a quick response qr code is a type of barcode that can be scanned by a digital device and which stores information as a series of pixels in a square shaped grid unlike the pandemic era masks the qr codes that became ubiquitous during that period are almost sure to stay 1 qr codes bridge the physical and digital worlds as people can scan menus and posters for information with their cellphones or off websites 
but qr codes are used to do more than tell you what appetizers are on special at your local restaurant inventory managers hope they gain wider use to track product information in the supply chain not just in marketing and advertising campaigns qr codes are considered an advance over the older unidimensional barcodes and were approved as an international standard in 2000 by the international organization for standardization iso 2 below we go through the basics of the qr code and why it s gained such wide use in recent years understanding quick response qr codesqr codes were developed in the 1990s to provide more information than a standard barcode they were invented by denso wave a subsidiary of toyota as a way to track automobiles throughout the manufacturing process 3 unlike barcodes which require a beam of light to bounce off the parallel lines mobile phones can digitally scan qr codes qr codes consist of black squares arranged in a grid matrix on a white background and are read by specialized software that can extract data from the patterns in the matrix these codes can contain more information than traditional barcodes and primarily handle four modes of data alphanumeric numeric binary and kanji despite the greater capacity qr codes have not proven as popular with consumers as was expected rather than being created by consumers to share information they are most commonly associated with marketing campaigns qr codes have become more widespread in facilitating digital payments and cryptocurrency systems such as displaying one s bitcoin address qr codes are also increasingly used to transmit web addresses to mobile phones for instance the qr code below encodes this webpage s url on investopedia quick response qr codes vs barcodesthe amount of information that can be conveyed about a product or service was traditionally limited by the amount of space on the product s packaging or the advertisement touting its benefits if a consumer wanted more information about the product availability price attributes they would have to find a salesperson or request extra documentation barcodes are commonly found on the back of product packages and convey data using a combination of various widths of parallel lines which can be read by machines that have an optical scanner 4the barcode revolutionized the way companies managed inventories and pricing and was first put to practical use in the 1960s by u s railroads to track equipment and containers traditional two dimensional barcodes came into common use in u s retail stores in 1974 5 barcodes are now found on everything from employee id badges and hospital bracelets to shipping containers the impact of this humble set of lines is hard to overstate without them the never ending cascade of products cramming every aisle of our stores could not be inventoried and shipped with such relative ease 4barcodes are typically used when a simple identification is needed supermarkets use them to track product prices and inventory libraries use barcodes for book identification and checkouts shipping companies utilize barcodes to track packages throughout the delivery process qr codes meanwhile are commonly used when a large amount of information needs to be shared for instance they are often found on event tickets to quickly provide details or on advertisements to link directly to a website qr codes can also be used in restaurants enabling customers to view digital menus by scanning the code experts envision even broader applications for qr codes in streamlining inventory and supply chains in the years ahead 4 beyond encoding links to drink specials and website urls qr codes can store expansive amounts of data opening possibilities like integrating detailed product information into codes in the future scanning a code could show everything from a product s manufacturing data to its transportation history to precise expiry dates 1some companies are even experimenting with using qr codes to tie digital information to individual products rather than entire product lines with this level of precision scannable qr codes could provide consumers assurance about the origins ingredients or components of the item they are purchasing supply chain managers are hopeful about efficiency improvements too if items can be traced to specific factories batches and delivery dates as the possibilities expand qr codes may radically change how data flows between physical products and digital systems bridging digital life and the real world 4used for sharing extensive informationcommonly found on event tickets and adsenable digital menu viewing in restaurants