SCAMPER for Restoration Technicians: A Practical Guide to Innovation

SCAMPER Your Way to Innovation: A Guide for Restoration Technicians

SCAMPER is a creative thinking technique that provides a checklist of prompts to help you generate innovative ideas and solutions. It's especially useful in the restoration industry, where you often encounter unique challenges and need to think outside the box.

What is SCAMPER?

SCAMPER is an acronym that stands for:

• Substitute: What can you substitute or replace?

• Combine: What can you combine or merge?

• Adapt: What can you adapt or adjust?

• Modify: What can you magnify, minimize, or modify?

• Put to another use: How can you repurpose something?

• Eliminate: What can you remove or simplify?

• Reverse: What can you rearrange or reverse?

How to Use SCAMPER

1. Identify the Challenge: Clearly define the problem or opportunity you want to address. (e.g., improve a drying process, enhance customer service, find a safer way to work in confined spaces)

2. Apply the Prompts: Use the SCAMPER prompts to trigger creative thinking and generate ideas. Ask questions related to each prompt:

• Substitute: Can I use a different material, tool, or process?

• Combine: Can I combine different elements or steps?

• Adapt: Can I adapt an existing solution to this situation?

• Modify: Can I change the size, shape, or function of something?

• Put to another use: Can I repurpose a tool or technique for a different application?

• Eliminate: Can I remove unnecessary steps or complexity?

• Reverse: Can I change the order of operations or flip the problem around?

3. Evaluate and Select: Review the generated ideas and select the most promising ones for further exploration and implementation.

Example: Using SCAMPER to Improve a Drying Process

• Challenge: You need to dry a water-damaged crawl space with limited access.

• SCAMPER Prompts:

• Substitute: Can you use a different type of drying equipment that is smaller or more portable? (e.g., desiccant dehumidifiers instead of refrigerant dehumidifiers)

• Combine: Can you combine different drying methods for a more effective approach? (e.g., air movers with dehumidifiers and targeted heat)

• Adapt: Can you adapt a drying technique from another industry or application? (e.g., borrowing techniques from agricultural drying processes)

• Modify: Can you modify the airflow or temperature to optimize drying? (e.g., using ducting to direct airflow more effectively)

• Put to another use: Can you repurpose a tool or material to aid in drying? (e.g., using absorbent mats or blankets in addition to dehumidifiers)

• Eliminate: Can you eliminate any steps in the drying process that are unnecessary or redundant?

• Reverse: Can you reverse the airflow or change the drying sequence?

Benefits of Using SCAMPER

• Sparks Creativity: Helps you break free from conventional thinking.

• Generates Innovative Solutions: Leads to new and improved approaches.

• Encourages Experimentation: Promotes a "try and learn" mindset.

• Enhances Problem-Solving: Provides a structured framework for finding solutions.

• Fosters Collaboration: Encourages teamwork and idea sharing.

By incorporating SCAMPER into their problem-solving toolkit, restoration technicians can become more innovative, resourceful, and effective in their work.