SCAMPER

SCAMPER is a creativity technique attributed to Bob Eberle, based on the work of Alex Osborn. It applies to an existing product, service, or process to quickly generate numerous improvement or transformation ideas. The group successively explores seven angles of questioning: Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Propose other uses, Eliminate, Rearrange or Reverse. The game facilitates structured divergence, followed by sorting to identify the most promising ideas.

Walkthrough

1. 1

   Frame the object to be transformed

   5 to 10 min

   The facilitator presents the objective: "We will use SCAMPER to produce as many ideas as possible from an existing object, without immediately seeking the right answer." They clarify the product, service, or process being worked on and write it down visibly in a simple sentence. Participants can only ask questions for understanding, not yet solutions. This framing helps prevent the group from going in multiple incompatible directions during the seven questions.

   Tip — Choose a fairly concrete object: "improving customer reception on Monday mornings" works better than "improving customer experience."

2. 2

   Establish the rules for divergence

   3 to 5 min

   The facilitator announces the rules for idea generation: "During generation, we seek quantity, suspend judgment, build on others' ideas, and note everything down." They specify that the group will spend a few minutes on each letter of SCAMPER before sorting. Each participant can propose short ideas, even imperfect ones, which the facilitator or a scribe captures. This step secures creativity and avoids premature debates.

   Tip — At the first objection, rephrase it as an idea: "it's not possible" becomes "conditions to meet for it to be possible."

3. 3

   Explore S, C, and A

   10 to 15 min

   The facilitator launches the first three letters, one after the other. For S, Substitute, they ask: "What can we replace: a person, a step, a material, a tool, a channel, a rule?" For C, Combine: "What can we associate, merge, or make work together?" For A, Adapt: "What can we draw inspiration from in another context, profession, audience, or use?" Participants state as many ideas as possible, without lengthy explanations, and each idea is noted under the corresponding letter.

   Tip — Keep a brisk pace: if someone elaborates too much, say, "we capture the title of the idea, the development will come during sorting."

4. 4

   Explore M and P

   8 to 12 min

   The facilitator continues with M and P, changing energy if the group slows down. For M, Modify or Magnify, they ask: "What can we enlarge, reduce, transform, accelerate, slow down, make more visible or simpler?" For P, Propose other uses, they ask: "What else could this be used for, for whom else, in what other situation?" Participants can propose realistic or offbeat ideas, as the goal remains to broaden the scope. The facilitator ensures that the proposals are well classified without censorship.

   Tip — For M, push the extremes: "What if we multiplied it by ten? What if we reduced it to the minimum?" This often unlocks concrete avenues.

5. 5

   Explore E and R

   8 to 12 min

   The facilitator finishes the grid with the last two letters. For E, Eliminate, they ask: "What can we remove, simplify, eliminate, make optional, or automate?" For R, Rearrange or Reverse, they ask: "What happens if we reverse the order, the roles of the actors, the starting point, the location, or the usual logic?" Participants continue to produce in volume, even if some ideas seem provocative. This final part often serves to bring forth powerful simplifications and useful disruptions.

   Tip — For R, explicitly ask, "what would be the exact opposite of our current way of doing things?" then look for what could be useful in that opposite.

6. 6

   Group and clarify ideas

   5 to 10 min

   The facilitator invites the group to review all the ideas produced, letter by letter. They ask: "Which ideas say almost the same thing? Which ones deserve to be reformulated to be understood by someone absent?" Participants group duplicates, complete overly vague formulations, and retain minority ideas if they open up an original avenue. The goal is not yet to decide, but to make the material exploitable.

   Tip — Do not merge two similar ideas too quickly: keep the nuance if it changes the use, target, or implementation method.

7. 7

   Sort and choose the avenues to explore further

   5 to 10 min

   The facilitator transitions the group to convergence: "Now, we select the ideas that are worth further exploration." They suggest choosing based on criteria suited to the context, such as interest, feasibility, originality, or impact, without adding endless debate. Participants collectively select a few avenues and note the next possible action for each: test, prototype, investigate, quantify, or present. This step transforms creativity into actionable decisions.

   Tip — Always ask, "what is the smallest action to learn if this idea is worth pursuing?" to avoid the selection remaining theoretical.

Variants

• Individual SCAMPER followed by group SCAMPER: each participant first generates their ideas in silence for each letter, then the group shares them. This variant reduces the influence of the fastest or most extroverted profiles.
• SCAMPER in sub-groups: each pair or trio takes one or two letters, produces ideas, then shares with the whole group. This is useful when time is short or when the number of participants approaches the upper limit.
• Remote SCAMPER: use a collaborative whiteboard with a zone for each letter S, C, A, M, P, E, and R. The facilitator time-boxes each letter, has ideas written on digital post-its, then facilitates grouping and selection in plenary.
• SCAMPER focused on simplification: place greater emphasis on Eliminate and Rearrange or Reverse to work on a cumbersome process. The other letters remain used, but the final sorting prioritises ideas that reduce complexity.