Can you find me in this picture?

 

QR Code reminds me of me. It is that “second child” that took a long time figuring out what they wanted to do. Not the first one out of the starting blocks. Fame was not high on its list. Not overly influenced by the predominating rules. That allows them to do stuff others cannot do. I could go on.

QR Code started life as an ERP tool for Toyota vehicle manufacturing. Invented and owned by subsidiary Denso, the patent is intentionally not enforced: QR Code is available for everyone to use, license free.

QR Code is different–and better

The popularity QR Code achieved in Asia has not happened in North America. But neither has it been tossed aside. QR Code continues to find uses and users in the US.

It is not impossible for QR Code to follow the rules: it can encode GS1 compliant data and has some advantages over other 2D symbologies. It is compact, offers 4 levels of user-selectable data correction and is uniquely friendly with smartphone scanning applications. However, the non-GS1 uses of QR Code are its most important capabilities.

QR Code is GS1 and Beyond

The powerful presence of GS1 confuses some potential QR Code users. There is no requirement to utilize GS1-distributed data or to parse encoded data in a GS1 format in closed loop applications. A market research usage where a url is encoded in a QR Code is one example. The beauty of such applications is its flexibility. A slight variation in the encoded data can send the user to a different webpage. A consumer in Detroit may see a different marketing piece than a consumer in Chattanooga.

Likewise, the same url can be changed with mere keystrokes. A small restaurant can post the same QR Code in its front window, and send the potential client to a website that changes each day, showing the specials for breakfast, lunch and dinner. An entertainment venue’s unchanging QR Code lands the prospective patron at a website showing the evening’s concert. The QR Code need not change—just the landing page.

Flexibility is Power

QR Code makes it possible for the smallest business to access powerful marketing data. All they need is the ability to capture and analyze the data it generates. How many clicks did the QR-enabled landing page get? How does that compare with the attendance of that evening’s entertainment? The restaurateur can plan staff and food based on the performance of its QR Code.

Slightly modified urls can point you to the clients you seek. Print advertising dollars are more wisely spent knowing that you get more clicks on the West side of town.

Engineered for smartphone scanning, the QR Code symbol can be printed in a wide variety of colors. Reds and greens unfriendly to conventional red light scanners work perfectly with QR Code.  Although we do not recommend it, designers often insert logo’s and other images into a QR Code.

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3db Barcode Testimonial

Our company (an advanced software company) recently worked with Barcode Test to source a barcode verifier.  Not long ago, we were awarded a contract requiring products to be marked with IUIDs in accordance with MIL-STD-130.  For that standard, marking labels must pass a verification test that evaluates many variables (contrast, size, clarity, syntax, modularity, and more).  After a thorough search, we reduced our options to a select few.

In our search for a verifier, the Axicon line caught our attention.  Barcode Test is our regional reseller for this product.   From the beginning, they were very prompt with their responses.  We ended up having a quick call with John Nachtrieb to go over our needs.  John was extremely easy to work with and provided a lot of great information.  He was very knowledgeable on the matter and was quick to offer up a demo unit (free of charge).

Upon receiving the demo verifier and testing it, a few questions arose.  John joined a call with us and answered all our questions.  Ultimately, the Axicon verifier wasn’t the best fit for us, so we shipped the demo back.  John was completely understanding.  A few weeks later, Barcode Test reached back out with another possible verifier for us to try.  While they didn’t sell that brand, they just wanted to help us find the best option that met our needs. They even offered to send us the unit that they have in-house to see if it worked to our liking. 

Barcode Test is truly a great company to work with.  Their service and willingness to help the customer are far beyond what you typically get from other companies.  They are experts in barcode quality assurance and seem willing to help in any way they can (even if that means not getting a sale and recommending another option that better fits the customer’s needs).  If anyone is in the market for barcode verification/scanning services or products, I would highly recommend giving Barcode Test a call.

Regards,

Production Manager