Techsplainers by IBM

IBM

Introducing the Techsplainers by IBM podcast, your new podcast for quick, powerful takes on today’s most important AI and tech topics. Each episode brings you bite-sized learning designed to fit your day, whether you’re driving, exercising, or just curious for something new. This is just the beginning. Tune in every weekday at 6 AM ET for fresh insights, new voices, and smarter learning. Visit podcast page: https://www.ibm.com/think/podcasts/techsplainers

  1. 20 hr ago

    What is Supply Chain Planning?

    This episode of Techsplainers introduces supply chain planning and explains why it has become a strategic priority for modern organizations. The episode follows the planning process from demand forecasting and inventory decisions to production, sourcing, and distribution, showing how these activities help businesses keep products available in the right place, at the right time, and at the right cost. It also clarifies the difference between supply chain planning and supply chain management, then explores why recent volatility, disruptions, and shifting customer expectations have pushed resilience and agility to the forefront. Along the way, the discussion difference between supply chain planning and supply chain management, then explores why recent volatility, disruptions, and shifting customer expectations have pushed resilience and agility to the forefront. Along the way, the discussion covers key best practices such as breaking down silos, using real-time data, strengthening supplier relationships, tracking performance metrics, and incorporating sustainability goals. The episode also examines major planning frameworks including S&OP, IBP, and just-in-time, before turning to the role of AI, machine learning, automation, and predictive analytics in modern planning workflows. Real-world examples from healthcare, manufacturing, and retail show how supply chain planning supports profitability, operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, and better risk management across industries. Find more information at https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/supply-chain-planning Find more episodes https://www.ibm.biz/techsplainers-podcast Narrated by Mimi Sun Long

    11 min
  2. What is data interoperability?

    3 days ago

    What is data interoperability?

    This episode of Techsplainers explores data interoperability - the critical ability for systems to seamlessly exchange, integrate, and use data across an organization. We examine how interoperable data must exist in consistent formats, combine easily with other information, and adhere to established standards. The discussion illuminates why interoperability matters, using the analogy of a cookbook with mixed measurement systems to demonstrate how data incompatibility creates inefficiencies and errors across healthcare, finance, and emergency services. We explore the four progressive levels of interoperability (transport, syntactic, semantic, and organizational) and the methods organizations use to achieve them, including standardizing formats, establishing shared terminology, managing metadata, and implementing APIs. The episode connects this week's previous topics - metadata, data lineage, and data catalogs - showing how they work together as building blocks of a comprehensive interoperability strategy that unlocks the estimated 68% of enterprise data currently unused due to accessibility issues. Find more information at https://www.ibm.com/think/podcasts/techsplainers. Find more episodes https://www.ibm.biz/techsplainers-podcast Narrated by Dan Segal

    13 min
  3. What is a data catalog?

    4 days ago

    What is a data catalog?

    This episode of Techsplainers explores data catalogs - the comprehensive inventories that help organizations discover, understand, and access their data assets. We examine how data catalogs function as the "Google search" for enterprise data, organizing both structured and unstructured information through rich metadata management. The discussion covers four essential metadata types: technical (file specifications), operational (usage history), administrative (governance policies), and business (contextual relevance). We highlight how data catalogs enable self-service analytics, breaking down silos and accelerating insight generation while maintaining governance and compliance. The episode also details key features of modern data catalogs including intuitive discovery, lineage visualization, governance integration, and AI capabilities that automate metadata enrichment and enhance searchability. For organizations drowning in data but starving for insights, data catalogs transform information from hidden assets into strategic resources accessible to both technical and business users. Find more information at https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/data-catalog Find more episodes https://www.ibm.biz/techsplainers-podcast Narrated by Dan Segal

    10 min
  4. What is data lineage?

    5 days ago

    What is data lineage?

    This episode of Techsplainers examines data lineage - the critical process of tracking data's complete journey from origin to destination throughout an organization. We explore how data lineage functions as a "family tree" for data, documenting every transformation and touchpoint along its path. The discussion clarifies the relationships between data lineage, data provenance (focused on origins), and data governance (the broader management framework), showing how these concepts work together to maintain data quality and security. We dive into the four key use cases - data modeling, data migration, compliance with regulations like GDPR, and impact analysis - demonstrating why data lineage has become essential for organizations implementing sophisticated analytics and AI initiatives. Find more information at https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/data-lineage Find more episodes https://www.ibm.biz/techsplainers-podcast Narrated by Dan Segal

    8 min
  5. What is data fragmentation?

