IBCS Institute

What IBCS Institute does

IBCS Institute operates the International Business Communication Standards (IBCS), a methodology and visual notation framework for the consistent conceptual and visual design of reports, presentations, and dashboards. Its core intellectual property is the SUCCESS formula covering seven areas — SAY, UNIFY, CONDENSE, CHECK, EXPRESS, SIMPLIFY, and STRUCTURE — codified across standards versions 1.2 and 2.0 and published free online under a Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0 license; an ISO-aligned PDF (≈160 pages, 180+ figures) is sold at 49.90 EUR and paperback books are available via Amazon in English and Spanish. The standards are monetized indirectly through a three-tier certification program (Analyst, Consultant, Provider), instructor-led training courses delivered online and in-person globally, a software certification program that validates third-party BI tools (Microsoft Fabric Planning, SAP Analytics Cloud, Zebra BI, Graphomate, VitaraCharts, Longview Analytics, Inforiver) as IBCS-compliant, and an annual conference plus a continuous calendar of public lectures, webinars, and ICC workshops.

The organization is structured as the not-for-profit IBCS Association, which holds copyright to the standards and operates with 1–10 employees from Hilden, Germany. Governance was refreshed in June 2026 with a new Executive Board and management team under Diego Berea, co-led operationally by Jürgen Faisst as Managing Partner and Rolf Hichert as original author and founder. Reach is delivered through a global network of IBCS Certified Consultants, Certified Providers, and certified software partners (Microsoft Platinum Sponsor, SAP and Zebra BI Gold Sponsors, plus-IT, IT-LOGIX, Rockfeather, 4e Academy, ks quadrat among Silver Sponsors), with regional presence in Germany, Poland, and Turkey (Istanbul). The most consequential milestone to date is the June 11, 2026 publication of ISO 24896:2026 — Notation for Business Reporting, the first international standard for business reporting notation derived from the UNIFY and CHECK components of the SUCCESS formula, accompanied by IBCS Standards Version 2.0 and the launch of an ISO 24896 Foundation course. Financials are not publicly disclosed; revenue is generated from training tuition, certification fees, paid PDF/books, software certification/licensing, and sponsorship, with free passive membership and free PDF for members anchoring adoption at the standard level.

Name

IBCS Institute

Legal name

IBCS Association

Website

https://ibcs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

IBCS Institute develops and promotes the International Business Communication Standards (IBCS), a not-for-profit framework for consistent report, presentation, and dashboard design codified in the SUCCESS formula and now ISO 24896:2026. It serves finance, BI, and executive-reporting professionals through certifications, training, and software vendor partnerships globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Communication Standards

NAICS

Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

iBPMS (Intelligent BPM Suites) & Process Automation Suites (HDAEAHAG)

Keywords

• Business communication standards
• Report design methodology
• Data visualization notation
• Analytics certification training
• Dashboard design standards

Headquarters

HQ city

Hilden

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Training and Certification Courses: IBCS offers paid training courses for IBCS Certified Analyst and IBCS Certified Consultant certifications. Courses are delivered online and in-person in multiple languages (English, German, Polish, etc.) at specified dates.
2. IBCS Standards PDF and Books: PDF transcript of IBCS Standards (150+ pages, 180+ figures) available for purchase at 49.90 EUR plus VAT. Paperback books available on Amazon in English and Spanish editions.
3. Software Certification Services: IBCS certifies third-party software products (Power BI visuals, SAP analytics tools, planning software) as IBCS-compliant. Certified software includes Microsoft Fabric Planning, SAP Analytics Cloud, Zebra BI, Graphomate, and others.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

IBCS Institute develops and publishes the International Business Communication Standards (IBCS), a methodology and framework for consistent conceptual and visual design of reports, presentations, and dashboards, built on the SUCCESS formula. It monetizes this IP through paid training and certification courses (Certified Analyst and Certified Consultant), the sale of the standards as PDF and paperback books, a PPT-based Notation Manual template, and a software certification program that validates third-party BI tools (Microsoft Fabric Planning, SAP Analytics Cloud, Zebra BI, graphomate, VitaraCharts, Longview Analytics) as IBCS-compliant.

