Consolidating Multiple Smartsheet Trackers and Managing Action Items

Managing multiple project trackers in Smartsheet can be streamlined by organizing them in a single workspace and using consistent structures for related sub-sheets (like action item logs). This guide covers how to do four different things, 1) consolidate sheets into one workspace, 2) how to organize main trackers and sub-sheets, 3) setting up automatic reminders for action items, and 4) ways to sync or extract action items to Google products (Docs and Sheets). Each section provides clear steps and best practices for implementation.

1. Consolidating Multiple Sheets into One Workspace

A Smartsheet Workspace is a container that can hold multiple sheets, reports, and dashboards, making it easier to organize and share your project trackers. Consolidating your sheets into a single workspace offers a central place for your team to access all trackers. Here’s how to do it:

1. Create a New Workspace: In Smartsheet, click the Solution Center (plus icon) and select Create Workspace. Give the workspace a descriptive name (e.g., “Project Portfolio Workspace”). This will serve as the central folder for all your trackers.  Watch this VIDEO
2. Move Existing Sheets into the Workspace: For each of your tracker sheets, right-click the sheet name (in the Home or Sheets directory) and choose Move to Workspace, then select the new workspace. This groups all trackers under one umbrella for easy access.  Watch this VIDEO
3. Organize with Folders (Optional): Inside the workspace, you can create folders to further organize content. For example, create a folder per project or category, and place the main tracker and its sub-sheets (like action items) in that folder. Use clear naming conventions for folders and sheets so that related items are easily identifiable.
4. Manage Sharing and Permissions: Share the workspace with your team (or specific folders/sheets as needed) to grant them access to all trackers at once. This is more efficient than sharing individual sheets one by one. If a user is shared to the workspace, they inherit access to all contained sheets.  Watch this VIDEO
5. Use a Portfolio Report or Dashboard: To get a consolidated view of all projects’ status, consider creating a Smartsheet Report that pulls key info from all tracker sheets. You can configure a report to include rows from multiple sheets (e.g. all tasks across projects or high-level milestones). For example, a Smartsheet report can aggregate data from multiple sheets into one view. This is similar to Excel’s multiple tabs with a summary, and it allows you to see all tracker data in one place without merging the sheets into one. You can then add this report to a dashboard for at-a-glance status across projects.
6. Buiding a Report VIDEO
7. Building a Dashboard VIDEO

(Note: Smartsheet’s “WorkApps” is another native feature that can create a custom app-like interface to combine multiple sheets and reports in one view. This is a premium option that might be useful for a large portfolio.)

2. Organizing Trackers and Related Sub-Sheets (Action Items)

For each main tracker (e.g., a project plan or task tracker), it’s helpful to maintain separate sub-sheets for detailed logs such as Action Items, Risks, or Issues. Here are best practices for organizing these related sheets:

• Use Separate Action Item Sheets per Tracker: If the action items or to-do lists are too detailed to live on the main project sheet, create a dedicated Action Items sheet for each project. This keeps the main tracker focused on high-level tasks while the action log captures granular follow-up items. As one Smartsheet expert suggests, “You could have a separate Action List sheet for each project”. Name each action item sheet clearly (e.g., Project A – Action Items) so it’s associated with its project.  Watch this VIDEO on how to combine multiple sheets
• Alternatively, Use a Master Action Items Sheet: If you prefer a single list of all action items, create one master action item sheet and include a column (dropdown or text) for Project Name or ID. Team members would select which project each action item belongs to. This way, all actions reside in one sheet and can be filtered by project. An expert notes that you can also maintain “a master Action List where you select which project it is”. This approach simplifies reporting on all action items across projects, but it requires discipline in tagging each item with the project.
• Link or Reference Between Main Tracker and Action Log: Maintain clear traceability between a project tracker and its action items:
• In the main tracker sheet, you might include a column or link that points to the action items sheet (e.g., a cell with a hyperlink to “Open Action Items Sheet”). This provides quick navigation for users reviewing the project plan.
• In the action item sheet, include a reference back to the main project or specific task (for example, a column for “Related Task ID/Name”). This context ensures everyone knows how the action item ties into the bigger project.
• Cross-sheet formulas or cell linking can be used to roll up information. For instance, you could use a COUNTIFS formula to count how many open action items exist for a given task or project and display that on the main sheet. Smartsheet allows cell links across sheets, so you could link a status or count from the action log into the main tracker. In practice, setting up such connections often involves “a combination of cell linking and cross-sheet formulas”.
• Consistent Column Structure: Keep your action item sheets consistent in design. Common columns include Action Item Description, Owner/Assignee (contact column), Due Date, Status (e.g., Not Started, In Progress, Completed), and any priority or category fields needed. Consistency makes it easier to manage automation and to create a report that covers all action item sheets.
• Use Reports for Aggregate Views: If you maintain separate action item sheets per project, you can build a Report that pulls all action items assigned to a particular person or due in the next week across all projects. This is useful for managers or team members who want a single to-do list. Because Smartsheet reports can aggregate rows from multiple sheets with the same columns, you can see all action items in one place without merging sheets.
• Templates and Reusability: If you frequently create new projects, consider making a template set: a main project sheet template and an action items sheet template. That way, each new project’s sheets are created consistently. Placing all these in one workspace (as above) keeps them organized.