    8 Jun

    What is data fragmentation?

    This episode of Techsplainers examines data fragmentation—the widespread problem of organizational data scattered across different systems, applications, clouds, and documents. We explore the five key warning signs of fragmentation: absence of a single source of truth, excessive manual work, stagnant decision-making, rising IT costs, and security gaps. The discussion highlights how fragmented data creates significant barriers to enterprise AI adoption by slowing execution, limiting context, and increasing risk. We identify the main culprits behind fragmentation, including hybrid multicloud environments, disconnected systems, growing data volumes, and weak governance. Finally, the episode outlines practical solutions that don't require consolidating all data into one place, including cultural shifts, stronger governance, strategic consolidation, integration approaches, data fabric architectures, and AI-powered automation tools. For organizations looking to accelerate AI initiatives and improve decision-making, addressing data fragmentation is an essential first step. Find more information at https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/data-fragmentation Find more episodes https://www.ibm.biz/techsplainers-podcast Narrated by Dan Segal

    9 min
  6. What is Kubernetes?

    5 Jun

    What is Kubernetes?

    This episode of Techsplainers explores Kubernetes, the powerful container orchestration platform that's becoming essential for modern application deployment. Host Derek Robertson explains how Kubernetes evolved from Google's internal Borg system to become the industry standard for managing containerized applications at scale. We dive into Kubernetes' architecture, including its control plane components that make decisions about the cluster and worker nodes that run application workloads. The episode covers fundamental Kubernetes objects like Pods, Deployments, Services, and StatefulSets, and explains how they work together to maintain your desired application state. We also discuss key benefits including portability across environments, automatic scaling, high availability through self-healing, and resource efficiency. While acknowledging Kubernetes' steep learning curve and security considerations, the episode highlights why 96% of organizations are using or evaluating this technology for microservices architectures, cloud-native applications, and hybrid cloud deployments. Find more information at https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/kubernetes Find more episodes at https://www.ibm.biz/techsplainers-podcast Narrated by Derek Robertson

    8 min
  7. What is Containerization?

    4 Jun

    What is Containerization?

    This episode of Techsplainers introduces containerization, the revolutionary technology that's transforming how applications are built, deployed, and run across environments. Host Derek Robertson explains how containers package everything an application needs – code, runtime, libraries, and settings – into standardized, isolated units that can run consistently anywhere. We explore how containerization differs from traditional virtualization, with containers sharing the host's operating system kernel while maintaining isolation. The episode covers key ecosystem components like Docker, container images, registries, and orchestrators like Kubernetes, while highlighting major benefits including consistency, efficiency, portability, scalability, and isolation. We also discuss important considerations around container security, data persistence, and how organizations are using containerization to modernize legacy applications, streamline development workflows, and build cloud-native services that can run anywhere. Find more information at https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/containerization Find more episodes at https://www.ibm.biz/techsplainers-podcast Narrated by Derek Robertson

    6 min
  8. What are Microservices?

    2 Jun

    What are Microservices?

    This episode of Techsplainers explores microservices architecture, explaining how applications are built as collections of small, independent services rather than monolithic codebases. We examine the key characteristics of microservices including independent deployability, loose coupling, domain focus, decentralized data, and failure design. The discussion covers significant benefits like development agility, technology flexibility, enhanced scalability, improved resilience, and continuous deployment capabilities. We also address challenges including increased complexity, data consistency issues, network reliability concerns, and operational overhead. Real-world examples from Amazon, Netflix, Uber, and traditional enterprises demonstrate how microservices enable organizations to achieve remarkable scale, reliability, and development speed. The episode concludes with practical guidance on when to adopt microservices and implementation best practices for organizations considering this architectural approach. Find more information at https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/microservices Find more episodes at https://www.ibm.biz/techsplainers-podcast Narrated by Derek Robertson

    8 min
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About

Introducing the Techsplainers by IBM podcast, your new podcast for quick, powerful takes on today’s most important AI and tech topics. Each episode brings you bite-sized learning designed to fit your day, whether you’re driving, exercising, or just curious for something new. This is just the beginning. Tune in every weekday at 6 AM ET for fresh insights, new voices, and smarter learning. Visit podcast page: https://www.ibm.com/think/podcasts/techsplainers

Information

  • Creator
    IBM
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    151
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © ibm2026
  • Show Website
    Techsplainers by IBM

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