You can turn a $1 sticker into $1000 worth of information!

An asset tag all by itself has limited value, but when combined with the right software, unlimited possibilities are possible. A QR code printed on an asset tag can be scanned with a smart phone and do everything from make a phone call, go to a website, send an email, or just show you a model number or serial number. Dynamic QR codes even get crazier than that! Barcode design software was developed in the 1980’s, so barcodes are now familiar to all of us because almost every product we buy has a barcode label, asset tag, or QR code label. It may be the more familiar one-dimensional 1D barcode with vertical lines or the more recent two-dimensional 2D barcodes, such as a QR code that looks like a square with smaller squares inside. Since the QR codes are two dimensional, they can hold a lot more information than the normal 1D barcode. The 1D barcode can hold generally up to 15 characters, and the 2D or QR code can hold up to 2000 characters, which will turn your QR code label into a wealth of information and only occupy a very small space. When scanned, the code on a barcode label or QR code label tell your computer or smartphone to “do something.” This could mean finding a price at the grocery store, helping you order a part for a small appliance, or tell your smartphone to find a particular website. There are many software apps and programs that you can use with your smartphone that will literally turn your $1 QR code label into $1000 worth of information. How? For example, if you rent bicycles you can put a barcode label on each one, and scan the code whenever one is rented and the software will keep track of how many are out, how many are on hand, and whatever else you need it to do. For QR codes, let’s say you have an HVAC company with 10 service vehicles on the road filled with all types of equipment. If 3 trucks show up at the same customer and there are tools laying around, how would you be able to tell which tools belong to who? That’s easy – put asset tags with QR codes on all of the equipment. First, you make an excel spreadsheet that has a column for truck#, tool description, and any other information that you need to populate in your software app. We have experts here at Strong Asset Tags that can help you put this together if you need help. We will generate the QR code labels with the information from the spreadsheet and the labels will have a “human readable” text so you will be able to tell where the QR code label should be applied. Now, when you need to find out which truck the tool belongs on, just scan the code with your smartphone right into your app, and you will see all of the information listed there, exactly how it was listed in your spreadsheet. Pretty cool, huh? This is just a very basic description of how a QR code tag can be used. The possibilities are endless! Of course, you can simply have the QR code on the asset tag point to a page on your website when scanned. This function allows food manufacturers to comply with the Federal Government’s National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard Legislation (NBFDSL). The NBFDSL requires food manufacturers to have a QR Code tag on their food labels. When a consumer scans the QR code with a smartphone, it will automatically pull up a webpage where the consumer will find out if there are any Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in the food contained in the labeled package. One of the biggest problems that most businesses have with the QR code and barcode labels that they buy online is that the printing scratches off and the adhesive on the back isn’t very good, so they tend to fall off. Our customers don’t have either of those problems, because we make Strong Asset Tags and we use the best materials from companies like 3M. We supply our QR code asset tags and barcode labels to companies like Amazon, Facebook, Walmart, Dupont, and Delta Airlines. If you want QR code asset tags or barcode labels that won’t scratch or fall off, call us at Strong Asset Tags (904-484-8992)