Product overview

IBCS Institute offers the International Business Communication Standards (IBCS) — a comprehensive framework for the consistent conceptual and visual design of reports, presentations, and dashboards. The core offering consists of two versions of the standards (1.2 and 2.0), both centered on the SUCCESS formula covering seven communication areas: SAY (convey a message), UNIFY (apply semantic notation), CONDENSE (increase information density), CHECK (ensure visual integrity), EXPRESS (choose proper visualization), SIMPLIFY (avoid clutter), and STRUCTURE (organize content). The standards are published under a Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0 license and available in three formats: free online browsing, free PDF (for IBCS Association members), and a paperback book. ISO 24896:2026, published on June 11, 2026, represents the international adoption of IBCS notation standards. The standards are supported by a three-tier certification program (IBCS Certified Analyst, IBCS Certified Consultant, IBCS Certified Provider), instructor-led and online training courses, an editable Notation Manual (PPT) template, and a software certification program that validates third-party BI tools (including Microsoft Fabric Planning, SAP Analytics Cloud, Zebra BI, graphomate, VitaraCharts, Longview Analytics, and Inforiver) as IBCS-compliant. The annual IBCS Conference and regular public/in-house lectures provide ongoing professional development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IBCS Standards Version 1.2 The foundational paid version of the International Business Communication Standards, providing practical guidelines for the consistent conceptual and visual design of reports, presentations, dashboards, charts, and tables. Organized around the SUCCESS formula covering SAY, UNIFY, CONDENSE, CHECK, EXPRESS, SIMPLIFY, and STRUCTURE. Published under Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike 4.0 International License.
• IBCS Standards Version 2.0 The latest paid version of the International Business Communication Standards, fully aligned with ISO 24896 'Notation for Business Reporting'. Restructures standards into Notation and Composition parts, incorporates updated terminology, and references ISO 24495-1:2023 Plain Language.
• IBCS Standards PDF A 160-page edited PDF transcript of the IBCS Standards, illustrated with more than 180 instructive figures, covering conceptual, perceptual, and semantic rules for designing comprehensible reports, presentations, and dashboards. Priced at 49.90 EUR plus VAT plus shipping; free for IBCS Association members. Available in English and Spanish.
• Notation Manual (PPT) An editable PowerPoint template for creating a company-specific notation manual covering the major design principles for IBCS-compliant charts and tables. Enables organizations to establish and standardize their own visual communication conventions.
• IBCS Certified Analyst Course First-stage paid IBCS certification course teaching participants to understand and apply the SUCCESS formula of IBCS in practice, followed by an online test for certification. Available in online and in-person formats in multiple languages.
• IBCS Certified Consultant Course Advanced paid IBCS certification course for consultants, providing exclusive workshops for IBCS Certified Consultants. Available in online and in-person formats, with upcoming English-language training scheduled for October 14, 2026 in Warsaw.
• Solid, Outlined, Hatched (Online Course with Exercises) Self-paced online course consisting of about 30 short lessons with interactive videos, questions, tests, and a workbook with practical exercises. Teaches how consistent IBCS notation ensures reports and dashboards are read and understood. Delivered via the IBCS Teachable platform.
• ISO 24896 Foundation Course Official paid course launched by IBCS Institute to coincide with the publication of ISO 24896:2026, covering the new international standard for business reporting notation.
• Get Ready for ISO 24896 Bundle for IBCS Certified Analysts Paid bundle for IBCS Certified Analysts that explores key insights into IBCS 2.0 and the ISO 24896 standard, including its scope, terminology, benefits, and relevance for automation and AI in reporting.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduces misunderstandings by 30% and accelerates time-to-insight by 25% when applying 10 IBCS guidelines
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• International Organization for Standardization (ISO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 June 2026IBCS Association is an A-liaison of ISO Technical Committee 37. The IBCS notation methodology (UNIFY and CHECK parts of SUCCESS formula) formed the basis for ISO 24896:2026. Several IBCS Certified Consultants represent their national standards bodies on the ISO committee developing the standard.
• Windhoff Software ServicescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWindhoff is an IBCS Certified Provider with over 20 years of SAP BI experience. The company provides consulting and training services for IBCS implementation using SAP Analytics Cloud, SAP BW/4HANA, and other SAP tools.
• MicrosoftcoreTechnology or IntegrationMicrosoft is a Platinum Sponsor of IBCS. Microsoft Fabric Planning is certified as IBCS-compliant software. SAP Analytics Cloud is also IBCS-certified and integrated with Microsoft ecosystem.
• SAPcoreTechnology or IntegrationSAP is a Gold Sponsor of IBCS. SAP Analytics Cloud is certified as IBCS-compliant software. IBCS has been featured in SAP learning journeys and openSAP courses.
• Zebra BIcoreTechnology or IntegrationZebra BI is a Gold Sponsor and provides IBCS-certified software for Office and Power BI. Founder Andrej Lapajne is an active IBCS community member.
• plus-IT AGminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partnerplus-IT is a Silver Sponsor and IBCS Certified Provider. Matthias Giger is an IBCS Certified Consultant who works as Senior Data & Analytics Consultant at plus-IT.
• 4e AcademyminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner4e Academy is a Silver Sponsor with IBCS Certified Trainer Esin Özkan. Provides training and consulting in Data Analytics, IBCS, and Generative AI.
• RockfeatherminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRockfeather is a Silver Sponsor with IBCS Certified Trainer Paul Damen. Provides IBCS consulting and training services.
• IT-LOGIXminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerIT-LOGIX is a Silver Sponsor and IBCS Certified Provider.
• IBSS ConsultingminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerIBSS Consulting is an SAP Partner consultancy and IBCS Certified Provider working exclusively on Analytics. Located in Istanbul, Turkey.
• GraphomatecoreTechnology or IntegrationGraphomate provides IBCS-certified charts, chartrix, matrix and bubbles for Microsoft Power BI, Tableau, SAP Analytics Cloud, and SAP Lumira Designer.
• VitaraChartscoreTechnology or IntegrationVitaraCharts is currently the only certified IBCS chart provider for Strategy. Available for Strategy Desktop, Web, Library, and Mobile.
• Longview AnalyticscoreTechnology or IntegrationLongview Analytics is IBCS-certified for creation and distribution of highly customized business intelligence and reporting solutions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• HICHERT+FAISST: The founders' consulting firm (Rolf Hichert and Jürgen Faisst) and predecessor entity to the IBCS Institute. Provides enterprise IBCS implementation, training, and advisory services that directly compete with the IBCS Certified Provider network.

