QR codes are those little black and white squares that you often see on products, menus, and marketing materials. These two-dimensional codes are revolutionizing the ways to get work, access information, and many more. A key area where they are performing well is inventory management and tracking. In this blog post, you’ll learn what impact QR (quick response) codes have brought to business inventory tracking and management.

Challenges of Inventory Tracking Before QR Codes

Managing inventory has always been a crucial but challenging task for businesses, especially the small ones. Before 1950, they were used to track and manage inventory manually. 

In 1952, when two students, Norman J Woodland and Bernard Silver from Drexel University, invented the barcode (source).

This invention was huge and got quickly adopted by supermarkets at that time. They started using it for tracking their products. During the beginning of the day, barcodes are proven to be very beneficial and they are still in use in today’s market. But with time, people started facing difficulties with their limitations.

For example, barcodes (1D) can hold a limited amount of information, mostly less than 100 characters (source). Besides this, they also require precise alignment to get scanned. A little distortion in the code fails to scan.  

But then QR (2D barcodes) were invented in 1994 by DENSO Wave’s Masahiro Hara and Takayuki Nagaya (source). This is from where the world of inventory tracking and management starts changing. 

How Do QR Codes Streamline Inventory Tracking?

QR codes streamline the inventory-related tasks by eliminating the limitations of 1D barcodes. Here is how they are making a difference. 

1. Store More Information

Unlike barcodes, QR codes can hold significantly more information. You can easily embed items like:

• Text
• Numeric values
• URLs
• Images
• Videos

As mentioned earlier, barcodes can hold information with less than 100 characters. But quick response codes hold far more information than that. Below are the limits of the data they can store easily (source).

• Numeric characters— up to 7089
• Alpha numeric characters— up to 4289
• Binary characters— up to 2953 
• Kanji characters— up to 1817

2. Faster and Easier Scanning

Unlike 1D barcodes, these 2D barcodes do not require perfect alignment. Plus, there is no special scanning device needed to read them. You can scan QR codes to access the information embedded inside using any smartphone. 

Furthermore, if a simple 1D barcode gets damaged, it can’t be scanned. But in quick response codes, there’s nothing to worry about if the code is partially damaged. They can still be scanned and information can be accessed. 

3. Reduce Errors

QR codes minimize the errors in inventory management by automating various tasks. They provide real-time updates and enable quick and easy access to information. This helps in saving the valuable time of employees. 

We have seen businesses reporting a handsome amount of time saved when they switch to QR codes for inventory tracking. Instead of spending hours manually logging stock, you can redirect that time toward growing your business. 

How Can Businesses Implement Quick Response (QR) Codes?

Any business looking to integrate quick response codes into their inventory tasks, i.e., management and tracking, needs to follow some essential steps. To make the implementation process easy for you, below we have organized these small steps into a sequence. 

1. Assess What You Need

Start by mapping out your inventory workflow. Identify the things that you want to track, i.e., products, raw materials, etc. Next, look for software that’s compatible with QR code functionality, such as Squareup for retail or inFlow inventory for tracking. 

2. Get a QR Code Generator

Next, you’ll need a QR code generator that’ll let you embed the information, i.e., product names, codes, etc., inside a code. There is nothing to worry about paying for such tools. Simply put, use the QR code generator by Imagetotext.info, as it is totally free to use with no limits. 

To generate a code using the tool, simply follow the steps listed below. 

1. After landing on the tool, first select the option between URL, text, email, etc., as per your needs. 
2. Next, choose the type of frame you are interested in from the sidebar. 
3. Align the color or add the logo of your business if you want to make it personalized. 
4. Lastly, click on the download button. 

That’s how easy it is to generate a code. 

3. Ensure Code is Working

The last step before you add codes into the inventory management software is making sure that they are working correctly. To do this, you need a QR code scanner, which is also available as a free tool on Imagetotext.info.  

To check whether your code is working or not, consider uploading it to the tool or scanning it using your smartphone. Upon scanning, if tools give no error and show information in the output box (like in the image below), it means your 2D code is working fine.

Once the work is ensured, add them to the software and get back to the routine. Soon you will start feeling what a positive change they have added into your inventory tracking and management. 

Bottom Line

QR codes are revolutionizing the way small businesses handle inventory tracking. From reducing errors to saving time, these little squares are leaving inefficiency behind. 

If you’re still relying on outdated methods, now’s the time to shift. With tools readily available, adopting QR codes is no longer just an option. It’s an opportunity to future-proof your business. 

So, test the waters and watch how a few strategically placed squares can transform your inventory management.