Subject Matter Experts
How do you use subject matter experts for requirements?

Choose your Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) with as much care as you apply to any aspect of Requirements Management. The more specialized that person's knowledge, the more useful they will be to you.

Consider a scenario in which the owner of a pizza parlor wants to re-evaluate the steps involved in making a pizza. He might do well to consult a SME on restaurants, but he would do even better with a SME on pizza restaurants. The truly ambitious owner would consult both.

SMEs know what is going on in their field of specialty. They know what works and what does not work. They may also have insights into future trends based on their knowledge past and present best practices.

In that light, the customer who patronizes the pizza parlor would qualify as an expert, as would be the employee with several years experience making pizzas. Both should be consulted for their particular knowledge of the subject. When consulting SMEs, it is best to provide them with the basic information about an organization and let them draw their own conclusions. Give them time to observe and evaluate current practices and procedures. Set a deadline for them to provide their analysis, perhaps, but do not interfere in the information gathering process.

SMEs have a strong voice in determining Business Requirements and must communicate their needs in clear, concise language. Industry jargon confuses the issue and should be broken down in simpler terms.

ClearlyPUT uses subject matter experts as part of their Requirementing.

Summary

Subject Matter Experts do as the title implies and provide specialized knowledge in any number of fields. They know what works and what doesn't work, and have some insight into future trends. They are best given a free rein in information gathering.

Requirementing Steps