The SCAMPER Model: The case of South African Airways

This article discusses how the SCAMPER Model can be used to solve the problems of South African Airways. It explains the Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to Another Use, Eliminate, and Reverse techniques and how they can be applied to improve efficiency and profits. The article also highlights the benefits and disadvantages of each technique.

The SCAMPER Model: The case of South African Airways
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The SCAMPER Model was first created to assist students, of different disciplines, in
creative thinking. This model assists students and other users to make innovations out of their
ideas and also break the barriers against creativity (Wright, 2018). In business, this model can be
used in problem solving or for the planning of the future of an organization. The scamper model
can be applied to the case of South African Airways so as to give possible solutions to the ailing
organization. One good thing about this model is that one is allowed to move around the
techniques at the same time brainstorming in no particular order. This gives room for more
creativity and innovation of ideas.
Substitute
This allows for the focus on the product and service that South African Airways provides.
The question asked is can this product or service be replaced with another. The substitute must
be one that will not affect the overall purpose of SAA. SAA offers flight services as its main
services However, there are other behind the scenes area that can be substituted. For instance
looking at the skills the company has. Investing in the right skills would greatly add value to this
organization. At such a time when SAA is struggling it may seem less costly to cut on human
capital but in the long run this human capital is required for growth of the organization
(Paserman, 2017). Having employees that are satisfied at their place of work is very important if
the company is to realize its full potential. Employees will learn how to give maximum
performance. A careful ration of cost against investment is required. Substituting the current
work force with a skilled one is a substitution in the service delivery of the SAA which does not
change the core business of SAA. Consideration of other areas to substitute the services could
provide the business with an opportunity to provide alternative solutions in the evaluation of the

problems facing SAA with an aim of reaching the final action that is changing the loss pass of
SAA.
Combine
This tends to merge different ideas, stages in the service delivery process for more
efficient output. These combinations can lead to more innovative ideas that can give an
organization competitive advantage. The combinations can also lead to cutting costs, cycle time
as well improved quality. SAA can combine sales and marketing and get a powerful tool for
revenue growth. Research shows that companies with a strong sales and marketing department
realize a 20% annual growth (GHERASIM, 2016). Whereas those with a weak sales and
marketing team experience a 4% annual decline. For the combination to achieve the desired
goals it has to start with a proper definition of what business growth means to SAA so as to meet
projected revenue targets and or increase customer volume. Clear definition of above will make
the sales and marketing team will come together and formulate realistic strategies in order to
achieve these targets.
Operational level agreements must be created for both the sales team and the marketing
teams respectively to ensure that both teams stay on track (Klimberg, 2011). With the operational
level agreements, the marketing teams can be evaluated at a say a monthly basis it is possible to
know if monthly targets are being met or not and to find fixes for what is not working. On the
other hand, it is possible to determine the speed and depth of follow-ups for marketing generated
leads. With a combination of sales and marketing challenges such as departmental lack of
awareness, not enough conversations and not enough revenue are solved (Hofmaier, 2015). How
clients make their purchasing decisions has really changed with sometimes customers having

bought a product even before they have a contact with a sales person. Today it is the customer
who is in control as they are able to screen a product from many avenues. With this it is
important to make it a priority meeting the customer’s needs. This means that the sales and
marketing team should adapt a customer centric approach in their strategies.
Adapt
Adapt refers to ideas that adjust or modify a product or service for a better output. SAA
has the opportunities to adjust a number of things in its management and its service as well
leading to a better service. In meeting customer expectations, service quality is very critical. This
ensures that customers are satisfied and maintain their loyalty so that they will continue buying
even in the future. In the long term, service quality contributes to revenue and profitability as
well as enabling the organization to charge and maintain higher prices (Chen, 2010). Quality also
influences the company’s reputation.
With the growth of social media platforms, it means that the customers have an avenue
that they can discuss products and services openly. In a very competitive market such as the
airlines, a strong quality reputation can be an important differentiator. The contrary of good
quality is also true that poor quality increases costs. Without a working quality control system,
SAA may have to shoulder the cost of investigating nonconforming services to determine the
root causes and retesting the services after reevaluation (Simona, 2014). A poor product on the
part of SAA may mean cancelled flights for example, or fewer volumes in cargo.
Modify
Modify means modifying the process in a way that brings out more innovative
capabilities or solves solutions (Geum, 2016). Some modifications that SAA can do are such as

