QR Codes still have a lot to offer, they are a great way of making print media interactive. QR codes have the capacity to encode up to 7,089 alphanumeric characters, while conventional bar codes have a max capacity of 20 digits. These characters are encoded both horizontally and vertically in a QR Code making them a fraction of the size of a barcode. This means you have more real estate to use for other information. Furthermore, if the QR Code is damaged, it can still be scanned because QR Codes have built-in error correction to restore data. However, the error correction ability is dependent on how much data needs to be corrected.
In recent years, QR Codes have become more of a novelty, used practically everywhere. You might have seen QR codes on an event flyer that opens a web page displaying the same information. Or you might have come across a QR Code stuck on a banana when shopping for groceries. With these unintended uses, companies have traditionally steered away from QR Codes. Now, that convention is changing. From payment processing to direct mail marketing, many are making unique use of QR Codes. In this blog, we consider some guidelines for using QR Codes along with some examples.
Whenever possible, try to consolidate your information so you can present only one QR Code. If you need to place multiple QR Codes, just ensure they are adequately spaced.
Some restaurants make ordering easier by allowing people to skip the line. Customers are given a QR Code when they place their orders online and pay for it. At the store, they just scan their QR Code and receive their food. This results not only in efficiency for the kitchen but also time saved for the customer.
If you’ve visited a dealership, you’ve seen the vehicle data sheets displayed on the side windows. Sales people can easily place QR Codes on each vehicle. When customers scan the QR Code, they can see all the specifics related to that vehicle. This would be ideal for used car dealerships who need to present all the necessary information, including Carfax reports, upon a QR Code scan.
For grocery stores, taking inventory can be an overwhelming process. One way to make this process a little less cumbersome would be to add a QR Code on each product label. When taking count of each item, associates scan the QR Code and enter the count on the shelf. This makes the ordering process much easier as well because the ordering manager knows the count of each item and which items are below, or approaching, the threshold.
Nowadays doctors carry mobile devices, such as tablets, with patient records instead of manila folders. One way to save their valuable time would be to add a QR Code to each patient’s arm band when they are admitted. Doctors can then scan the QR code with their tablets and bring up patient records, history, list of medications and allergies, or order new prescriptions.
We’re all familiar with the Ikea app that lets you virtually place a piece of furniture in your living room. They do so by placing a QR Code next to their products in their catalog. Using the Ikea AR app, you can scan the QR Code and visualize the item in your home with the help of your smartphone’s camera. No doubt, an awesome use of QR Codes!
With ActiveReports, you can very quickly create any of these in minutes. Maybe you can’t create an augmented reality app, but you can certainly create the catalog with the QR Code. If you have thoughts about QR Codes and their usability, or have used it in a unique way, we would love to hear from you.