The Enterprise Digital Podcast
Conversations that explore service management, business, IT, and the way people work, from everyday challenges to emerging trends.
Hosted by Barclay Rae and Ian Aitchison, the Enterprise Digital Podcast shares practical perspectives on service management, experience, automation, and AI, with sharp commentary and the occasional trivia detour.
Episode 116: Vibe Coding and Shadow AI, Plus Other Scary Things
Barclay and Ian pick up the conversation on Vibe Coding, exploring new insights and opinions that have surfaced. They review a recent MIT report on AI failure and what lessons can be drawn from it. The discussion also touches on the Enterprise Digital app game where mice, cockroaches, and drinks make an appearance. The real value here is showing how quickly usable prototypes can be created without technical skills, though initially outside governance controls. One key research finding highlights that real success often comes from existing tools with AI built in, rather than starting with AI itself. And the other scary things? Radioactive wasps, of course.
Episode 115: Vibe Coding - Jive Talking or Game Changing?
This episode dives into VIBE Coding – what it is, why it matters, and where it could take us. Barclay confuses it with the Bee Gees, while Ian explains the concept with real examples and possibilities. Imagine completing an entire set of activities simply through AI... the potential is huge. Of course, there are challenges too. Barclay raises practical concerns about security, governance, and the risk of “Vibe hacking,” while Ian emphasises the positive use cases. We explore both the opportunities and the risks, from duplication and business impact to broader issues such as the cost of AI on the environment, the state of democracy, and even the future of humanity. And this week’s trivia? Data storage via birds. Yes, really. BS = Bird Storage.
Episode 114: Breaking Down Silos and the Need to be Curious
What do we really mean by ‘end to end’ processes and value streams – and why do they matter? Ian and Barclay break this down at a practical level, exploring what’s needed to ensure people work together rather than as disconnected, self-serving units. They highlight the importance of transparency, communication, and visualisation – particularly for engagement, service catalogues, and TOM. There’s also a call to stay curious and avoid unchallenged assumptions. Plus, some strong points about why trying to do everything with a single tool usually isn’t the answer.
Episode 113: Grow Your Own Teeth and the Art of Improvement
In this short but packed episode, Ian Aitchison and Barclay Rae start with a surprising bit of orthodontic trivia (grow your own teeth!?) before diving into the serious business of how organizations gather, manage, and act on feedback and improvement ideas. They explore the overlaps between experience management, product management, and service management, discussing what it takes to turn good intentions into meaningful innovation. Along the way, there are a few questionable analogies, but the conversation flows with plenty of practical insights.
Episode 112: Risk and Reward, Crazy Driving, and Salmon
In this episode, Ian Aitchison and Barclay Rae explore themes of risk and the race for rapid success with AI. They discuss the divide between cautious, regulated approaches and higher-risk, reward-driven mindsets — and how corporate mechanisms often sit in the middle, slowing adoption and falling out of sync with new capabilities. The conversation also covers lab-grown food and the worry that AI is becoming a self-serving soup of recycled content, much like oceans filling with plastic. As always, there’s plenty packed in, with trivia included.
Episode 111: A Rant, a Hiring/Firing Mistake, and a Category Mistake?
In this episode, Ian and Barclay look at a story about a firm re-hiring staff after learning AI couldn’t fully replace them. That sparks a discussion on the lure of the new and shiny, and why the old shouldn’t be dismissed too quickly. They link this back to ITSM and recent industry criticism — but is that actually a category mistake? As always, expect a mix of trivia, philosophy, and service management along the way.
Episode 110: The Elixir of Life for an Agentic Mouse
This episode reflects on the recent SITS show and the themes shaping the industry. Alongside some trivia about mice on life-enhancing substances, they explore how new “shiny” ideas mature and become part of everyday practice — which is no bad thing. “Agentic” may be the buzzword of the moment, but AI is now moving into more practical and specific use cases. They also discuss how experience management and DEX are becoming part of the normal way of working.
Episode 109: Speeding to SITS on an AI Robotic Horse
This episode is a quick preview of the SITS and MSP shows, taking place on 14–15 May at ExCeL London — free to attend. The intro detours into AI equestrianism (yes, really) and a bit of grammar-police ranting, before Ian Aitchison and Barclay Rae run through key themes and expectations for this year. The MSP side of the show is evolving, with a strong mix of vendors and approaches, and the speaker programme promises a good balance of topics — not just AI. And if you’re there, see if you can spot the podcast mouse and its sidekick, the “podroach,” somewhere on display.
Episode 108: Mushrooms and Metadata - The One About How We Use Language
Ian and Barclay dive into fungi, taxonomy, and what we really mean by “metadata.” They explore the complexity of some systems and how a simpler approach to tools could help us get more done. Great tools don’t automatically mean great services — it’s about being clear on what we actually need from our systems. The conversation also touches on bringing more passion into the ITSM world… and yes, even how mushrooms might use language.
Episode 107: Cartoons and a Fresh Approach to Leadership
The podcast kicks off with some “serious trivia” and a check-in on the fate of the podcast cockroach. This week’s guest is Martin Sadler, an experienced CIO who now leads a major public sector IT organisation. Martin is also the author of Aspirationally Idle, a book full of practical, jargon-free insights on running IT — complete with cartoons and humor. It doubles as both a management guide and a source of tips for IT leaders. In the conversation, Ian and Barclay explore ideas from the book, including the memorable equation “anger = frustration × time,” along with plenty of other simple but powerful nuggets of wisdom.