The Benefits of Traceability

When one thinks of traceability, the first thing that comes to mind is often produce traceability. However, traceability isn’t just for the produce and agriculture industries – it can be implemented into many other fields including electronics, meat & dairy, toys and so much more.

There are a number of reasons to implement traceability and transparency in your business and your product lines regardless of industry or product type. Here are just a few.

1. Customer Trust and Loyalty – Traceability and transparency are important steps to take to gain the trust of consumers.  They are effective ways to communicate safety and quality to the consumer, and as a result, traceability has been increasingly demanded for by consumers.

The greatest way to gain new customers and retain your current customer base is by gaining their trust; the simplest way to gain a customer’s trust is transparency (honesty).

2. Protect the Innocent – When problems occur and recalls become necessary, businesses suffer. By implementing traceability, those that are unaffected can continue to sell their products. Traceability expedites the problem-solving process involved in contamination cases and allows issues to be quickly contained and resolved with minimal collateral damage. With traceability, product categories are able to maintain their availability rather than being completely destroyed.  Traceability allows businesses to show customers that their products are unaffected and safe.

3. Improve business – In a survey by Yottamark, 85% of consumers stated that they prefer to purchase traceable food over non-traceable. In conclusion, if you products are up against traceable competitive products, you may lose out on business.

4. Protect public health and safety.

5. Vendors that offer traceability have a significant advantage over those who do not. Many fast food chains, superstores, restaurants, et al. require traceability from vendors as the result of perceived risk. Therefore, vendors that offer traceability are more likely to win business than those who do not.

6. Real-time traceability quickly pays for itself. Demonstrating compliance and real-time traceability can expand a company’s customer base and enables the company to go completely paperless seamlessly. By eliminating a timely and costly paper-based system, productivity and efficiency increase through decreased labor requirements, improved inventory control and many other benefits. In the case of a contamination incident, traceability lowers the cost of containing and resolving the issue.

Related Articles

• The Produce Traceability Initiative
• How is ePedigree like PTI?
• The Benefits of Traceability

Our New Green Initiative

With the growing amount of electronic waste or e-waste due to constant developments in technology and electronics, we believe that the continued development of our Green Initiative is absolutely necessary to do our part to help protect our planet.

Technology is always changing and developing and this leads to obsolete equipment and media (CDs, cassettes, etc.) that need to be disposed of around the world.  In many cases, the proper disposal of electronic equipment requires a legal framework, an elaborate system for collection, and many other aspects that complicate the disposal of electronics (and as a result a large number of electronics end up as toxic waste in landfills because there is no easy way to recycle or dispose of it).

According to an estimate by the Environmental Protection Agency, only 15-20% of electronic waste is recycled while the rest is dumped into landfills and incinerators. In the US alone about 3 tons of e-waste is produced each year. The total worldwide amount of e-waste is the tens of millions of tons.

To do our part to help reduce the amount of e-waste produced and to increase the amount of recycled electronics, we offer a buyback and recycling program for legacy barcode scanners, mobile computers, industrial label printers, surveillance cameras, and vehicle computers.

Not only do we simplify the recycling process by doing it for you, but we also provide you with a great incentive – credit for your used equipment. In exchange for your used equipment we offer cash, trade-in credit or credit towards another purchase from DataGear so that you get the greatest ROI on your mobile computing equipment.

Do your part to protect the future of our planet by protecting natural resources, preventing pollution and hazardous disposal by contacting us to find out about our Green Initiative and Buyback program.

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The Road Code

The utilization of QR codes on public advertisements has presented marketers with the challenge of overcoming safety issues. In the state of California, the use of a mobile device while driving is illegal, so placing QR codes in ads on buses or billboards has many limitations (only passengers can scan the code or drivers will have to illegally use their mobile devices to get the information stored on the code).

Paul Brocky and Tom Catuosco have developed a more “driver friendly” alternative to the QR code in response to limitations the QR code presents. “The Road Code” is a four character alpha-numeric code that can be used as a redirect, similar to the way QR codes are used. Of course, this requires the audience to download yet another barcode scanning application to their mobile devices in order to take advantage of the Road Code. It also requires the user to remember the four digit code for later use. This says a lot about marketers’ expectations of their audience. Hopefully the incentive for downloading the app, remembering the code and entering it into the application is well thought out and useful (please don’t forward us to your website!).

