QR Code Logistics

QR code logistics attaches QR codes to package slips and packaging, scanning at collection, sorting, loading, delivery, and receipt stages to track package location and status in real time.

Because QR codes store more information than barcodes, sender, recipient, contents, handling instructions, and delivery route can also be consolidated into a single QR code. Delivery drivers record completion by scanning with smartphones, and that record can also be linked to delivery status notifications for recipients.

The key decision when introducing it is whether to encode the package information itself in the QR code, or to encode only a tracking number and look up the details in the management system. The former lets staff check the contents on the scanning device alone even without network access, but if the recipient's name and address are included, anyone who sees the slip can read them, so on slips that circulate outside the organization, the basic design is to exclude personal information and encode only the tracking number. Pitfalls include scanners on site that only read barcodes and do not support QR codes, labels on curved surfaces or recycled paper that are hard to read, and codes partially lost to dirt or abrasion in transit. Before rollout, run read tests with the actual slips and scanners, and leave margin in the error correction level and print size of the code.