Making Your SME a Mentor

In today’s business current and accurate information is critical. While everyone does not need to know everything, you do need to know how to access it and to reach the appropriate Subject Matter Expert (SME). The ability for a SME to distribute information and address operational issues directly impacts a company’s productivity, effectiveness, customers’ satisfaction, and bottom line.

Example 1
A medical insurance company is changing how to code a specific procedure. Any claim submitted with the old coding procedure will be rejected and returned. A bulletin on the new coding procedure has been distributed, but performance issues still exist. Clients are calling claim agents asking for explanations. Many of these calls are being escalated. This is taking time, wasting money, and creating problems with customers. When the SME meets with the claim agents to explain the new process, how it is used in specific cases, and answers questions, coding errors decline.

Example 2
Two equipment manufacturers have just merged. While both provide similar and complementary products, each targets a different market.  Salespeople are expected to understand and sell the products from both companies. The problem is, how do you get the salespeople to master the product information and sales process, from the other company? Sales literature and product specifications, from both companies have been distributed, but performance issues still exist. Salespeople are calling HQ asking for help. Many of these calls are being referred to SMEs at both companies. This is taking time, money, creating problems with customers and management teams from both companies. When the SMEs meet with the salespeople to explain the new products, sales process, review specific cases and answers questions the product sales from both companies increase.

How do you address these types of issues without overwhelming the demands on your SMEs?

You do this by having the SME be proactive while, using the appropriate technology. The team at Socrategy, Inc. has researched this and related issues during the past several years and has developed a solution to allow your SME to act as mentor; not just as a depository of information.

Socrategy OnTrack™ is our blended mentoring system platform. From a single location Socrategy OnTrack provides self-paced training, documents, literature, discussion forms and live web meetings. Participants cover the self-directed content at their own schedule.  Live web meetings are then conducted by the SME to address questions, analytical issues, and specific problems. The SME can conduct web meetings, as needed, with a group or individual. Socrategy works with you to develop all content, allowing your SMEs to be SMEs and mentors.

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