SCAMPER
Ideas from asking how today’s process could change
- PhaseIdeate
- Group3 to 12 people
- Time40 minutes
- SettingRoom or remote
- ExecutivesYes
What it is
SCAMPER is a set of prompts applied to an existing process or product: Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate and Reverse. It is associated with Bob Eberle, building on a checklist by Alex Osborn. Each prompt pushes the group to look at the same thing differently.
When to use it
When there is a process today and you want to improve or rethink it, using the Current-State Workflow Map as the starting point.
When to skip it
When there is no current process, as with a new service. Use Borrowed Ideas or Headline from the Future.
How to run it
- 5 minPut the current process on the wall.
- 25 minWork through the seven lenses, three to four minutes each. Write every idea on a note.
- 10 minStar the ideas that change the work the most.
About 40 minutes of method time. Add ten to fifteen minutes to open and close the session.
What to watch for
Using only “Substitute” to mean “replace with AI”. Skipping Eliminate, which is often the most valuable lens.
The AI lens
Try Eliminate before Automate. A task that disappears needs no AI. For every idea ask which part a person should keep.
What you leave with
A set of variations on today’s process, with the most promising starred.
An example
Applied to a manual approval step, Eliminate asks whether the step is needed at all before anyone asks how to automate it. Often the best AI project is a process that no longer needs doing.
How it compares
SCAMPER improves something that exists. Borrowed Ideas looks outside the field for solutions to a similar problem.
Related methods
Questions
What is SCAMPER?
SCAMPER is a set of prompts applied to an existing process or product: Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate and Reverse. It is associated with Bob Eberle, building on a checklist by Alex Osborn. Each prompt pushes the group to look at the same thing differently.
When should I use SCAMPER?
When there is a process today and you want to improve or rethink it, using the Current-State Workflow Map as the starting point.
How long does SCAMPER take and how many people do I need?
SCAMPER takes about 40 minutes and suits 3 to 12 people, plus a facilitator. Add ten to fifteen minutes to open and close the session.
How is SCAMPER different from other methods?
SCAMPER improves something that exists. Borrowed Ideas looks outside the field for solutions to a similar problem.
Can I run SCAMPER remotely or with executives?
Yes. SCAMPER works in the room or remotely. Remotely, put the canvas on a shared board in advance and write silently in the board, not in chat. Executives: Yes, works with executives present.