SCAMPER Method

SCAMPER is a checklist of transformation prompts associated with Bob Eberle: substitute, combine, adapt, modify, put to other uses, eliminate, and reverse or rearrange.

SCAMPER is a checklist for changing an existing idea: substitute, combine, adapt, modify, put to another use, eliminate, and reverse or rearrange. Each prompt asks about a different possible transformation, though they can overlap. The checklist can expose dimensions a team has overlooked without guaranteeing originality or requiring a useful answer to every prompt.

Anchor the exercise in a purpose and an identifiable object or process. Translate a suggestion into a specific change, then evaluate what it improves and what it breaks. Removing a step may simplify a workflow or delete its essential check. The method supplies candidates; deciding among them still requires evidence, priorities, and domain knowledge.

When to use it

When brainstorming needs structure to avoid circling the same ideas; when an existing product or process needs refreshing; when innovation efforts keep generating incremental rather than divergent ideas; when a team is stuck and needs a systematic way to explore the solution space.

How it can help

Use relevant prompts to generate concrete alternatives, then assess their usefulness. There is no need to force every prompt or assume elimination is best.