IRM UK Combined Conference 2026: Cohesion, clarity and the future of change

Posted by AssistKD
SD Conference 2026 opening keynote

We have just returned from the IRM UK Combined Conference 2026, which brought together three major events under one roof:

  • Enterprise and Business Architecture Europe #EBA2026
  • Business Change and Transformation Conference Europe #BCT2026
  • Service Design Conference Europe #SD2026

Three conferences with one shared ambition: to help organisations work as one.
AssistKD was proud to exhibit, present and contribute throughout. A standout moment on Day Two was seeing Dr Debra Paul, our Non Executive Chair, open and close the day with Michael Noonan, Consulting Practice Lead at Microsoft. Their contribution framed the importance of cohesion across architecture, change and service design.

The keynote: Establishing the cohesive organisation

The combined conference opened with a keynote from Roger Burlton and Whynde Kuehn on what it means to establish a cohesive organisation in a world of complexity, interdependence and constant change. They argued that many organisations are not short of ideas or initiatives. Instead, they are held back by fragmentation. Work is duplicated, decisions are disconnected and customers experience the gaps. AI, while full of potential, can easily add to this fragmentation if it is not integrated into a coherent whole.
 

Reflecting on the keynote, AssistKD’s Dr Debra Paul commented:

Such a thought provoking keynote. The opening session from Roger Burlton and Whynde Kuehn about establishing the cohesive organisation got us off to a great start and really set the tone for the event. There are so many opportunities available to organisations that are able to integrate their service operations, nicely demonstrated by the integration of these three conferences.


Her response underlines how strongly the keynote landed and how clearly it connected the three conference themes.

Key takeaways from the keynote


1. Cohesion is now a strategic necessity
Fragmentation is costly. It slows delivery, increases risk and creates inconsistent experiences. Cohesion is the condition that allows organisations to move with clarity and purpose.


2. Think in systems, not isolated parts
Drawing on ideas such as Thomas Friedman’s Polycene, the keynote stressed that interdependence is now a basic condition. Organisations need to think in systems and networks rather than separate functions and components.


3. AI strengthens the case for cohesion
Most AI initiatives fail not because of the technology, but because they sit on top of fragmented processes, data and decision making. AI is a tool that supports professional judgement. It does not replace it. 


4. Cohesion is a journey, not a destination
The keynote described a progression many delegates recognised:

  • Coexistence
  • Cooperation
  • Coordination
  • Collaboration
  • Cohesion

You cannot jump straight to cohesion. It has to be designed, nurtured and continually assessed.


5. Organisations must be designed, not just structured
We design cities, buildings and products with intent. Yet many organisations are simply structured into departments and teams without designing how people, processes, information and technology should work together. A cohesive enterprise is intentional. Strategy, design, execution and operations move in concert.


A closing thought on the keynote
This opening session did more than introduce a theme. It provided a shared language for why cohesion matters and how it connects Enterprise and Business Architecture, Business Change and Transformation, Service Design and AI. It also set up many of the conversations that followed across the combined conference.


You can explore the ideas further in the keynote whitepaper: https://cohesionbydesign.com/
 

Further learning
If you are interested in deepening your capability in these areas, you may find the following AssistKD training pathways helpful:

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