It is safe to say that in this day and age, bar codes are everywhere. Books, cans of soup and boxes of cereal all contain UPCs (universal product codes). For that matter, anything else you might find in a grocery story or department store has a bar code as well. And next time you receive a package in the mail from UPS or FedEx, take a look at the box. There are plenty of stickers embellished with bar codes that pertain to automated tracking systems.
The latest trend in bar codes are QR (quick-response) codes, a 2D symbology that can be read using a smart phone, and people all over the world have started using them to link to external web content.
If you're familiar with our photo anodized labels and nameplates, you may have read this case study about a Michigan-based company who is working to bridge the gap between grave sites and websites. Essentially, the concept is to print a QR code on a label or nameplate that can be affixed to a memorial stone. Visitors can then scan the QR code with their smart phones, and this will lead them to a site that includes photos, videos and other content about that person.
The same thing can be done with RFID. Although RFID is still in its infancy, it is modeled after the bar code system and is used for all of the things a bar code is used for, and more. While it is used quite frequently for tracking inventory, there are some companies who have started to use it to provide information to their customers similarly to how QR codes are being used in the example above.
Case in point: RFID Journal reported on an art museum in Milan, Italy who is using RFID tags to help their customers retrieve information about each work of art. The visitors are provided with RFID-enabled smart phones at the start of their tour. As they move through the museum, they are able to scan RFID tags that are affixed to the artwork. This provides them with the history of the piece and/or the artist, as well as an opportunity to add certain items to their mobile cart to later purchase at the gift store.
Whether it is a QR code or RFID, the last five to 10 years of technological advancements have provided businesses with so many more opportunities to connect to their customers and increase their traffic. If you are a business looking into adopting a system like this, Metalcraft can provide the tags you will need to get started.