Applying the SCAMPER Method to Innovate in Your Business
Innovation
SCAMPER Method: A Practical and Easy-to-Use Tool for Innovation
The SCAMPER method or technique was created by Bob Eberlee in 1971 as an educational tool to develop creative thinking in children. It is based on the earlier work of Alex Osborne, the creator of the Brainstorming method, which you are likely familiar with.
Although the book originally published by Bob Eberlee includes exercises for a classroom of young children, the technique itself has become widely used in the business world.
The SCAMPER technique is a method for generating ideas to develop new products, services, and processes or to improve existing ones. Its goal is to enhance creativity in individuals in any environment. It involves seeking answers to seven key questions designed to help understand how to innovate and improve.
The name SCAMPER is an acronym for seven English words, each corresponding to one of the seven key questions considered in the exercise.
The Seven Questions
The process should always start with a very specific goal. Whether it’s improving a product or service, streamlining a process, or designing a new product or service, the objective must be clearly defined for the exercise to be meaningful and effective.
Once the objective is established, ideas are generated by answering the seven key questions. Below, you’ll find examples related to each question. These are not exhaustive but are meant to give you a sense of each topic:
Substitute
How can the product or service be replaced with an alternative to meet the same need?
Can parts of the product or service be replaced with options that would make it more efficient?
Can you substitute systems or processes currently used to produce it?
Could you replace team members working on it to better leverage strengths and skills?
Combine
How can this product, service, or process be combined with another (existing or new) to better meet customer needs?
Can processes involved in this product or service be combined to reduce production time?
Can multiple customer needs be addressed with a single product or service?
Adapt
Can the product or service be adapted for new uses that satisfy other customer needs?
Can parts of the product or service be changed to make it more efficient?
Can costs, production time, or delivery time be reduced by adapting parts of the product or service?
Can the production process be modified in some way to improve it?
Modify
What can you change about the product or service to improve it?
What changes could make the process more efficient?
Can the team producing or delivering the product or service be modified?
What changes would better address the evolving needs of customers?
Can the technologies used for this product or service be updated?
Propose New Uses
What other uses could the customer find for the product or service to meet new needs?
What new uses could the production line itself have to better utilize resources?
Eliminate
Is it possible to eliminate the product or service without compromising customer satisfaction?
Could certain features or benefits of the product or service be removed?
Which steps in the production chain could be eliminated to reduce costs or time?
Reorganize
Is it feasible to change the order of the production chain to achieve better results?
Can the service be restructured for a more coherent flow for the customer?
Could the workspace be reorganized to benefit the production process?
Key Considerations
The questions provided for each point are merely examples. The number of questions you can ask is infinite, as creative thinking naturally generates new inquiries on each topic.
The main idea is to analyze the product, service, or process from different angles, scrutinize it closely, and break it down as much as possible to identify the best options for improvement. These improvements might target:
Quality: Better meeting customer needs.
Differentiation: Offering new, unique benefits.
Cost: Saving time, wages, or materials.
A Few Rules
Teamwork Enriches the Process: Although the method was designed for group work, it can also be applied individually. However, the diversity of perspectives within a team will undoubtedly enhance the outcome.
Flexible Order: It’s unnecessary to follow the seven questions in sequence. You can jump between topics as ideas flow.
Suspend Judgment: Avoid judging any ideas during the brainstorming process. Write down all ideas and group them based on the question they address.
Next Steps
After completing the creative idea generation phase—typically around 20 to 30 minutes—discuss the ideas and select the best ones. The team can then continue working on developing these ideas for potential application to improve the company’s products, services, and processes.
Have you used this tool before? Did it bring you any benefits in your business?