Made for Each Other and Made for Prestigious Buildings – NFC and QR Codes

We make no secret of the fact that we are big champions of the QR code. We love the way you can scan one and, in an instant, open your mind to a wealth of useful information and intriguing insights, or access vital documentation for your job.

But what we don’t much love is the fact that there’s not much you can do to a QR code to make it look visually appealing, or blend in with the backdrop. It’s a black and white square, and that’s about the size of it.

So when you have information to share, but the surroundings prevent you from affixing a QR code, perhaps because they are prestigious, listed or basically just don’t lend themselves to black and white stickers, what to do?

The good news is you don’t have to do nothing. Because you can still share your information; it just needs a different type of technology. That technology being Near-Field Communication, or NFC.

Tiny chips, massive potential

NFC chips are tiny enough to be secreted somewhere inconspicuous. They work in the same way as QR codes, so you can scan them and access all sorts of useful information. You just need to know where they are, because they are literally hidden.

Here’s an example to illustrate the potential that lies within NFC QR codes.

One of the UK’s leading commercial cleaning and support services providers, was engaged by The Crown Estate to maintain the highest standards of operation for their Regent Street estate of 81 buildings.

They came to us here at Bangl, looking to install a real time information delivery and welfare system for onsite operatives working within the prestigious buildings, providing them with simple access to things like job sheets, work orders and a facility to report building fabric issues and make re-stock and supply requests.

A paper-based system was out of the question, with information rapidly going out of date, and way too much margin for human error. Not to mention the fact that for many of the operatives, English was not their first language.

There were also certain pieces of furniture that required specialist cleaning and maintenance, for which instructional videos would be the best option.

Whilst it would have been easy to set up a QR code system, whereby operatives could scan a code and access the information and functions they needed, placing codes within these prestigious properties was a complete no-go. So we turned our attention to Near-Field Communication.

Our concept involved NFC chips being placed throughout the buildings, with operatives trained to locate them. Once they were within range, they would be able to access information relating to the location via a simple smartphone scan, and all in their own language.

Imitated by many now but at the time was innovative and not something The Crown Estate had ever seen. In fact one of the leading facilities managers to whom we pitched the concept cited it as the most impressive piece of technology they’d seen in 30 years.

Imitated by many now but at the time was innovative and not something The Crown Estate had ever seen. In fact one of the leading facilities managers to whom we pitched the concept cited it as the most impressive piece of technology they’d seen in 30 years.

Two for one on all QR codes from Bangl!

QR codes are revolutionising the information delivery landscape. And where black and white squares aren’t suitable, so invisible NFC chips come into play. Delivering the same information in the same way, just without the big stickers.

With Bangl, you get two for one: one QR code, and one NFC chip. So you get all the rich, dynamic information that’s available via the Ban.gl QR code platform, pushed into a tiny, invisible microchip.