screen, presenting all your data sets depending on what you highlighted previously.
Note that this does not mark the end of the process since the chart may not look exactly like what you need. This is time for customization, and make several changes on the chart in order to reciprocate your requirements. You need to change various aspects such as the title, font type, font size, color combination, etc. The objective is to ensure that the chart looks exactly like what you are looking for. Once you finish editing, you can exit the editing mode, ready to publish the final output.
Final Word
Creating a Sankey diagram in Google Sheets is an exciting activity that anybody can attain regardless of their technical level. Identifying a suitable third-party application you can integrate into Google Sheets can help you make the process fast and effective. ChartExpo is a suitable option that you can utilize in the process to compose a standard Sankey diagram that reaches all your requirements.
A Sankey diagram generator makes the process of data visualization easier and more effective. It gives you a simple mechanism to uncover the hidden patterns and trends available in your data sets. It also offers insights that are vital when making crucial decisions within a business setting. The chart gives you multiple levels of viewing your data visualization, enabling you to eliminate the technical aspect of the data.