3. Setting Up Automatic Reminders for Action Items

One of Smartsheet’s strengths is its Automation engine, which can send alerts and reminders based on criteria such as dates. To ensure action items don’t slip through the cracks, set up automatic reminders for upcoming and overdue tasks. Follow these steps:

1. Open the Action Items Sheet: Go to the specific Action Items sheet (or master action log) where you want reminders.
2. Create a New Automation Workflow: Click on the Automation menu and select Create a Workflow (or Manage Workflows to create a new one). Smartsheet offers a template gallery for common automations; you might see a template like “Remind Assignees about tasks due soon” which you can use. Otherwise, start from scratch.
3. Configure the Trigger (Date-Based): Set the workflow’s trigger to “When a date is reached.” In the trigger settings, choose the Date column (e.g., the Due Date column on your action items). Then choose when to trigger. For example, you can select “Run once, 2 days before” the due date (or 1 week before, etc.). Smartsheet allows you to pick a number of days before or after the date. (You may need to scroll in the date dropdown to find options like “1 week before”.) By setting “2 days before Due Date”, the workflow will trigger on each row two days prior to its due date.
4. Set Conditions (Optional): You can refine which rows send reminders. For example, add a condition: Status is not Complete (so that only incomplete items trigger alerts). You might also add “Assigned To is not blank” to ensure only tasks with an owner send alerts.
5. Define the Action (Alert or Reminder): Choose an action such as “Alert someone”. In the alert settings:
• Under “Recipients”, select “Send to contacts in a cell” and choose the Assignee/Owner column. This ensures the notification goes directly to the person responsible.
• Customize the message if desired. For instance: “Reminder: Action item "{{Action Item}}" is due on {{Due Date}}. Please update the status or complete this item.”
• You can also CC additional people or set it to send to a fixed email or contact list (e.g. the project manager) if needed.
6. Save the Workflow: Name it clearly (e.g., “Due Date Reminder – 2 Days Before”) and turn it on. Smartsheet will now automatically email or notify the assignee two days before their task is due, including a link to the row.
7. Setup Additional Reminders (Best Practice): Often, one reminder isn’t enough. Consider adding:
• A day-of-due-date reminder: Create another automation: Trigger “When a date is reached -> run once on the due date (0 days before)” with similar conditions, to ping the owner on the due date if still not complete.
• An overdue alert: Trigger “When a date is reached -> 1 day after” (or use a condition like due date in the past) to notify assignee or escalate to a manager that the item is overdue.
• Weekly digests or recurring reminders: Smartsheet can also do recurring date triggers. For example, you can set a workflow trigger to “Run every Monday at 9:00 AM” and then as conditions include all rows where Status is not Complete and Due Date is in the past week or coming week. This would send a weekly summary or batch of reminders. (This approach requires a bit more setup with conditions or helper fields, but can be useful for summary notifications. In a community example, a user scheduled a workflow for every Thursday and used conditions to catch items due in a week.)
8. Test the Automation: It’s wise to test with a sample row. Set a due date a day or two from now and ensure the assigned person (maybe yourself in a test) receives the email at the expected time. Adjust timing or messaging as needed.
9. Watch this VIDEO

