SME Redux

An Ode to the SME:

“SME, SME, where art thee,
Are you an Expert at tasks for me,
Are you ... willing and able,
Or merely another mare in the stable,
SME, SME oh please be capable”

So you've found yourself on a project where Current State Analysis is required and there's virtually no existing documentation on the processes or systems that you need to analyze, in order for you to then be able to perform Gap Analysis with Future State Requirements. You have two choices:

1. Ignore the project and hope it falls off the radar. (This choice may get you fired.)
2. Recruit SMEs (Subject Matter Experts) to the project who know the Current State. (This choice may have a "few headaches" along the way, but it won't get you fired ...hopefully.)

One of the main roles of the BA is to deal with SMEs (Subject Matter Experts), to gain details of Current State processes and systems they need to perform analysis on in order to move forward with the project's Future State Analysis and Requirements Gathering. SMEs are the key to any successful project where the BA must perform Current State Analysis. In theory, this should be the case for every project, even if the outcome of the project is net new and the processes are "nonexistent" in current state; in this case your SME would be the stakeholder(s) who will be providing you with Requirements for the Future State. Some may argue that these folks aren't true SMEs, but as I delve further into the topic of SMEs, I'll give you my opinion as to why I treat them as SMEs.

My goal for this section of TheBABook.com is to impart everything I've learned about SMEs over the years. Initially, over my next several posts I'll dig into:

• SME Personality Types Define the different types of SMEs that you will find yourself working.

• Provide you with some tips on how to recognize the various SME Personality Types.
• Discuss tools that you can use to help you enhance coaxing of information out of the various SME Personality Types.
• Review the different types of settings that you can use to gather information from the various SME Personality Types.
• Define a few key phrases or words you should and should not use the various SME Personality Types.

• Provide you with tips on how to determine what is "the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth". Is the information provided by an SME accurate? I'll speak to some ways of ensuring that information from an SME is "the truth".
• Does the SMEs view of the process / systems reflects the "real way things are done", not just the "aspirational way" that things are done? There's always the way things are "suppossed to be done" and the "way things are done". I'll get into some ways that you can ensure you have the "real Current State" documented and not the one that management expects to hear about, but isn't really being followed.
• Has the SME provided a complete picture of the Current State? Finally, we'll get to look at how to reconcile what an SME has to say on a particular topic with:
• Other overlapping SMEs who do the same or similar tasks.
• The overall Enterprise and ensure there are no gaps in the entire process.

SMEs are one of my favourite groups of people to work with, as well as one of my favourite Business Analysis topics to speak to. I'm looking forward to the next several posts!