SCAMPER is a methodology for generating ideas. It can be useful both for developing new ideas and for refining existing ones.
This methodology is based on the idea that everything new is well forgotten old. It proposes to develop creative solutions with the help of existing ones. The method was proposed in 1197 by Bob Eberle.
SCAMPER is an acronym where each letter stands for one of the techniques that can be applied to develop a new idea.
An old product, business or something else is taken as a basis. You are then asked to think about how it could be changed.
S - Substitute. Anything and anyone can be substituted, from parts and materials to the target audience. For example, if you replace plastic with biodegradable materials, you can attract environmentally-oriented customers.
C - Combine implies the use of unrelated things. For example, combining different ingredients to make new flavors of juice or yogurt is quite common.
A - Adapt. Adapting products and processes to new conditions. This strategy is particularly suited to an environment of rapid change, and helps companies stay competitive. Example - increasing the number of
vegetarian dishes on the menu in order to attract new customers.
M - Modify. To change elements of a product or business. For example, modifying a car engine to make it faster.
P - Put to Other Uses. Something old can be used again or in a different context. For example, food waste can be used to make fertilizer and paper can be recycled and used again.
E - Eliminate. It involves removing unnecessary elements from products, business models or processes. At this stage it is worth considering whether there is an element (or several) in the product that can be painlessly eliminated?
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R - Rearrange or Reverse.What happens if you swap elements of a process or product? For example, in training, swap theory and practice. The point of this step is to turn the process upside down if necessary.
How to apply the SCAMPER methodology
First, you need to formulate the problem to be solved. For example, "make the institution more popular in three months". Now you need to answer the supporting questions. For each of the seven points, there are many of them. Some questions may even be repeated, but you don't have to answer all of them, the main thing is that they should give you the right idea.
S - Substitute:
- What can be replaced in this product?
- What materials can be used instead of the current ones?
- Can one supplier be replaced with another?
- What components or features can be replaced with more efficient ones?
- Can other tools or technologies be used?
- What steps in the process can be replaced to speed things up?
- Is there a similar product that can be used in place of the current one?
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C - Combine:
- What products or services can be combined to create something new?
- Can features be combined to make a product more versatile?
- Can you join forces with another company for a joint project?
- What ideas or concepts can be combined to create a new solution?
- Can marketing channels be combined to increase reach?
- Can different steps in the process be combined to increase efficiency?
- What skills or knowledge can be combined in a team to achieve better results?
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A - Adapt:
- How can this product be adapted for other markets?
- How can the process be adapted to new conditions?
- Can we use experience from other industries to improve the product?
- How can we adapt product features for new users?
- How can we adapt the sales strategy to changes in the market?
- What elements can be changed to keep the product in line with current trends?
- How can we adapt the current business model to meet new challenges?
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M - Modify:
- What elements can be changed to improve the product?
- Can the size of the product be increased or decreased?
- What features can be modified to improve the user experience?
- Can the quantity or quality of materials used be changed to reduce costs?
- How can the design be changed to make it more attractive?
- Can the life of the product be increased or decreased?
- What processes can be modified?
P - Put to Other Uses:
- How else can this product be used?
- Can the product be used in a different industry?
- Can existing resources be used in a different way?
- Can the product be offered for use by a different target audience?
- Can new applications be found for the technology used in the product?
- How can the product be used outside of its primary function?
E - Eliminate:
- Can unnecessary steps in the process be eliminated?
- What product elements can be eliminated to reduce cost?
- Can intermediaries be removed from the supply chain?
- Can some marketing channels be eliminated to optimize the budget?
- What materials can be eliminated to simplify production?
- What responsibilities can be eliminated to keep employees focused on what's important?
- What documents can be eliminated from the process?
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R - Rearrange or Reverse (rearrange or reverse the order):
- What happens if you change the order of the process steps?
- Can you change the roles of employees in a project?
- What happens if you start the process from the end?
- Can you swap different elements of a product?
- Can you change your sales strategy by starting from a different step?
- What happens if you change the sequence of activities?
Thus, SCAMPER is ideal for finding solutions aimed at
evolution of a product or service. But if you are facing a task that requires a completely different approach, it is better to pay attention to other methods of idea generation.