October 2021
Professional Services Firm (Big Four)
GenuineBee developed a custom QR code generator for a leading professional services firm that not only streamlined the creation and management of QR codes, but also ensured brand compliance and reduced reprinting costs. Our solution replaced the ad hoc use of various third-party tools, bringing in a standardization that significantly improved the consistency and quality of the QR codes produced.
One of the "Big Four", a leading professional services networks in the world, this company has offices in more than 150 countries, more than 270,000 people and annual gross revenues of more than US$40 billion. With an extensive online presence, their main global website alone contains more than 50,000 pages.
The client's design team previously used a variety of third-party online tools for generating QR codes. This practice resulted in inconsistent results in terms of quality, branding, and functionality. The inclusion of third-party logos compromised the hegemony of the client’s branding. Moreover, if URLs changed once the QR codes had been generated, materials had to be reprinted, leading to unnecessary costs.
We know generating a QR code isn't rocket science. But ensuring brand compliance, full availability to all users, and the ability to reuse QR codes? That's a different story. So while we may not be launching satellites, we're still proud of our QR Code Generator. It's one small step for QR codes, but one giant leap for brand consistency.
GenuineBee’s solution began with a proof of concept (PoC) with limited features for the design team to test and validate. By giving the team this basic format to trial, we were able to help them distill the features that they really needed. Once the approach was validated, we developed a robust web application that allowed user authentication through the client's Single Sign-On (SSO). The team also told us they were frustrated by the need to reprint everything should the URL of a page change, so we added a feature that allowed them to utilize bit.ly integration. The application also included a feature to generate usage reports for each code.
The final solution, delivered within three months, included robust features such as user authentication, bit.ly integration for URL management, and QR code usage reports. This meant that, should a website URL need to change after a QR code had been printed, the bit.ly could redirect to the new page, saving hundreds of dollars on reprint costs. The tool quickly gained popularity within the client's network and is now used by hundreds of users worldwide every month. We have also been told that the solution helped save reprinting costs on several projects.
The client found value in being able to quickly validate the utility of the application with the PoC, a step proposed by GenuineBee. This approach allowed the client to use the PoC for several months until the final product was developed, rather than embarking on a full-scale application development from the start. The use of bit.ly as a solution for reusing QR codes was also proposed by GenuineBee. The project's success has led to further collaborations with the client, including our Brand checker add-In and Headshot database projects.
The project was developed using Angular, Node, and MongoDB. It also incorporated a development framework provided by the client's IT team, and its in-house SSO module, to which GenuineBee adapted with ease.
