BQF Innovation Blog » eliminate http://www.bqf.org.uk/innovation The BQF is the community for every business seeking excellent insights, tools and experiences to improve itself. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:11:30 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 SCAMPER – a powerful product innovation tool http://www.bqf.org.uk/innovation/2008/09/03/scamper-a-powerful-product-innovation-tool/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=scamper-a-powerful-product-innovation-tool http://www.bqf.org.uk/innovation/2008/09/03/scamper-a-powerful-product-innovation-tool/#comments Wed, 03 Sep 2008 18:03:01 +0000 Paul Sloane http://www.bqf.org.uk/innovation/?p=125 One of the methods I teach on my Ideas Workshops is SCAMPER.  It is a productive and versatile technique for examining a product or service from differing angles and for generating plenty of strongly innovative ideas.  SCAMPER is an acronym and you ask the following types of question when you use this tool:

SUBSTITUTE – [...]]]> One of the methods I teach on my Ideas Workshops is SCAMPER.  It is a productive and versatile technique for examining a product or service from differing angles and for generating plenty of strongly innovative ideas.  SCAMPER is an acronym and you ask the following types of question when you use this tool:

  • SUBSTITUTE – What elements of this product or service can we substitute?
  • COMBINE – How can we combine this with other products or services?
  • ADAPT – What can we alter or adapt it?
  • MAXIMISE OR MINIMISE – How can we greatly enlarge or greatly reduce any component?
  • PUT TO OTHER USE – What completely different use can we have for our product?
  • ELIMINATE – What elements of the product or service can be eliminated?
  • REARRANGE OR REVERSE – How can we rearrange the product or reverse the process?

Now I have found a site which enhances the tool and offers a range of supplementary resources.  Luciano Passuello has posted a blog on SCAMPER together with a SCAMPER random question generator and a SCAMPER mindmap.  If you want to use this tool in your next brainstorm meeting then these resources are highly recommended.

Paul Sloane

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]]> http://www.bqf.org.uk/innovation/2008/09/03/scamper-a-powerful-product-innovation-tool/feed/ 3 Using Innovation in a Recession http://www.bqf.org.uk/innovation/2008/08/20/using-innovation-in-a-recession/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=using-innovation-in-a-recession http://www.bqf.org.uk/innovation/2008/08/20/using-innovation-in-a-recession/#comments Wed, 20 Aug 2008 09:27:38 +0000 Paul Sloane http://www.bqf.org.uk/innovation/?p=121 We tend to think of innovation as a tool for inventing and marketing new products and services.  This is certainly its main thrust.  However, as Jeffrey Baumgartner points out in this article on Innovation Tools, you can use innovation for streamlining business processes, eliminating steps, reducing waste and cutting out costs.  When times are tough we [...]]]> We tend to think of innovation as a tool for inventing and marketing new products and services.  This is certainly its main thrust.  However, as Jeffrey Baumgartner points out in this article on Innovation Tools, you can use innovation for streamlining business processes, eliminating steps, reducing waste and cutting out costs.  When times are tough we should use what he calls reductive innovation to examine and improve every aspect of our business.  As well as asking ‘How can we delight customers?’ or ‘How can we double sales?’ We should ask questions like, ‘How can we eliminate costs?’ and ‘How can we use less energy?’  Then we use the same creativity techniques for cost cutting as for new product ideas.

Paul Sloane

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