Broad incumbents

• Tableau (Salesforce): Major enterprise BI platform whose visualizations are referenced under IBCS standards. Operates as a broad BI incumbent whose own visual language and visualization conventions intersect with — and partially define — the IBCS-certified ecosystem.
• board International: Unified decision-making platform for financial planning, analysis, and management reporting. Competes for the same finance/BI software budget that IBCS-certified tools target, and ships its own native visualization language for board and management reports.
• insightsoftware: Provider of financial reporting and enterprise performance management solutions (Jedox-adjacent and broader ERP reporting). Competes for the same finance reporting and FP&A tooling slots where IBCS standards are typically applied.
• SAP Analytics Cloud: SAP's flagship BI/analytics suite, which is certified as IBCS-compliant and was a Gold Sponsor. Operates as a broad incumbent across ERP-linked BI but is certified against IBCS for its notational consistency in business reports.
• Microsoft Power BI (Microsoft Fabric Planning): Microsoft's flagship BI platform; Microsoft Fabric Planning was recertified as IBCS-compliant in 2025 and Microsoft is a Platinum Sponsor. A broad incumbent in the BI market whose adoption of IBCS validates the standard within the Microsoft ecosystem.

Emerging players

• Jedox: Unified planning, analytics, and reporting platform with deep finance/FP&A focus. Competes directly with IBCS-certified BI tools for enterprise CPM and reporting software wallets.
• Storytelling with Data: Founded by Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic, this training and consulting business educates finance and analytics professionals on effective data visualization. Competes with IBCS training and certification for the same enterprise training budget but offers proprietary methods rather than an open standard.

Others

• BARC (Business Application Research Center): European research and analyst firm covering business intelligence, data management, and analytics software. Runs events, vendor evaluations, and peer-group research that often includes IBCS-certified tools as benchmarks in the BI/reporting market.
• The Data Visualization Society: A non-profit community organization that supports and connects data visualization practitioners. Adjacent to IBCS as a community and education network serving the same data viz professional audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/ibcs-institute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ibcs-institute
• Xx.com/IBCS_A

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about IBCS Institute