Tips:

• Reminders from Smartsheet will appear as emails (or push notifications in the app) listing the row details. Encourage users to update the sheet when they get a reminder (you can even use the “Request an Update” action instead of a simple alert – this way the email contains an Update Form for that row).
• Smartsheet automations are row-based, meaning each row’s date will trigger its own alert when criteria are met. Only the assignee of that row (and whoever else you designate) will get the email, not everyone in the sheet.
• Be careful not to spam users with too many emails. It’s best to plan a couple of key reminders (e.g., one a few days before due, one on due date) rather than daily pings, unless truly needed for critical items.

4. Extracting or Syncing Action Items from Smartsheet to Google Products

Sometimes you may want to generate a document (or a portion of a document) that lists action items – for example, a weekly status report in Google Docs that includes all open action items. Smartsheet doesn’t natively sync to Google Docs in real-time, but there are both native tools and third-party integrations that can help you export or sync data from Smartsheet to a Google Doc.

Option 1: Smartsheet for Google Docs (Add-on)

Smartsheet provides a Google Docs add-on called “Smartsheet for Google Docs” which allows a form of mail-merge from Smartsheet to a Docs template. With this add-on, you can take your Smartsheet data and automatically insert it into a Google Doc format. According to Smartsheet’s description, “Smartsheet for Google Docs is a Google Docs add-on that allows you to create invoices, form letters, envelopes, or other documents from your Smartsheet data”. In practice, you would:

• Install the Smartsheet for Google Docs add-on from the Google Workspace Marketplace (it’s free and built by Smartsheet).
• In Google Docs, design a template document with placeholders for your Smartsheet fields (for example, a table or bullet list structure for action items, using placeholder tags like <>).
• Use the add-on to connect to your Smartsheet and select the sheet (or report) containing action items. You can then generate a Google Doc that replaces the placeholders with actual Smartsheet data, essentially creating a snapshot of the action items.
• This is useful for creating a one-time or periodic document (e.g., a meeting minutes doc that includes the latest action items). It’s not an auto-sync; you would run the merge whenever you need an updated doc. However, it automates the tedious copy/paste process by pulling live data at the time of generation. It’s like a mail merge, allowing you to “create multiple Google documents in a snap” from Smartsheet data.

Use case: For instance, before a team meeting, you could run the add-on to generate a Google Doc agenda that contains a section listing all open action items from Smartsheet. This Google Doc can then be shared or further edited for the meeting.

Get Smartsheet for Google Docs add-on from HERE

Option 2: Automated Integration with Zapier or Make

Watch this VIDEO

For a more continuous or automated sync between Smartsheet and Google Docs, third-party integration platforms like Zapier or Make (Integromat) are very effective. These services can watch for changes in Smartsheet and update a Google Doc accordingly, with no manual intervention after setup. Here are a couple of approaches using these tools:

• Append to a Google Doc for each new action item: Using Zapier, you can set up a “Zap” with Smartsheet as the trigger and Google Docs as the action. For example, trigger “New Row in Smartsheet” (or “New or Updated Row”) on your Action Items sheet. For each new action item, have the Zap append text to a specific Google Doc. Zapier’s Google Docs integration provides an action called “Append Text to Document” which will add text to an existing doc. You could format the appended text to include key fields (e.g., “Project X – Task Y – Owner: John – Due: 5/30/2025”). Over time, the Google Doc will build a running list of all action items added. This effectively creates a log in Docs that mirrors your Smartsheet.
• Create a new Google Doc from a template for each row or update: Alternatively, use Zapier to generate separate documents. Zapier has a action “Create Document from Template” in Google Docs. For instance, “whenever a new row is added in Smartsheet, a document is instantly created from a template in Google Docs”. You prepare a Google Doc template with placeholders (like {{ActionItem}}, {{DueDate}}), and Zapier will make a copy of that template for the new action item, populating those fields. This might be overkill for every single action item (it would create many documents), but it could be useful for certain workflows (like generating an individual task briefing or ticket).
• Scheduled syncs or summaries: With Make.com (or even Zapier’s scheduling), you could set up a scenario that runs every day or week, pulls all “open” action items from Smartsheet via its API, and then writes them into a Google Doc (either replacing the content or appending). Make tends to allow more complex logic (like clearing a doc then adding a fresh list each time).

