QR Code Process for Physical Color Swatch Management

Original: https://cli.im/article/detail/1962

Managing physical color swatches has always been a major challenge in our daily work. Our company has numerous processes for developing and circulating physical color swatches. The sheer volume of swatches and the large number of staff handling them make it difficult to accurately track check-ins and check-outs, leading to disorganization in swatch management.

Each person handling the swatches struggles to properly log the check-in and check-out records. Swatch development management relies on individual developers' spreadsheet records, which are fragmented and hard to consolidate. Using a single spreadsheet to manage swatch records is insufficient in detail and makes it nearly impossible to ensure every person logs every entry. Multiple people editing the same spreadsheet often leads to errors, and records are frequently forgotten, resulting in issues like lost swatches and missing logs.

To change this situation, we considered using QR codes to manage swatch check-in and check-out records. Scanning a QR code with a phone to log each entry avoids the hassle of everyone updating the same spreadsheet. As long as they have a phone and WeChat, anyone can scan and input records anytime, anywhere—no app installation required, and WeChat authorization eliminates the need for separate registration.

So, we searched online for a QR code platform and settled on CaoLiao QR Code. CaoLiao's interface is straightforward, with plenty of video and text tutorials. Following the guides, we quickly learned basic operations like inputting and exporting data, creating QR code labels, and generating forms. The basic data is presented in an Excel-like interface, making it very user-friendly; data can be exported and modified in bulk. After understanding the basic steps and functions of QR codes, we optimized and improved our physical color swatch management process around QR codes.

Initially, I created only one form, but I found that a single form couldn't fully capture the item's circulation records and status all at once, and having too many input fields made logging chaotic. When I discovered that multiple forms could be created, I categorized the items I needed to record into three separate forms. One form specifically records check-ins and check-outs—the ability to directly scan and input serial numbers is fantastic. Another form tracks the swatch's development status and the responsible person (which only changes once or twice). A third form records testing details. This way, scanning the code and filling out the appropriate form based on different needs ensures effective record-keeping. More static records don't need to be re-entered repeatedly.

After finalizing the swatch information and form details, we purchased labels to print the QR codes. The QR code label sizes and formats provided by CaoLiao are somewhat fixed, and the label paper I bought was 5×3 cm, which didn't match the available templates and sizes. Using CaoLiao's custom label layout tutorial https://cli.im/help/51119, I used GOODMES Cloud Labels to create the desired label size and format. The process was simple and quick to follow, and the software platform is free.

After creating the label template, we printed them out and attached them to the physical color swatches for use. Colleagues simply need to affix the corresponding QR code label when they receive a physical color swatch. Then, by scanning the QR code and entering the quantity and corresponding check-in or check-out location, they can easily log the swatch's movement.

With the basic data in place, the next step was data processing and report generation. Online tutorials recommended Sugar, but since we already use the Power BI reporting system in our daily work, we didn't want to adopt a new system. After checking with support, we found that direct integration with Power BI via data API wasn't possible. Instead, we periodically download the spreadsheets and use them as data sources in Power BI to create inventory lists of color swatches and lists of swatches in development. This has greatly simplified our check-in and check-out record-keeping, providing an accurate inventory record of color swatches.