So What is QR Code Solution and How is It Used?
The security of processes in the business environment and the convenience of usage are two crucial aspects. Every company has no other choice but to pay close attention to them. In that regard, business QR codes, also known as a type of matrix barcodes, help to ensure the safety of transactions, verify the originality of products and goods, achieve better user experience, and more.
Statistics show that the number of mobile phone users that tend to use QR codes for payments increase by approximately 10% annually. It may indicate the general tendency toward the adoption of QR codes in other spheres as well.
Needless to say that most businesses, especially ones operating within the manufacturing and e-commerce industries, may sooner or later be in need of QR code services. So, let’s learn more about QR code technology, its history, and its scope of usage.
How Do QR Codes Work? Essentials to Know About
Let’s get down to QR code technology explained in great detail. Quick Response code is a barcode subtype. It consists of a square pattern, comprising a number of black and white squares. The composition of squares and the distance between them is what encrypts numbers from 0 to 9 and letters from A to Z.
Three bigger squares located at three of four angles are known as position detection or finder patterns. They simply allow an optimal scanner to know where to start encrypting a code — QR code orientation. Black squares are known as position markers. Each marker represents a one, and each blank or white dot represents a zero. So, it all boils down to the fact that QR code technology is the same binary code in the specific design.
There are different QR code versions. They vary in their size, i.e., the number of rows and columns. For example, the smallest, Version 1, is 21 x 21 pixels in size. At the same time, the Version 40 standard has a matrix that is 177 x 177 pixels in size. There are also micro QR codes, coming in size varying from 11 x11 to 17 x 17 pixels.
Unlike the obsolete barcode system, the largest QR codes can store up to 7,089 numeric characters. Another interesting aspect that if there are about 30% of the code damaged, it’s still possible to encrypt it error-free.
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QR Code Development Story
Understanding the story of the very QR code concept is a good way to get insight. Let’s review milestones of the history of QR code technology creation and expansion:
- Emerging of the QR code technology in 1994
Back at the end of the 20th century, the QR code originated from the concept of the barcode system — a system for encrypting product data, such as serial numbers or other unique identifiers. Development of the new approach was conducted by engineers of DENSO WAVE company.
The reason was the improvement of the entire barcode scanner and optical character recognition technology. The obsolete technology has had a constraint — its capacity was only up to 20 alphanumeric characters. So, the need for a more capable approach was evident.
2. Developing the perfect-fit design
QR codes are all about standardization and efficiency. Unique 2D designs, generated separately, were complemented with a position detection pattern. The seemingly chaotic location of black-and-white areas is another invention of the developers. It’s based on a 1:1:3:1:1 ratio that is uncommon for other printed materials.
3. Infiltrating the business environments worldwide
DENSO WAVE company was a major supplier of barcode scanners. So, their new, more effective solution wasn’t left unnoticed. Complemented with technologies for image processing, decoding, and character recognition, QR codes became an essential part of the supply chain management of big and small businesses.
Nowadays, QR codes solutions received new fulfillment. Now, they are widely incorporated in advertisements and used to meet social needs. Now, mobile phones have integrated scanners or easy access to QR code apps. So, businesses don’t hesitate to exploit it to the fullest extent.
Contact PM Partners and schedule a QR code app consultation with our business analysts and other IT experts.
What are the Industries for Applying QR Codes? B2B and B2C
Let’s find out what are the niches in which QR codes find appreciation:
HoReCa
Hotel, Restaurant, Cafe, or simply HoReCa is a broad sphere that encompasses an array of businesses from resort centers and hotels to bars, food courts, and more. Here, solution QR code menu restaurant are extremely popular. In fact, old-school, paper-based menus are slowly fading into the past. Easy-to-use access to menu options via mobile phones is regarded as a game changer. After all, visitors tend to spend most of the time staring at their phone screens anyway.
Hotels also tend to place QR codes in the reception areas or in the hotel rooms. This way, the codes serve for familiarization with accommodation options. Alternatively, it may provide access to the hotel restaurant’s menu, give reception contact details, detail additional opportunities, and more.
From the B2B perspective, promotional QR codes are perfect in affiliate programs. For example, healthcare or cosmetology businesses may collaborate with, for one, hotels and resort areas simply by placing QR codes with links to their service pages somewhere in reception areas. This is a solid way for businesses to benefit each other and gather some more clients in an unobtrusive way.