modifying the way clients give feedback after using their services and the mode of response.
This would mean a change in how the airline looks at the problem of customer response. This
modification should be done in a way that it leads to more satisfied customers who are willing to
buy even in the future. Since the overall goal of the turnaround strategies is to have more revenue
for the airline as well as increased customers, this modification should be in a way that it will
accommodate the increased number of clients in the future. The modification should also lead to
efficiency in service delivery.
Innovation of processes does not necessarily mean coming up with all new ideas
(Forsman, 2015). They could be ideas that have been used for some time by other or by SAA but
now using them in a way that increases competitive advantage for SAA. Ideas that make
customers want to fly with SAA as opposed to other airlines offering the same services.
Innovation means packaging the SAA services differently with the customer in mind so that the
needs of the customers are met at the end of the processes.
Questions like can the process of service production be changed so as to increase
efficiency? What if the customer or cargo volume was to double, are asked. These questions
apply from the management of the airline to the very final product that is the flights SAA makes.
Innovation has notable benefits. It is one of the critical skills for achieving success in any
business (Adesida, 2016). It can help you solve problems, generate profit, increase your market
share and edge out competitors. Some of the key practical benefits of innovation are: improved
productivity, reduced costs, increased competitiveness, improved brand recognition and value,
new partnerships and relationships, increased turnover and improved profitability (Hess, 2012).
Put to another use

This technique concentrates on putting the current product or service or ideas in another
use with the aim of solving problems (Stuhlfaut, 2014). For one idea that is used to determine or
measure the output of the managers can be used to evaluate all other employees in the company.
For this technique one would need to ask themselves if there are strategies that are working can
be applied in other parts of the organization. How beneficial will the idea be if used elsewhere.
Would finding another market segment be more beneficial for the current product? Cana new
idea be introduced in the current management or production to replace the already existing ones.
And are there other ways that can be used. All these questions are geared towards putting one
idea to another use and making sure that that move is efficient in the long run (Henry, 2015).
In the case of SAA the idea of privatization would be one this company may consider.
SAA can attempt to privatize parts of the organization. Private companies are known to improve
on their operational efficiency so as to cut costs and increase on profits. Some of the benefits that
SAA would stand to gain in the occasion of privatization are: increased efficiency and profits
when government owned companies are moved to the private sector, it also reduces the political
interference like has been seen in the case of SAA, it puts and organization at par with other
organizations exposing it to fair competition which leads to increased efficiency and profits
(Hansen, 2016). It is however worthy to note that privatization like other ideas have their
disadvantages and therefore when applying this technique it is important to apply caution. Some
of the disadvantages of privatization are: creation of monopolies which would lead to unjustified
increase in prices and the customer has no say and the government stands to lose dividends
which after privatization they are now channeled to the shareholders who might be a few wealthy
people (Martimort, 2006).

Eliminate
This step is concerned with finding out what is working and doing away with it so as to
improve efficiency and profits (Garbuio, 2018). At this stage some of the questions that one may
ask are what are the impacts of removing or stopping a certain strategy or practice? How can the
same or more output be achieved without a certain practice? Is this practice really needed in this
organization? What would happen to the efficiency and profits of the organization if resources
were to be reduced by half?
During organizational evaluations, companies may find themselves with duplicate
functions in the work force. As a way of cutting cost and wastage, on organization may consider
scrapping off come functions. This may means rendering some employees redundant. SAA has
at some point found itself with pilots and cabin crew that are earning a salary yet they are not
really adding much value to the organization. This is a key area that SAA can look to cut costs.
Finding alternative duties for the unproductive employees or letting them go all together may be
a wise decision. This decision needs to be taken with care since the strategies being put in place
are such that SAA will grow and therefore these employees will be required. It is important to
consider human capital even in the future. Other options such as putting these employees on
training so that they will be best equipped to implement the strategies in future may be an option
so as to maintain a useful work force in the short and long runs.
Reverse
This technique requires the application of strategies and ideas in reverse or rearranging
them. These changes can end up in very innovative ideas (Shively, 2018). Questions to ask are:
what would happen if we reversed the way we do things? How can we rearrange our current

ideas for better output? What is we tried to do things backwards? How about we interchanged the
processes? These questions are aimed at pushing for innovations and creativity (Wright, 2018).
When an organization or even an individual is stuck, doing things the opposite may be one
answer to going then back on track one more time.
In the case of SAA choosing to pay new employees more may be a reverse of the status
quo. However the compensation can lead to more satisfied employees and therefore improve on
production. Another applicable reverse is in the privatization of the company. Privatization
means a complete reverse of how the organization is run. If well implemented, this process can
result in a very successful SAA. Part of the reasons of failing is doing the same old processes
that don’t work either consciously or unconsciously. It is therefore vital that an organization
keeps evaluating its processes and strategies to make sure that they are not the reason that the
organization is stuck or making loses.

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