zsfb - Zentrum für systemische Forschung und Beratung

What zsfb - Zentrum für systemische Forschung und Beratung does

zsfb (Zentrum für systemische Forschung und Beratung GmbH) is a Heidelberg, Germany-based education and consulting institute founded in 1999 that delivers certified training programs in Systemic Coaching, Systemic Organizational Consulting, and Systemic Organizational Development, rooted in the 'Heidelberger Schule' (Heidelberg School) of systemic thinking developed since the mid-1980s. The institute serves enterprise clients (including AUDI, Daimler, Volkswagen Coaching, Bosch, BASF, Boehringer Ingelheim, SAP, Commerzbank, Deutsche Telekom, Siemens Building Technologies, Nestlé Deutschland, and Continental Teves), individual executives, and aspiring coaches across the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), with reference customers indicating deployments in automotive, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, banking, telecommunications, manufacturing, and consumer goods.

The core product set consists of three multi-module certified training tracks plus open seminars (e.g., STORY DEALING Short Cuts at EUR 1,100, 'Auftritt und Wirkung' at EUR 800), the STORY DEALING Academy (integrated as a zsfb brand in 2024), and the annual SYSTEMIX RELOADED symposium. Delivery combines residential intensives at the Gaisbergstraße headquarters in Heidelberg, online modules via the zsfb Hub learning platform, and virtual info evenings; the STORY DEALER® trademark was acquired as a zsfb brand in 2024.

The business model is a hybrid of professional services revenue (coaching and consulting engagements), certification training fees (recurring multi-module programs), per-event seminar/workshop fees, and event-based conference revenue. The firm operates as a privately held German GmbH with 12 employees, founder-led by Dr. Hans Rudi Fischer, with no disclosed external investment, public financials, or technology product line.

Name

zsfb - Zentrum für systemische Forschung und Beratung

Legal name

Zentrum für systemische Forschung und Beratung Fischer GmbH

Website

https://zsfb.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

zsfb is a Heidelberg-based education and consulting institute offering certified training in systemic coaching, organizational consulting, and organizational development, serving enterprise clients and individual professionals across the DACH region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Management Consulting and Executive Education

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Other Management Consulting Services (541618), Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAHACAD

Organization Design & Change Management Consulting

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Management Consulting

SECONDARYBPAHAGAE

Learning, Training & Corporate Education Consulting

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Human Capital & Organizational Consulting

Keywords

• Systemic organizational consulting
• Executive coaching training
• Organizational development education
• Systemic coaching certification
• Change management seminars

Headquarters

HQ city

Heidelberg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Education and Training Programs: Certification programs in Systemic Organizational Consulting, Systemic Coaching, and Systemic Organizational Development form the primary revenue stream. Programs are structured as multi-module courses with defined curricula and ongoing delivery.
2. Seminars and Workshops: Open seminars and workshops including specialized offerings such as Story Dealing Short Cuts, Auftritt und Wirkung, and visual tools for change management. Billed per event at defined rates.
3. Coaching and Consulting Services: Individual and team coaching, organizational consulting, and change management support services for organizations and executives.
4. Conferences and Events: Annual symposia and conferences including SYSTEMIX RELOADED, generating revenue through participant fees and potentially sponsorship.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

zsfb delivers certified multi-module training programs and seminars in systemic organizational consulting, systemic coaching, and systemic organizational development, grounded in the Heidelberg School of systemic thinking. The institute also provides individual and team coaching, organizational consulting, and change management services for executives and organizations, complemented by the STORY DEALING Academy, open seminars, and the annual SYSTEMIX RELOADED symposium.

Product overview

zsfb (Zentrum für systemische Forschung und Beratung) is an education and consulting institute offering a portfolio of training programs and seminars centered on systemic thinking, coaching, and organizational development. The core educational offerings consist of three certified training tracks: Systemische Organisationsberatung Ausbildung, Systemisches Coaching Ausbildung, and Systemische Organisationsentwicklung Ausbildung. These are complemented by open seminars, the STORY DEALING Academy (a brand integrated since 2024), and the annual SYSTEMIX RELOADED symposium. The institute positions itself as a platform connecting theory and practice, with offerings ranging from comprehensive multi-year training programs to compact seminars and workshops. The company also awards the 'Organisationsentwicklung – Ausgezeichnet Systemisch weiter gedacht' seal annually to recognize exemplary systemic projects in organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• STORY DEALER®: A methodology for working with people through stories, experiential learning, and enacted experiences in transformation processes.

