Software and Product Engineering

A QR code inventory app cut tool management costs by 30%

A mobile app with QR code scanning and smart tags gives customers of a global manufacturing company real time visibility into construction tool inventory and location, cutting management costs and manual transfer effort.

The Opportunity

The company's customers relied on manual processes to manage and track construction equipment and consumables across sites. There was no way to identify which worker was assigned to which tool with real accountability, or to move tools between locations without friction.

Workers used lower end devices on active construction sites, ruling out anything that wasn't lightweight and reliable, and tracking a tool's precise location in real time simply wasn't possible.

The Transformation

A mobile app was built that uses QR code scanning to identify tools and track their physical location, paired with smart tags that continuously monitor tools via mobile phones and BLE beacons.

Workers and the tools they're certified to use are mapped together, so every assignment carries accountability.

  1. QR Code Scanning & Tool Identification

    Every tool is identified and tracked by physical location via QR code scanning, built to keep working reliably even when the app runs in the background, a real constraint on active construction sites.

  2. Smart Tags for Continuous Monitoring

    Smart tags monitor tools continuously using mobile phones and BLE beacons, so location tracking doesn't depend on someone remembering to scan a tool in and out.

  3. Worker to Tool Mapping

    Workers are mapped to the tools they're certified to use, ensuring proper assignment and accountability instead of tools being handed out informally.

  4. Built for Real World Job Sites

    The app was built for compatibility with the lower end devices predominantly used by construction workers, and for seamless tool transfer across locations and workers.

Impact
30%

Lower tool inventory management costs for the company's customers

20%

Less effort required for tool transfer compared to manual operations

Real time

Precise tracking of each tool's physical location

Single asset

Tools grouped into cartons and tracked as one asset instead of many

Tech Stack: Android SDK & Kotlin (Android), Swift (iOS), Java (Backend)
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