How might global companies like Apple or Google utilize a Sankey diagram in their budget planning?

While a Sankey diagram is a powerful tool for visualizing the flow of resources in a system, it is not inherently predictive. It provides a snapshot of the current or past state of a system, such as a company's revenue and costs. However, it does not have the capability to predict future trends on its own. To predict future trends in revenue and costs for companies like Tesla or Nvidia, one would need to use other methods such as financial modeling, forecasting, or predictive analytics, which can incorporate a wide range of data and variables to make future projections.

There are several alternative methods to a Sankey diagram for visualizing changes in a budget over time. Some of these include:

1. Line Graphs: These can show changes over time by plotting budget amounts on the y-axis and time on the x-axis.

2. Bar Charts: These can be used to compare budget amounts for different categories or periods.

3. Pie Charts: These can show the proportion of the budget that each category represents.

4. Area Charts: These can be used to visualize the proportion of the budget that each category represents over time.

5. Stacked Bar Charts: These can show the total budget and the proportion that each category represents.

6. Waterfall Charts: These can show the cumulative effect of sequential positive and negative values.

Remember, the choice of visualization method depends on the specific needs and context of the analysis.