Products and services

• Systemisches Coaching Ausbildung A certified multi-module training program in systemic coaching, leading to recognized certification (zsfb/SG, Berlin). Designed for professionals seeking to become certified coaches.
• Systemische Organisationsberatung Ausbildung A certified multi-module training program in systemic organizational consulting, one of zsfb's foundational educational offerings since the 1990s. Targets aspiring consultants and HR professionals.
• Systemische Organisationsentwicklung Ausbildung Multi-module training program in systemic organizational development, focusing on change processes, culture transformation, and organizational development practice.
• STORY DEALING Academy Academy for the STORY DEALING methodology, which works with people through self-staged stories, experiential learning, and enacted narratives to create lasting change in organizational cultures.
• STORY DEALING Short Cuts Seminar A three-day intensive open seminar teaching the methodological essence of Story Dealing for initiating change processes, inspiring people, and transforming cultural patterns. Costs EUR 1,100 plus VAT.
• Eigene Mitarbeiter im Wandel begleiten Seminar A practice-oriented seminar (3 days plus 2 online sessions) for executives and HR developers on effectively guiding people and teams through change processes using visual models, systemic questioning techniques, and practical conversation approaches.
• Auftritt und Wirkung Seminar A compact two-day seminar combining systemic psychology with rhetorical arts, teaching participants to improve their personal presence in consulting and presentation contexts. Costs EUR 800 plus VAT.
• SYSTEMIX RELOADED Tagung Annual symposium/conference for alumni, current course participants, and interested professionals to exchange ideas on current topics of systemic theory and practice, featuring renowned guests from business and science.
• Coaching and Consulting Services Individual and team coaching, organizational consulting, and change management support services for organizations and executives, offered through direct engagement with zsfb instructors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates receive recognized certification (zsfb/SG, Berlin)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers12 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Story Dealer (now integrated as zsfb brand)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024The Story Dealer methodology and brand were integrated into zsfb in 2024. This approach, developed over 30+ years by founders, uses experiential learning through stories and staged contexts for organizational change.
• Heidelberger Institut für systemische Forschung e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1989The organization shares its Heidelberg headquarters and co-develops programs with the Heidelberger Institut für systemische Forschung e.V., which has been advancing systemic thinking for organizational practice since 1991. Both organizations collaborate on symposia, publications, and the annual SYSTEMIX RELOADED conference.
• Internationale Gesellschaft für Systemische Therapie e.V. (IGST)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with IGST for internship programs and professional certification. IGST co-locates with zsfb at the Gaisbergstraße headquarters. Jointly offer internship opportunities for students.
• Life Lessons (external workshop platform)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership for distributing workshop content through the life lessons.de platform, which operates as a 'Netflix for therapy and coaching' subscription service. zsfb workshops are available on this platform reaching individual consumers.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Helm Stierlin Institut Heidelberg: Heidelberg-based institute specializing in systemic therapy, counseling, and organizational consulting training. Closely comparable to zsfb in geography, methodology (systemic family/therapy-based approaches), and target learners pursuing certified credentials.
• Trigon Entwicklungsberatung: Austrian organizational development consulting and training firm offering systemic OD/change programs and certified training. Direct competitor in DACH organizational development and coaching training, with similar enterprise-facing consulting engagements.
• SySt Institut München: One of the most established German institutes for systemic coaching, organizational consulting, and therapy training. Directly comparable to zsfb in offering multi-module certified systemic Ausbildungen for coaches and consultants, with overlapping DACH clientele and a similar pedagogy rooted in systemic thinking.
• Metaforum Konstanz: Long-standing German institute providing certified training in systemic organizational consulting, coaching, and therapy. Competes head-on with zsfb in the same DACH Ausbildung market, with comparable target audience of aspiring coaches, organizational consultants, and HR professionals.
• ISST Institut für Systemische Studien und Schulen: German systemic training institute offering certified programs in systemic therapy, coaching, and organizational consulting. Overlaps directly with zsfb in target learners (HR professionals, internal coaches, organizational developers) and certification outcomes.
• ifs Institut für systemische Beratung: Wiesloch-based institute offering systemic counseling, therapy, and organizational training. Shares zsfb's regional southwestern Germany base, certified Ausbildung programs, and focus on systemic methodologies for coaching and consulting practitioners.

Broad incumbents

• INSEAD: Global business school with executive education programs in leadership, organizational behavior, and change management. A broad incumbent whose executive education and coaching offerings overlap with zsfb's training tracks but at vastly larger scale and international reach.
• IMD Business School: Swiss-based global business school offering executive education in leadership and organizational development. Comparable in DACH presence to zsfb's training mission but as a broad incumbent offering overlapping change management and coaching programs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCXX3TnaLRuEeVofh6mw_2KA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/zsfb

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 zsfb - Zentrum für systemische Forschung und Beratung