Here is a comparison of the Road Code to the QR Code:*

The Road Code App:

•    Road Codes are more easily accessible
•    Free access to real-time information on the go
•    Utilizes its own “easy-to-use”
•    Code can be saved on the mobile device for later use

QR Codes:

•    QR Codes cannot be committed to memory (although some scanning applications do allow this)
•    Damage to the QR code can make it unreadable
•    Photo has to be taken of QR Code making them difficult to scan while moving
•    If the destination of the code is changed, a new code needs to be created
•   Cell phone signal and/or internet access are required for a QR Code to work

If you are interested in reading more about QR Codes and other barcoding technology, check out these articles:

• The Marketing Advantages of QR Codes
• The Basics of Barcoding
• Are QR Codes Already Being Replaced?

* Taken from Virtual Strategy. Click here if you want to read the original article on Road Codes.

5 Reasons to Convert to a Mobilized POS System

Technology has enabled companies to do business faster, but it has also created the expectation that quotes or purchases will be operated much more quickly and efficiently. Customers want information, products and services immediately and have little patience for slow response. So how can your company keep up with customer demands for all things better, faster, and more affordable? Here are 5 reasons to convert to a mobilized POS (point of sales) system.

1. Faster sales execution.  Shorten the turnaround time for processing a sale and increase efficiency. Give your customers what they want faster and you can be certain they’ll be happy about it.

2. Convenience for your staff and customers. Mobile POS systems allow you to make a sale anywhere, anytime (based on your system’s connection – i.e. off-site sales require a cellular card and not just wifi capabilities). You can create a better experience for your customers by conducting the sales at their convenience and at the location of their choosing.

3. Security. Process transactions in front of customers, giving them a more secure payment experience.

4. Be more Competitive. Mobility allows for a more competitive POS system and a way to differentiate yourself from the competition.

5. Improved data management. Digital documentation is easier and more convenient to organize, manage and utilize. Eliminate the need to manually enter receipts into accounting software at the end of the day by taking advantage of the data automation features most mobile POS systems include.

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Are QR Codes Already Being Replaced?

Since the QR code has shown up in the US, potential competitors and replacement technologies have also started to make their appearances. In the following post I’d like to talk about these new technologies and I hope you will take a moment to comment and let me know which one you think is going to be the next big thing!

1. Microsoft Tags – I’m sure you’ve seen Microsoft’s version of the QR code, the Microsoft Tag. These tags can be seen in color (image shown) or in black and white and they allow the user to store:

• A URL : Unless it is blacklisted by Microsoft
• Up to 1000 characters of text with an optional password
• Contact Info or a vCard
• It can auto-dial a phone

One of it’s great features is that the user can specify a start and an end date which is great for promotions that go on for specific dates. You can read this great article to find out more about the Pros and Cons of Microsoft Tags.

2. Blippar – Unlike QR codes, blippar is not contained to a single space and it can create hotspots that can make an entire ad interactive. Unfortunately one needs to download a specific app just to scan the blippar ads and as a result of companies competing with QR codes we are all going to have to have 20 different applications on our mobile devices to scan each type of code (unless a programming genius designs a mobile application that works with all the types of codes – we know that person is going to make a lot of money). The other downside is that it appears to be expensive for businesses to produce and won’t be an option for companies with a lower budget. You can find out more about Blippar at the company’s web site.

3. NFC Codes – QR codes were slow to grow in popularity (in US markets), but Nokia seems to think that they certainly will be quick to lose it. If Nokia’s NFC (near-field communication) chip catches on — despite the fact they are far more expensive — the QR code will head to its early demise.  NFC chips do everything the QR codes do but better… except for the fact that the user has to buy NFC media (such as paper, business cards, etc. with the chip embedded) making the NFC chip 700% more expensive than the QR code. The great function they have at the moment is it gives users the ability to make mobile payments (but the company making the sale has to have the NFC chip reader).[1]

4. DigiMarc – My favorite QR code contender is DigiMarc, a hotspot based application that allows you to scan different parts of an advertisement to gain access to different content. The most unfortunate part is that those different points on the ad might not be obvious to the person (or even the fact that the ad can be scanned!) viewing it. The demo I watched on the web site showed a magazine ad that didn’t have anything that clearly identified it as a scannable ad which was a little disappointing. You can visit the DigiMarc website to decide for yourself.