Tip: When using these integrations, ensure you have the proper access tokens/API connections set up for Smartsheet and Google. Zapier and Make provide a no-code interface: you authenticate both accounts, then define triggers and actions. Keep in mind Zapier’s free plan checks for new data every 15 minutes (which is usually fine for action items). Make can run scenarios on schedules or triggers as well.

The result of an integration is a near-real-time reflection of Smartsheet data in Google Docs. For example, as soon as an action item is added or marked done in Smartsheet, the linked Google Doc could update to add or update that item (depending on how the Zap is configured). This is great for dynamic documentation or for stakeholders who prefer Google Docs over Smartsheet.

Option 3: Using the Smartsheet API (Custom Solution)

For those with technical resources, the Smartsheet API gives full access to read sheet data and even update Google Docs via Google’s API. A custom script (in Python, JavaScript, etc.) could extract action items and push them to a Google Doc. This approach is highly customizable:

• You might write a Google Apps Script that periodically pulls data from Smartsheet (using Smartsheet’s API and an API token) and writes to a Google Doc or Google Sheet.
• Or use a scripting environment (AWS Lambda, Google Cloud Function, or a simple script on a schedule) to generate a Google Doc report from Smartsheet data.

This method is powerful but requires coding. It may be unnecessary if Zapier or the Google Docs add-on covers your needs, but it's good to know it's possible. (For example, an API script could compile all open action items, sort them by project or owner, and format a Google Doc with tables or lists exactly as you want.)

Learn more HERE

Option 4: Export/Manual Methods (for completeness):

If an automated sync is not critical, you can always export your Smartsheet data and use it in Google Docs:

• Simply export the Action Items sheet to Excel or Google Sheets (Smartsheet has a “Export to Google Sheet” option if you have linked your Google account). Once in Google Sheets, you can copy/paste or use the Google Sheets → Google Docs linking (e.g., copy a table from Sheets to Docs with a link for updating).
• Or copy rows from Smartsheet and paste into a Google Doc table. This is manual but quick for one-off needs.
  These manual methods work for static reports or one-time documentation (like an end-of-month report that lists all action items closed this month).

Summary of Integrations: The native Smartsheet for Google Docs add-on is excellent for generating polished documents from Smartsheet data using templates (similar to mail merge). Zapier and Make provide automated, ongoing syncing – for instance, appending each new Smartsheet row to a Google Doc is a straightforward Zapier workflow. When choosing an approach, consider how often you need the sync and who the audience is. For collaborative, real-time needs, a live Smartsheet or a published Smartsheet report might even suffice. But if the audience lives in Google Workspace, the above methods will bridge Smartsheet to Google Docs effectively.

Conclusion

Bringing multiple Smartsheet trackers into one workspace is a foundational step to better manage projects – it centralizes resources and simplifies sharing. Each project tracker can be paired with sub-sheets (like action logs) for detailed tracking, either kept separate per project or consolidated in a master log, depending on your workflow. Smartsheet’s automation capabilities then ensure nothing falls through the cracks by sending timely reminders to owners about upcoming or overdue action items. Finally, while Smartsheet excels at tracking internally, you have options to push or pull that data into Google Docs for reporting or collaboration outside of Smartsheet. Using the Smartsheet for Google Docs add-on or integration tools like Zapier/Make, you can automate the extraction of action items into documents, saving time and reducing manual effort.

By following these structured steps and best practices, you’ll set up a robust system where project information is organized, actionable, and easily shareable, leveraging the strengths of Smartsheet’s native features alongside the flexibility of external integrations. Good luck with your setup, and enjoy a more streamlined project tracking experience!

