How QR Codes Help in Logistics and Parcel Tracking

How QR codes help in logistics and parcel tracking is what we will discuss in this article. Just to get your attention, let me tell you they help you save money and expand your business! 

I’m sure you’ve seen QR codes that lead you to websites. Well, it isn’t 2010 anymore and QR codes have become way more capable than just that. 

In fact, you can reap all the benefits QRcode can offer for logistics without even having to pay! That’s right! Many providers offer 100% free codes that you can customise and load with all the advanced data without having to pay! The really good providers even let you add your logos and frames to the codes to make them look better! 

Let’s get started then! 

What are advanced/dynamic QR codes? 

Before we can discuss how these help in logistics, we need to have a clear idea of what these QR codes are, don’t we?

Advanced QR codes are QR codes that don’t simply lead to a static link. These QR codes are capable of leading you literally anywhere.

Be it a map location, downloadable PDF file, direct phone call, some presentation, Whatsapp contact or anything else!

This already means you can embed anything in your QR code. This includes logistic IDs and trackers. 

So, a “dynamic QR code” is a code that updates the content of the code without changing the code itself! This means, when done right, it can update users on changing and real-time location of items among many other things. 

The best part is, creating these is not only free but exactly alike creating a normal QR code. Hence, no special skill or expertise is required.

8 ways QR Codes help in logistics and parcel tracking 

There are multiple benefits to using QR codes for logistics and parcel tracking, these include:

• Automated location updated
• Saved costs and boosts for other business areas.
• Faster and better inventory management
• Accuracy
• Easier for customers 
• Better analytics and records
• Security 

Automated location updates

QR Codes can massively reduce the amount of manual labour required to update locations of parcels.

Dynamic QR codes can be configured so that whenever they pass a specific checkpoint, the location and status of the item gets updated on the system. The estimated arrival time, any unforeseen delays etc. can be updated automatically. 

This removes any manual labour requirement as it’s completely automated. 

Save costs, boost other business areas 

Because the location updates are automated, you do not need people to update the parcel locations manually. This of course means you can work with less personnel which means less salaries to pay out. 

You may also divert these now relieved personnel to other aspects of your business, be it sales or customer support or anything else. This should help boost your business. 

Faster and better inventory management 

Many of these QR code creators allow mass-creations. You can create dozens and hundreds of QR codes within seconds. This directly saves the time you’d have spent otherwise simply creating these codes. 

Moreover, these codes can help your staff easily manage and maintain the inventory instead of having to manually update details. 

Accuracy 

Even in 2024, parcels get lost or stolen. They may get tagged with wrong forwarding addresses or someone simply forgets to update their current status causing them to lay around for days.

QR codes solve this as well. With automated updates, every involved system and person will know the status and location of the parcel without error. This improves your deliverability and overall speed.

Easier for customers (Scanning vs. link tracking) 

The traditional way to track parcels isn’t exactly smooth. Even with the simplest systems, users need to copy-paste a long tracking ID on some system for location info.

Isn’t scanning a QR code just simpler? You can configure these QRs to be sent to each customer’s email as soon as the order is shipped.

After that, all they’ve got to do is scan the QR code to track the item’s location and status.

Security 

Generally parcels include a shipping label on them. This includes the customer’s details such as name, contact number, address etc. That’s a massive privacy breach. Hundreds of people including drivers, personnel at checkpoints, delivery partners or simply load bearers have eyes on this data. 

A QR code helps solve this problem as well. You can use QR code to store the delivery details. This will prevent people from simply “looking at it” to gain the information. 

For even more security, you may even implement passwords so even scanning the QR won’t reveal the information. 

Better analytics and records 

So this is a benefit mostly for the shipper/seller. Most of these dynamic QR codes store immaculate records.

You can check how many times the QR code was scanned, the exact times of the scans, subsequent actions after the scan and so on.

Combining this data with other data (e.g. calls received by your call centre) can help you optimise your parcel deliveries for the better. 

Share more information 

Finally, QR codes can simply be used to share more information. This is for both parties, the customer as well as your delivery partners.

You aren’t sure who exactly delivers your partners at the ground level or what information they need.

QR codes allows you to bundle up a lot of information such as delivery guides, safety precautions, special requests etc. 

Conclusion

I’m sure there are more than just the 8 benefits to QR coding your parcels. However, these 8 reasons are definitely enough to get you start taking QR codes more seriously, aren’t they?

Generating a QR code takes seconds, generating 100s of QR codes takes seconds as well. This may often misrepresent the million-dollar benefits of using QR codes for your business. It’s more like the Butterfly effect. A small change that leads to many larger changes and overall entirely different trajectory for your company.

Of course, no amount of data can convince you enough unless you make the change yourself. I’ll advise you to start using QRs atleast on an experimental basis to get a better idea of the benefits.