SCAMPER

Label: Brainstorming and Lateral Thinking

The SCAMPER method helps teams generate ideas for new products and challenges by asking seven different types of questions. This is a lateral thinking technique that helps you and your team understand how you can innovate and improve existing products, problems, and ideas by introducing a new concept and perspective.

STEP 1: Before you start

During this session, your goal is to generate new ideas.

Defining success will help you and your team evaluate if you need more time to brainstorm using this tool or if you need to analyze the challenge further in order to be successful.

How can I define success? Be specific and provide rules and limitations.

For example: “I want to find 5 new ideas to help reduce waiting times in hospitals without increasing daily costs at the hospitals.”

STEP 2: Open board, and starting with ‘Substitute’, work through all 7 forces.

Add your answers underneath each column.

You can use our SCAMPER card deck. Our cards provide questions and examples that will help you guide the creative session and keep everyone on the same page.

Recommendation:

• Schedule a meeting using a video conference.
• Use the timer during each question and “Force” everyone to stay efficient.

blog posts, etc.

STEP 3: Develop your best ideas further

Before moving into the evaluation phase, take the time to develop one idea further and write a brief note here.

Additional recommendations:

• Add additional documents by sharing a link.
• Provide a name to your idea and add it to the next step.
• Recommend next steps by inviting people to a presentation (the team leader will provide instructions)