You may find this of value: Real-Live, One on One Support, via the Web

7 Powerful Features of Perplexity That Set It Apart

Watch video HERE 

In the ever-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence tools, Perplexity stands out as a versatile and powerful platform that can enhance productivity, streamline research, and foster innovation. Here, we outline seven compelling features of Perplexity that make it a must-have tool for anyone looking to harness the power of AI effectively.

NOTE: Some of these features require the Pro version but many are available from the free version.

1. Multi-Model Access 

One of the standout features of Perplexity is its ability to provide access to multiple AI models. Unlike other platforms that restrict users to a single model, Perplexity allows you to choose from a variety of top AI large language models (LLMs), including its own Sonar fast model, Claude, ChatGPT 4.1, Gemini 2.5 Pro, and Grok 3.0. This flexibility means you can select the best model for your specific needs, whether it’s for writing, coding, or research.

2. Automatic Model Selection

Perplexity takes the guesswork out of choosing the right model for each task. With its "best model" feature, the platform automatically selects the most suitable AI model based on your query. This means you can focus on your work without worrying about which tool to use, saving both time and money by consolidating multiple subscriptions into one.

3. Comprehensive Source Selection

The platform's sources button allows users to customize where their information is sourced from. You can toggle between web searches, academic papers, social discussions, and SEC filings. This feature enables you to conduct targeted research, ensuring that you gather the most relevant and credible information for your projects.

4. Deep Research Functionality 

Perplexity excels in deep research capabilities, allowing users to ask complex questions and receive detailed answers. You can specify the sources you want to include in your research, making it easy to gather insights from specific areas, such as social media or academic literature. This feature is particularly useful for entrepreneurs and researchers looking to validate ideas or identify market gaps.

5. AI-Powered Project Development 

The platform includes a unique "labs" feature that enables users to collaborate with AI agents to develop business plans, brand identities, and even minimum viable product (MVP) features. By inputting your ideas, Perplexity can generate comprehensive project outlines, market opportunities, and competitive analyses, streamlining the process of bringing your concepts to life.

6. Image Generation Capabilities 

Perplexity integrates image generation directly into its platform, allowing users to create visuals alongside their text-based queries. This feature is particularly beneficial for content creators and marketers who need to produce graphics quickly and efficiently. The ability to generate images in conjunction with text makes Perplexity a comprehensive tool for various creative projects.

7. Custom Spaces and Automation 

The "spaces" feature allows users to create custom projects tailored to their specific needs. You can add instructions, files, and links to provide context for your AI interactions. Furthermore, Perplexity offers automation capabilities, enabling users to set up tasks that deliver relevant content at scheduled times. This feature is ideal for keeping track of trends and ensuring that you receive timely updates on topics of interest.

Conclusion 

Perplexity is more than just an AI tool; it’s a comprehensive platform designed to enhance productivity and streamline research. With its multi-model access, automatic model selection, and deep research capabilities, it empowers users to tackle complex projects with ease. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, researcher, or content creator, the powerful features of Perplexity can help you achieve your goals more efficiently. Embrace the future of AI with Perplexity and unlock your full potential today!

You may find this helpful: AI Essentials for Project Managers

1. Create the Grid (Sheet)

• Go to Smartsheet and create a new Grid.
• Add columns like:
• Employee Name
• Department/Team
• Start Date (Date column)
• End Date (Date column)
• Type of PTO (Vacation, Sick, etc.)
• Status (Pending, Approved, Denied)
• Notes/Comments

·         How To Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgvtNUSVrQM

2. Create the Form

• In the grid, click Forms > Create Form.
• Add the fields you want employees to fill out (e.g., Name, Start/End Dates, PTO Type).
• Make sure Start Date and End Date are required.
• Customize the form title and description as needed.
• Share the form link with your team.
• How To Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtZcglXeyKQ

3. Enable Calendar View

• In the same sheet, click the Calendar View tab.
• Smartsheet will ask which date column to use — choose Start Date and optionally End Date.
• Now, PTO entries will appear on a calendar.
• How To Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PCCntAM0M8

4. Share the Calendar

• You can share the sheet with Viewer access so others can see the calendar but not edit the grid.
• Or, publish the calendar view (via File > Publish) and share the link.
• How To Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWNn8BMwkIs

You may find this of value:

Real-Live, One on One Support, via the Web

How to Create an AI Agent that Functions as a Subject Matter Expert on Your Team

Executive Summary

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is evolving beyond simple chatbots and predictive dashboards into the realm of domain-specialized advisory. 

