Any time a bunch of boxes or bins are involved in an organizing endeavor, keeping track of what’s inside can be a nightmare.
Whether it’s moving to a new house, placing boxes in a storage unit or filling bins with holiday decorations, it’s easy to lose track of where everything ended up.
Most of us became familiar with QR (quick response) codes during the pandemic. Many restaurants took away physical menus and asked diners to scan one of the codes with their phones to view a digital list of food options.
Now, nearly four years after the start of the pandemic, the funny looking square barcodes are a genius, affordable storage solution.
Several companies today offer peel-and-stick QR codes that work with an app to help itemize what’s inside any container. After logging items through the app into the QR code, stick it on your bin or box and then use the app to search for any item and locate it quickly.
Once the app is set up, there will be no more opening every container to dig around and find a specific item and no more more wondering what’s inside each box in the garage. Your stored items will all be perfectly organized and itemized in the searchable database.
Here’s a breakdown of three popular QR code inventory management apps: ToteScan, SmartLabels and Elephant Trax.
All three have similar functionality. You buy the labels online, download the app (all work with iOS and Android) and scan the first code. Then, you take photos and give descriptions of each item you place in the container you will label with that QR code.
Each app has search capabilities that allow users to search with any word in the item’s description to locate which container houses it. You have to be as descriptive as possible in order to get the best and quickest search results.
Each app allows users to easily move an item from one QR code to another within the app. All of the stickers are tear and water resistant and all of the QR codes are secure. Only people logged into the app with their account are able to scan the code to discover the container’s contents.
- ToteScan is Amazon’s overall pick offering this service, and it sells 45 labels for $11.95. Buyers have the option of purchasing labels or buying downloads to print out themselves.
These labels also have an alphanumeric code on them for organization at a glance. Multiple users can use one account and can assign totes to different locations.
One nice feature for items still in their packaging is that users can scan the barcode and ToteScan will search online retailers and autofill an image and title. More advanced users can also set up an Amazon skill for ToteScan. You can use the ToteScan skill to ask Alexa questions such as, “Where are my pink scissors?” or “Where is the paint tote?” and she’ll answer.
- SmartLabels sells 48 stickers in different colors for $15.95 and is a bestseller on Amazon.
When users search for an item in the app, it will tell them the location of the box, the color of sticker used and the alphanumerical ID on the label. Free use of the app only lasts a year and then an annual subscription kicks in, although the basic plan only costs about $1 per month.
This app allows more detailed descriptions, like what type of container it is and allows users to take a photo of its outside to find it more easily. Another bonus is the settings allow users to bypass any of the following options each time they add an item: container photo, item photo or item description. This can be a big timesaver, because sometimes, a photo of a pair of scissors is enough without adding a description as well.
- Elephant Trax sells 40 labels for $10.99 and allows multiple photos of an item. One of the best features of this app is when users search for an item and start scanning QR code labels, the code will turn green on the app when it locates the correct container. This is vital since the stickers do not contain an alphanumeric ID along with the QR code.
This app has a really fast uploading experience and the stickers are sold at Home Depot as well as online. That may come in handy when you’re moving. If you run out of stickers, you know exactly where to run to buy some instead of waiting for an online delivery.
Whether you’re moving or have a New Year’s resolution to get more organized, these QR code labels can be a game-changer. And while itemizing everything may take some time up front, the payoff just might be worth it.