Healthcare & Insurance Services
Insurance claims in healthcare are common. Some of them, unfortunately, are fabricated based on falsified bills and invoices. There are other ways in which dishonest doctors or patients try to get a financial advantage.
Qryptal QR codes may serve the purpose of validating the originality of the invoice here. It’s validated by the TPA or an insurance company through the corresponding software. QR codes are placed on an invoice or receipt. This way, it’s impossible to counterfeit the bill, which greatly assists the insurance claim processes.
On the other hand, healthcare companies may place QR codes somewhere at the reception for clients to familiarise themselves with laboratory testing or other healthcare options.
Business & Banking Services
QR code financial services are all about the security and convenience of transactions. For example, a mobile banking user may conduct a fast payment simply by scanning a QR code leading to a payment form with transaction details pre-filled.
From the business perspective, QR codes are often placed on business cards. This way, a potential business partner may easily access a corporate website by just scanning the code and following the link. QR codes are predominant in promo materials for business events since it’s the only convenient way to access a web page, given a paper-based brochure or a flyer.
Education & Certification
As well as with insurance claims, education certificates are often fabricated. To prevent this from the occurrence, more and more private schools, certification centers, and even universities tend to place the QR code on a digital or paper-based version of the certificate. It often leads to a protected database where the unique identifiers of certificates are hosted.
Once again, educational institutions may easily offer to access their service lines by scanning a QR code. Or, they may use promotional QR codes in their marketing campaigns.
QR Code Mobile Apps
As evident, for a QR code to be encrypted, there an optical scanner is needed. Mobile phone cameras are perfect fir for such a role. They have almost replaced conventional barcodes. After all, it’s way easier to download a small mobile-based solution rather than carry around an entire device, which may be quite large in size.
QR code mobile apps can fit both B2B and B2C business models. In the first scenario, there may be a supplier of raw materials delivered in bulk and components for manufacturing or a wholesaler that distributes products and goods through the net of smaller retailers.
Supply chain management has always been a troublesome area because of the difficulty of handling goods during their transportation and storage. QR code scanning is already easier, compared to barcodes, because of their smaller sizes, low damage vulnerability, and better capacity. QR code mobile apps are often integrated with logistics and supply chain management software solutions. So, for businesses, QR codes are the ease of product management.
From a B2C perspective, customers enjoy the convenience of QR code mobile apps while scanning codes in all the listed above scenarios. Additionally, QR codes on product packaging may serve as the confirmation of a product’s originality. Alternatively, it may provide the end customer with a direct communication channel with the supply or grant access to some privileges.
QR Code As a Service. What to Expect?
It’s possible to draw a parallel between Software as a Service (SaaS) and QR Code as a Service solution. In the first case, a company develops a web, desktop, or mobile-based application. It’s distributed as per a one-time purchase, subscription, or any other monetization approach.
The same is true for the development of a platform that would offer the best QR code services. For example, it may be a web solution that will allow for choosing a QR code template and generating dynamic QR code solutions that would encrypt links to social media accounts.
Alternatively, the QR code generator may be a part of a distinct Track & Trace solution. This would allow for purchasing unique serial identifiers for items intended for distribution. These serial numbers may then be encrypted using QR code technology and printed on the primary or secondary packaging of the items.
As for mobile-first QR Code As a Service solution, these are often scanners. They allow for screening the barcode using a phone’s camera and reviewing the encrypted content.
At the end of the day, there are dozens of ways in which a company may start a business focused on the distribution of QR code services.
Drop PM Partners a line with rough requirements for your QR code solution, and we will get back to you shortly with the free quote.
Choose PM Partners as Your Trusted QR Code Solution Developers
How can PM Partners help?
PM Partners is a vendor of QR code app development and other IT services. We’ve been on the market for years, delivering solutions exactly to the business needs of our clients. Our team is known as market-leading, well-seasoned specialists that are up to any complex project.
When it comes to apps for QR code distribution, PM Partner has substantial expertise. In recent times, we completed a Track & Trace system intended for international usage — the UA Tag system. It’s a fully-fledged platform that allows for ordering unique identifiers for products in batches. With these tags, any company is able to protect its goods and products from counterfeiting.
Tags distributed via this platform have a QR code encrypted link to a page of a business’s choosing. This is mostly intended for sharing with end customers accompanying info on how to use a product purchased. Or to provide access to the direct communication channel between a customer and a supplier. The system is backed by the government, and it operates as per federal and international laws for the distribution of goods and products.