Creating an AI agent that functions as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) on your team can significantly enhance decision-making, improve efficiency, and reduce dependency on human specialists for routine inquiries. 

These agents augment human expertise, streamlining workflows and providing real-time, context-aware insights. 

While enterprise LLM pilots saw significant growth between 2023-2025, the demand is shifting from generic copilots to domain-grounded agents that can reason over proprietary data and external best practices. Building such an agent requires disciplined knowledge engineering, robust governance, and intentional change management.

1. Defining the AI SME Agent

An AI SME agent is a software system designed to understand, reason, and advise within a narrowly scoped knowledge domain. This could be fields like earned-value management, pharmacovigilance, cloud cost optimization, legal, finance, healthcare, IT, customer support, or engineering. They are conversational or task-based agents trained on domain-specific data.

Key capabilities of an AI SME include:

• Natural language dialogue and questioning.
• Retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) over curated knowledge bases.
• Tool invocation (search, calculations, simulations) to extend reasoning.
• Continuous learning loop for feedback and emerging knowledge.
• Information Retrieval & Synthesis: Quickly accessing and summarizing vast amounts of data.
• Contextual Understanding: Interpreting queries within a specific domain.
• Problem-Solving & Analysis: Assisting with diagnostics or identifying patterns.
• Decision Support: Providing data-driven insights.
• Knowledge Transfer: Disseminating specialized knowledge.

It's crucial to distinguish AI SME agents from general AI assistants due to their specialized training, narrow domain focus, and deep understanding. Before development, you must clarify the domain & scope, use cases, interaction style, and accuracy requirements.

2. Core Components and Architecture

Building an AI SME requires several key components working together:

• Knowledge Base & Data Sources: This is the foundation, requiring a curated corpus of policies, procedures, wikis, presentations, recordings, structured data like databases and FAQs, unstructured data like PDFs and case files, and potentially live data feeds. Most organizations underestimate data readiness, expecting 40–60 % of time spent on data wrangling. Data should be tagged and structured for retrieval, ensuring data privacy and compliance. Ontology and knowledge graph development help structure this knowledge.
• Language Model: A foundation LLM (e.g., OpenAI GPT-4o, Anthropic Claude 3 Opus) forms the reasoning core. This model is fine-tuned or augmented with domain-specific data using techniques like RAG, few-shot or zero-shot prompting, and custom embeddings. You can choose between hosted LLMs or open-source models for deployment flexibility.
• Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG): A critical technique to ensure up-to-date, factual, and cited responses. RAG involves using a vector database (e.g., Qdrant, Weaviate, Pinecone) to fetch relevant documents based on the user's query. Fine-grained permissions must be baked into the RAG pipeline to prevent leaks. Chunking documents intentionally and embedding with a model aligned to the target LLM minimizes mismatch.
• Interface & Integration: How users interact and how the agent connects to other systems. This can include Slack/Teams bots, web chats, REST APIs for system-to-system calls, and plugins for document search or task automation. Connecting to internal tools (CRM, ERP, BI dashboards, project-management systems like Jira, MS Project) via APIs is essential.
• Orchestration Layer: An agent framework (like LangChain Agents, CrewAI) routing user intents to tools or the knowledge base.
• Reasoning Layer: The LLM combined with policy-aligned system prompts.

Hard Truth: Your cloud bill scales quadratically with context window abuse. Token discipline is a design requirement, not an afterthought. Domain taxonomies & ontologies are also crucial; if you don’t define the vocabulary, the model will.

