By simply scanning pallets with their smartphones, customers of DS Smith Packaging’s Industrial Division can place repeat orders of heavy duty packaging.

Pointing a smartphone at the QR code printed on the pallet label or the box will send the unique product and re-ordering information to the company and the order is automatically placed.

Due to faster readability and greater storage capacity than traditional barcodes, Quick Response (QR) technology is becoming widely used. It makes the ordering process quicker than if it was undertaken manually, taking just three seconds in most cases.

Peter Foot, marketing and innovation director, said, ‘Ordering by QR code means that we receive customers’ requirements immediately, giving us the ability to schedule orders in to an earlier programme where possible, and reduce the hidden costs for both customer and supplier that can include administrative errors and the time spent correcting them. 

‘By taking the manual element out of the process, we are able to save our customers valuable time and ensure that we have as much control over the ordering process as possible to minimise error.’ 

QR technologies are robust enough to withstand industrial environments where packaging is moved and stored, with QR codes still able to be read and transmitted accurately even if up to 30% of the code is obscured. This would not be possible for traditional barcodes.