What is IBCS? What can it do? And why should I care?
In this blog post, I want to answer exactly these questions. IBCS has already arrived in many business areas, and some clients ask for it. That’s why we as consultants should be familiar with the basics and the standards. IBCS stands for International Business Communication Standards – international rules for presenting numbers and data in a clear and understandable way.
Why is that important?
Many dashboards, charts and presentations are overloaded and overwhelm the user. Sometimes revenue is shown in blue, sometimes in green. Sometimes the plan value is hatched, sometimes shaded in gray. IBCS creates order here – with clear rules to make sure that numbers look the same everywhere and are easier to understand.
The rules are based on a simple concept called SUCCESS. Each letter stands for one principle:
- SAY – Every chart needs a clear message.
- UNIFY – Use the same symbols, colors and formats everywhere. “Plan” and “Actual” always look the same.
- CONDENSE – Show as much as needed, but no more.
- CHECK – No visual tricks or distortions.
- EXPRESS – Choose the right form of presentation: bars, lines, tables – whatever fits best.
- SIMPLIFY – Remove anything unnecessary. No distractions, just the essentials.
- STRUCTURE – Organize content in a logical and understandable way.
When all reports follow the same rules, they are understood faster and better – no matter who created them. That saves time, avoids mistakes, and looks professional. Here you can see an example of a visualization according to the IBCS standards.
Typical areas of application include controlling departments and management reports, particularly in industries such as banking, insurance, and energy.
IBCS is a practical tool for presenting information in a way that has impact.
Source: https://www.ibcs.com/