Qualiteg Selection, Idea Creation #2: How to Use SCAMPER

Hello to everyone visiting the Qualiteg blog — this is Michele. In my work on AI-driven new business development and marketing, there are questions I hear from clients again and again. Through this blog, I would like to offer my own answers to the challenges that anyone exploring AI-powered business development is likely to face.

To all the entrepreneurs and companies planning to launch a new business: are you stuck coming up with ideas? In this post we introduce a powerful ideation technique called SCAMPER.

With SCAMPER, you can generate innovative business ideas starting from existing products and services. It is not widely known in Japan, but it is a technique commonly used in Silicon Valley, so it is well worth mastering.

What Is SCAMPER?

SCAMPER is an acronym formed from the initials of the following seven thinking processes:

1. Substitute
2. Combine
3. Adapt
4. Modify
5. Put to another use
6. Eliminate
7. Reverse

How Do You Actually Use SCAMPER?

1. Substitute: Try replacing an existing element with something else. For example, switching a conventional material for an eco-friendly one.
2. Combine: Combine different products or services to create new value, such as the fusion of the smartphone and the camera.
3. Adapt: Apply ideas from another field to your own business. For example, applying production management methods from the automotive industry to the restaurant business.
4. Modify: Change part of an existing product or service. Adjust its size, shape, features, and so on to uncover new demand.
5. Put to another use: Use an existing product or service for an unexpected purpose. For example, repurposing construction-site safety helmets for cycling.
6. Eliminate: Remove unnecessary elements and simplify. For example, developing a product line targeted at minimalists.
7. Reverse: Think by overturning conventional wisdom and assumptions. For example, introducing a subscription model that inverts the traditional sales approach.

Innovation-Cross, from Qualiteg Inc., is an innovation co-creation support program with a rich track record across diverse industries. Drawing on our experience supporting innovation at many companies, from large enterprises to startups, we propose the co-creation strategy best suited to your organization. It covers the entire innovation process, from assessing your company's current state to strategy formulation, roadmap creation, and execution support.

With proven methods such as idea workshops, hackathon planning, and AI technology utilization, we reliably deliver the kind of innovation that is hard to achieve in-house alone. Our experienced consultants apply insights gained from past successes to give you strong support in creating new value through external collaboration.

Here Is How to Put SCAMPER into Practice

1. Choose an existing product or service you want to improve.
2. Apply the seven thinking processes in order and generate ideas.
3. Evaluate the resulting ideas, examining their feasibility and market potential.
4. Develop the promising ideas further and shape them into a business plan.

Now, let's actually apply the seven SCAMPER processes, using an electric bicycle rental service as an example.

1. Substitute

• Substitute with electric motorbikes: Introduce small electric motorbikes in place of electric bicycles.
• Switch to renewable energy sources: Use solar power to charge the batteries.

1. Combine

• Integrate with a tourist guide app: Provide sightseeing information while riding, via a tablet mounted on the bicycle.
• Link with fitness trackers: Record riders' activity levels and calories burned to support their health management.

1. Adapt

• Apply the sharing-economy model: Switch from fixed stations to a free-floating service where bikes can be dropped off anywhere.
• Adapt to the seasons: Introduce electric fat bikes in winter so the service can be used even on snowy roads.

1. Modify

• Expand size variations: Add specially sized electric bicycles for children and seniors.
• Upgrade performance: Equip the bikes with longer-range batteries and more powerful motors.

1. Put to another use

• Repurpose for delivery services: Offer a small-parcel delivery service using the bicycles during off-peak daytime hours.
• Use as mobile charging stations: Use the bicycles' batteries to offer charging services for smartphones and other devices.

1. Eliminate

• Simplify the sign-up process: Allow immediate use with just a contactless credit card payment.
• Abolish flat-rate pricing: Introduce a flexible fee structure based on distance and time.

1. Reverse

• A model where users do the charging: Introduce a system in which riders receive a discount for charging the bicycles themselves.
• Suggest routes in reverse: In addition to standard routes, suggest deliberately longer scenic routes to encourage sightseeing use.

Make the most of the contrarian thinking that SCAMPER unlocks.

By combining these ideas, you can transform an existing electric bicycle rental service into something truly innovative. For example, you might create an eco-friendly tourism service that combines solar charging with a tourist guide app, or a multi-purpose urban mobility solution that is free-floating and can also handle deliveries.

When applying these ideas to a real business, it is important to thoroughly examine each idea's feasibility and market needs, and to select and develop the most promising ones.

As you can see, SCAMPER lets you re-examine existing services from multiple angles and create new value. If you have questions or ideas for taking this further, we would love to hear them.

Thank you very much for reading this column to the end. At Qualiteg, we provide training and consulting on AI technology and new business planning methods. If this has piqued your interest, or if you have any specific needs, please feel free to contact us through the inquiry formhere.

We also offer a popular workshop for those who want to master the steps of new business creation. The training focuses on having each participant think about the business from an executive's perspective, and the content is designed not only for planning staff but also for their counterparts in engineering, design, and marketing.

We look forward to hearing from you. And please look forward to the next column as well.