3. Development Roadmap

Creating an AI SME agent typically follows a multi-phase roadmap:

• Phase 1: Define Scope and Use Cases: Prioritize moments of high cognitive load or knowledge bottleneck. Identify high-impact tasks like onboarding, compliance checks, or technical Q&A. Interview SMEs to understand workflows and pain points. Prioritize based on ROI and feasibility.
• Phase 2: Data Collection and Curation: Aggregate and clean internal documents, past queries, and expert responses. Perform a content inventory and gap analysis. Convert unstructured assets (PPT, PDF, video) into machine-readable text and add metadata. Ensure data quality, consistency, and format.
• Phase 3: Model Selection and Customization/Training: Select the foundation model evaluating provider roadmaps, latency SLAs, and compliance posture. Decide whether to use hosted or open-source models. Fine-tune or instruct-tune on domain Q&A pairs, avoiding overfitting small datasets. Leverage NLP for understanding queries and generating responses.
• Phase 4: Build and Test the Agent: Develop a prototype, integrating with vector databases. Build the RAG pipeline, chunking documents intentionally and using aligned embedding models. Integrate tools and workflows, connecting to systems via APIs and implementing tools like calculators. Conduct user testing with SMEs and iterate.
• Phase 5: Deployment and Monitoring/Iteration: Roll out in stages (pilot → team-wide). Run champion pilots and track the deflection of SME inquiries. Monitor performance based on accuracy, latency, and user satisfaction. Implement automated evaluations for factuality and citation accuracy. Continuously update the knowledge base and retrain as needed. Processes for ongoing model training and refinement should be in place.

An important step often layered throughout is Guardrails, Evaluation, and Continuous Learning. This includes Human-in-the-loop (HITL) review for critical responses in early phases and establishing user feedback loops.

4. Challenges and Considerations

Several challenges must be addressed:

• Hallucination Risk: Inaccurate responses can lead to wrong decisions and rework. Mitigate this with RAG, citations, post-answer verification chains, and human review.
• Data Security & Privacy: Risk of regulatory fines and IP loss. Ensure encryption, access control, and compliance (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA). Implement per-user authorization and redact PII before embedding. On-premise deployment can help with privacy concerns.
• Change Management & User Adoption: Resistance and lack of trust can hinder adoption. Train users, manage expectations, and foster adoption. Retrain roles so SMEs become model mentors, not replaced personnel. Provide clear use cases and training sessions.
• Data Quality and Availability: The "garbage in, garbage out" principle means poor data leads to poor performance. Expect significant time dedicated to data wrangling.
• Bias and Fairness: Potential biases in training data can lead to unfair outputs. Audit model outputs and ensure inclusive data.
• Cost Overruns: Can lead to budget blowouts. Implement context-window budgeting, caching, and compression. Remember token discipline is key.
• Model Drift: Eroded trust over time. Requires scheduled re-evaluations and rolling fine-tunes.
• Risk & Compliance: Hallucination and outdated advice are operational risks. A risk & compliance framework is necessary.
• Integration with Existing Systems: Compatibility and interoperability can be challenging.
• Human-AI Collaboration: Defining the optimal workflow between humans and the AI agent.
• Maintenance and Governance: Ongoing effort is required to keep the agent relevant and effective. Budget for refactoring, allocating ~20% of run-rate for maintenance.

5. Benefits and ROI

Integrating an AI SME agent offers significant benefits:

• Enhanced Productivity and Efficiency: Reduced time spent on research and information gathering, faster problem resolution, and automation of routine expert tasks. Case studies show reductions in documentation lookup time and improved onboarding speed.
• Improved Decision-Making: Access to more comprehensive and data-driven insights. Faster decision loops have been observed in pilot projects.
• Knowledge Scalability and Retention: Preserving institutional knowledge and making expert knowledge accessible 24/7.
• Reduced Human Expert Burnout: Freeing up human SMEs to focus on higher-value, complex, or creative tasks. Agents can provide a 30–50 % reduction in direct SME interrupts.
• Consistent Information and Advice: Ensuring standardized responses and adherence to best practices.
• Accelerated Onboarding and Training: Junior staff can reach mid-level competence sooner.