5. Layar – Ok, I admit that this one is not an alternative to QR codes, but it is some of the coolest technology I’ve ever seen (and the city that the demo was filmed in looks an awful like the one I lived in). One potential downside to this app is it might lead to people walking around looking through their mobile devices rather than watching what is going on in the real world (which is potentially dangerous).[2]

There have been several other alternatives to QR codes, NoxiTech has a great article on some of QR codes’ competitors, but who knows what the future of QR codes will look like. I’m curious to know what you think, so please leave comments![3]

[1] Nokia views NFC as complete QR code replacement tech or you can go here to find out more about NFC: Goodbye QR Codes

[2] Layar Alternate Reality Web Site

[3] If you want to read an interesting article about the shortcomings of QR codes, read 5 QR Code Failures

Related Articles

• The Marketing Advantages of QR Codes
• The Basics of Barcoding

The Marketing Advantages of QR Codes

QR codes are everywhere, and we mean everywhere (they are even on  ketchup bottle labels when you go out to a restaurant and they are featured in artwork displayed in galleries).  Their presence is undeniable, but the real question is whether or not they are being put to good use.

The most popular way to use a QR code is to point it to a website. Just to throw our opinion out there — it’s just a tiny bit overdone.  Giving your QR code a more meaningful existence could mean more for your company in terms of ROI.

Many companies spend more time and energy creating clever ways to display or create their QR codes but forget the most important part — giving their customers a GOOD reason to scan the code.  The most important aspect of using a QR code is what happens after it is scanned, not the theatrics put into creating the QR code (despite the fact that it may be impressive).  Almost everyone is using QR codes to direct users to a website and as a result, users are becoming less interested in scanning them. A QR code can store so much more information than the average barcode, so why waste that potential?

Let’s face it, who wants to open the QR reader application, wait for the code to scan (which sometimes takes a while if it happens at all), only to finally get transferred to the internet browser to see a website that could have been more easily and immediately accessed if they opened the browser and entered the url instead?

In short, give customers an incentive for taking the time to scan your QR code!

“Scan this code to get a coupon available for immediate use“

“Join our rewards club by scanning this code and get an extra point just for becoming a member!“

“Exclusive videos (or photos) available by scanning this code!“

“Watch a video on how to use [xyz product]“

There should be a reason to scan a QR code, and that reason should be better than being automatically forwarded to a website — as I said before, your customer could have gone to the website on their own  if he or she really wanted to and they didn’t need the QR code to do so — and it should be a way to engage others with your company (or product or services).

Check out some of the cool things people are doing with QR codes for some inspiration:

• Bakon Vodka uses QR codes to give its users badges and create an online community for its customers
• Photographers use QR codes in lieu of signatures to get the credit they deserve (and people can see more photos of that genre or from that particular photo shoot)
• JCPenney created Santa tags which allowed gift givers to record voice messages for those they were sending gifts to (a great way to share your holiday spirit with family or friends that are far away)
• Some companies allow customers to make payments with QR codes on their mobile devices
•  A few bakeries created edible QR codes that send customers to a Facebook fan page or to coupons (the photo above)
• Tell us about some interesting QR code uses you know about in the comments!

If you want to know more about QR codes, you can read this article on using QR codes.

If you are interested in finding out more about our company and what we do, visit our website to find out more about industrial data solutions.

Related Articles:

• The Basics of Barcoding
• Are QR Codes Already Being Replaced?
• The Road Code

Social Media for Solutions Partners

We recently attended a web seminar which discussed web opportunities for businesses in our industry and a large part of the discussion was that of “blogging.”  Our company, DataGear, Inc.,  is no stranger to the art of “blogging,” but deciding on which platform to utilize has recently been open to suggestion.

Is it better to host the blog on your web site or a third party such as Blogger or WordPress? Many companies opt to host their blogs on their own web site, but we decided to give ours a home somewhere else. Here.

It can be argued that either way could be better in terms of “discovery” – hosting the blog on your web site gets more visitors and raises the site’s importance, but at the same time, an external blog links back to the primary web site much in the same way the blog existing on the actual web site may do. So which is better?

In the end it all comes down to preference and how much design/moderation control you would like to have over the blog and which venue you think might have better opportunities for exposure.  We chose WordPress because it allows the perfect combination of ease-of-use AND customization.  Plus, you don’t have to be a coding wizard to get something started and their templates are pretty great.

The biggest disadvantage to hosting your blog on an external site (or even giving it its own url!), arguably, is that any SEO or attention that your blog receives does not always translate to traffic on your main web site.  Although I agree in some respects, there are many ways to connect your blog and website without sacrificing one for the other.  Besides, interacting socially is about actively contributing to and participating in different social networks, and blogging networks, like WordPress or Blogger, are social networks, and so, (based on this assertion) hosting your blog somewhere other than your own web site has its advantages.

If you’d like to read more about where you should put your blog, we enjoyed this article on blog hosting.