Every time a new technology turns up in the warehouse, the first reaction is rightly sceptical. Barcode scanners, RFID, NFC: most of it needs hardware that does not survive long on a wet tail lift. A QR code is the exception, for one simple reason: everybody already carries the scanner in their pocket.
The problem it solves
A case label has room for a few lines of contents. A real contents list - with quantities, types and loose parts - does not fit, and if you try anyway the label becomes unreadable.
A QR code splits that problem neatly in two. The label carries what you need to see from a distance. Behind the code sits the rest: the full list, the last time the case was checked, who packed it.
What to put in it
Keep the content of the code as short as possible. A QR code with a lot of data becomes finer grained, and fine grained scans badly on a case that has stood out in the rain. Two forms work well in practice:
- A reference to the case in your system. Short, robust, and the data stays current because it is not baked into the code.
- The core case details as plain text. Works without a network too, which on a festival site is not a theoretical advantage.
Practical points
- Size. Below three centimetres, scanning with a phone in poor light becomes a gamble. Aim for three to four centimetres.
- Contrast. Black on white. A code over a logo or a coloured background looks good and scans badly.
- Protection. Laminate or seal it. A scratched QR code has error correction, but not an unlimited amount.
- Reprinting. If the contents change, the code changes with them. That is only sustainable if printing is easy.
What it gets you
The biggest benefit is not on the load-in but on the return. Cases coming back have to be checked, and the question "is everything in here that should be" can be answered with a phone in ten seconds instead of with a printed list somebody has mislaid.
In Caselabel you decide per case what goes into the QR code. Put text in that field and the code appears on the label; leave it empty and the label stays clean. Also worth reading: what else belongs on a good case label.