Key Points

• Subject matter experts are individuals who have a deep understanding of a specific subject.
• They can be external or internal resources, depending on the scope and breadth of the project.
• You’ll want to lean on their expertise when going through process improvement.

So, you’ve decided to tackle a key process improvement project. You have your problem statement and scope set up, and now you need to determine who will be assigned to the core project team. Who needs to be on the team to maximize your probability of success? There’s a term for those individuals: subject matter experts.

An Overview: What Are Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)?

A subject matter expert, or SME, is a person who possesses a deep understanding of a particular subject. The subject in question can be anything, such as a job, department, function, process, piece of equipment, software solution, material, historical information, and more.

Subject matter experts may have collected their knowledge through intensive levels of schooling or years of professional experience with the subject. The SME has a level of understanding regarding their subject that is not common knowledge, making the person quite valuable to an organization.

Subject matter experts are especially important in process improvement efforts. They often have a great deal of process knowledge that’s not documented. They also can save you time by identifying inadequate solutions proposed by other members of the team during the solution selection stage of the project.

Other Uses for SMEs

SMEs can also make ideal trainers. Thanks to their intimate understanding of the subject, they can explain and demonstrate the process in ways that can minimize the training curve for those without years of experience. In-depth levels of practical training help cut down on the number of mistakes new hires make during the onboarding process, flattening the learning curve. 

Subject matter experts are also found outside of an organization — they may operate more like consultants. For example, many subject matter experts make a living making court appearances and testifying on subjects that can make a substantial difference to a verdict. 

A Helping Hand

SMEs serve a vital purpose in any process development. With a working and comprehensive knowledge of the subject matter at hand, you can lean on their expertise to further integrate that educational foundation into your organization. Further, SMEs can develop organically from within the organization itself.

3 Best Practices When Working With SMEs

1. If your SME is internal to your organization, be sure to value their experience, especially if they’re the only person who possesses key pieces of information. Many SMEs possess tribal knowledge, knowledge that is undocumented and passed down verbally or in practice. If a key SME leaves the organization through layoff, accident, or new job opportunity, it could potentially affect the organization’s ability to perform. 

2. Always be developing your talent, turning key individuals into SMEs over time. Support their efforts to continue educating themselves, to try out new ideas, and to share their insights with other team members.

3. There will always be times when you need an SME who is external to your organization. Try to build a network of these different types of SMEs so you can minimize the time it takes to contact and contract one when the time arises.

Other Useful Tools and Concepts

Looking for some extra tools to improve your processes? You’re in the right place for the tools and concepts to supercharge your organization. Understanding process cycle efficiency is a great way to visualize and quantify the waste in your processes.

Further, understanding how to implement standard work is a great way of developing quality within your corporate culture. It can be time-consuming, but developing this sort of documentation is a great way to see returns on the investment.

Conclusion

The many years of knowledge that a subject matter expert has built makes them invaluable resources within their community. These individuals can use their deep understanding of a subject to assist with challenging situations, such as understanding key failures regarding subject or process improvement efforts. Make efforts to recognize the value of any subject matter experts in your organization.