A Project Management SME agent case study showed over 2,000 advisory sessions with an 87% helpful rating and identified schedule risk weeks earlier than manual review.

6. Implementation Best Practices

To ensure successful implementation:

• Start narrow, scale later. Win a clear business outcome with a focused problem or pilot use case before adding domains.
• Codify tacit knowledge early. Interview retiring experts and capture rationale.
• Own your evaluation pipeline. Do not outsource trust metrics to your vendor.
• Budget for refactoring. Model and prompt pairings will require maintenance.
• Involve Human SMEs Early and Often. Their input is crucial for data curation and validation. Assemble a cross-functional team including AI/ML, IT, and domain experts.
• Prioritize explainability and transparency. Users need to understand how the agent arrived at its answers.
• Establish clear governance and oversight. Define roles and responsibilities for managing the agent.
• Continuous monitoring and improvement. Regularly evaluate performance and update the agent.
• Focus on augmentation, not replacement. Position the AI agent as a tool to empower human teams.
• Ensure security and compliance.

7. Conclusion

Building an AI agent that truly behaves as a Subject Matter Expert is less about "sprinkling LLM magic" and more about disciplined knowledge engineering, robust governance, and intentional change management. Organizations that treat the agent as a living system—refined, measured, and mentored—will convert expertise scarcity into a scalable advantage. This strategic initiative can transform how teams access and apply knowledge, creating trusted collaborators that enhance human expertise and drive innovation. The future is a collaborative one where human expertise is amplified by intelligent AI systems.

You may find this helpful: AI Essentials for Project Managers

How I’d Run the Show as an “Agent Boss”

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Spoiler Alert!!  Within a few quarters, every knowledge worker who’s worth their paycheck will lead a digital squad of AI Agents. That’s not hype, it’s the logical next step in the productivity arms-race. Your resume won’t just list certifications and war-stories; it’ll showcase the agents you designed, what they’ve delivered, and the cash or hours they saved.

Below is how I, a battle-tested project management consultant, would structure this new reality. No fluff, just the playbook.

1. Start with your biggest bottleneck. What dataset, inbox, or SharePoint graveyard routinely drags you down? Point your first agent at that pile and tell it exactly what insights you expect back.

2. Write a job description like you would for a junior analyst. Spell out the business outcome, not vague “assist me” nonsense. If the agent can’t trace each step to a KPI, you’re still in toy-land.

3. Version fast. Your v1 prompt will be wrong.  This is fine. Iterate until the agent’s output is at least “intern-grade” before you deploy it to anyone else.

• Low-risk, rules-based work? One human can corral dozens of agents; drop tasks to them with a simple @-mention and go.

• Cross-system actions or anything customer-facing? Tighten the leash. You’ll need more human eyeballs per agent until the process matures.

• Strategic or relationship-heavy calls? Keep that on your desk....for now. Use agents to prep the data, but final decisions stay human.

A litmus test I use: if a miss can be fixed with an apology email and a refund, let the agent handle it. If it could tank a client relationship, step in.

1. Upskill, don’t uninstall. When an agent flops, tighten the prompt or feed it fresher data before you consider scrapping it.

2. Set crystal-clear expectations. Agents are brutally literal; ambiguity is on you. State the goal, the context, the data source, and the definition of “done.”

3. Run performance reviews. Copilot Studio or your analytics stack should show throughput, error rate, and most important; business impact. If an agent isn’t moving a needle called revenue, margin, or risk, either retrain it or kill it.

4. Scale what works. Once an agent reliably saves hours or spots revenue, clone the pattern across other functions. ROI compounds quickly when you replicate proven blueprints.

The scoreboard doesn’t care whether the solution was obvious or surprising. Did the agent surface something humans missed? Did it accelerate delivery? Measure that, broadcast wins, and keep hunting for the next task to automate.

In the frontier firm, every professional is effectively the CEO of a tiny digital workforce. Build strategically, delegate intelligently, and manage relentlessly. Do that, and you’re not just coping with AI....you’re compounding its value, quarter after quarter.

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