SCAMPER - A tool for generating new products and services
How to use tool:
SCAMPER is a check list that helps you to think of changes
you can make to an existing product to create a new one.
You can use these changes either as direct suggestions or
as starting points for lateral thinking.
The changes SCAMPER stands for are:
-
S - Substitute - components, materials, people
-
C - Combine - mix, combine with other assemblies or
services, integrate
-
A - Adapt - alter, change function, use part of another
element
-
M - Modify - increase or reduce in scale, change shape,
modify attributes (e.g. colour)
-
P - Put to another use
-
E - Eliminate - remove elements, simplify, reduce to core
functionality
-
R - Reverse - turn inside out or upside down, also use of
Reversal.
Example:
As an example, imagine that you are a manufacturer of nuts
and bolts, and you were looking for new products. SCAMPER
would give you:
-
Substitute - use of high tech materials for niche markets
- high speed steel? Carbon fibre? Plastics? Glass?
Non-reactive material?
-
Combine - integrate nut and bolt? Bolt and washer? Bolt
and spanner?
-
Adapt - put Allen key or Star head on bolt? Countersink
head?
-
Modify - produce bolts for watches or bridges? Produce
different shaped bolts (e.g. screw in plugs)? Pre-painted
green bolts?
-
Put to another use - bolts as hinge pins? As axles?
-
Eliminate - Eliminate nuts, washers, heads, thread, etc.
-
Reverse - make dies as well as bolts, make bolts that cut
threads for themselves in material, etc.
Using SCAMPER here may have helped you identify possible
new products. Many of the ideas may be impractical or may
not suit the equipment used by the manufacturer. However
some ideas could be good starting points for new products.
SCAMPER was created by Michael Mikalko
Key points:
SCAMPER is an acronym for Substitute, Combine, Adapt,
Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, Reverse. This is a
list of changes that you could make to existing products
and services to open up new opportunities.
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