Establish and Document the Application's Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)

This chapter addresses the Application’s Subject Matter Experts (SMEs): the people with expert knowledge of some aspect of the Application on whom others rely.

Why SMEs Matter

Every Application has people whose knowledge others depend on: the engineer who understands its data model, the business analyst who knows its business rules, the operator who knows how it behaves under month-end load. These SMEs are invaluable, but undocumented reliance on them is a source of key-person risk and Knowledge Debt, as explained in the chapter “Use Application Documentation to Transfer Knowledge and Reduce Key-Person Risk.” Knowing who they are, and what each one knows, is the first step in both using their expertise well and reducing dependence on it.

Establish the Application’s SMEs

Identify the people with expert knowledge of each significant aspect of the Application, such as its business rules, its data, its architecture, specific Integrations, its operation, and its vendor relationship. Confirm with the Application Manager, and with each person, that they have that expertise and accept being relied on for it. Note where an important area of knowledge has only one SME, or none.

Document and Share the Application’s SMEs

Record each SME by name, with current contact details, together with their specific area of expertise, in the Application Documentation. Recording the area of expertise matters: a list of names without areas leaves readers guessing whom to ask. Record areas with only one SME, or none, as Knowledge Debt Items or Risks. Review the list with every Release and whenever an SME changes roles or leaves.

Best Practice: Establish and Document the Application’s SMEs and Their Areas of Expertise

It is a best practice to both establish and document the solution for an Application’s subject matter expertise: identify the people others rely on for knowledge of each significant aspect of the Application, record what each one knows, and record any area that depends on a single person.

Benefits: A documented list of SMEs and their areas of expertise sends questions directly to the right person, rather than circulating until someone recognizes them. It also reveals, in one place, which areas of knowledge depend on a single person, so those dependencies can be reduced before that person becomes unavailable.

Connections to Related IF4IT Practices and Inventories

The Applications Inventory and Attributes describes the stakeholder attributes recorded for each Application, including its Subject Matter Experts.