Using QR Codes for quality assurance is one of the most efficient ways to streamline inspections, reduce human error, and gain real-time access to critical production information. Whether you’re battling inconsistent checklists, tracking inefficiencies, or struggling with traceability across your supply chain, implementing QR Codes can transform your workflows for the better.
In this article, you’ll learn how to generate QR Codes, integrate them into your quality control processes, and optimize data entry with mobile devices. We’ll cover use cases across manufacturing, inventory management, and maintenance schedules, so you can ensure high-quality standards, cut downtime, and simplify compliance.
Note: The brands and examples discussed below were found during our online research for this article.
How do QR Codes for quality assurance work?
A QR Code (quick response code) is a monochrome graphic that stores information in a scannable, square-shaped grid. When scanned with a mobile device, it instantly delivers data, like product specs, inspection checklists, or batch numbers, without any manual entry.
Using QR Codes for quality assurance means printing scannable codes on product labels, equipment, or packaging. These QR Codes can link to inspection logs, maintenance schedules, or traceability records, helping teams ensure product quality at every step. With real-time updates and automation, they streamline processes, reduce downtime, and eliminate human error.
Industries like cosmetics, frozen food, construction, and manufacturing are already seeing the benefits of this improved form of data coordination. From QR batch code tracking for cosmetics and QR Codes for manufacturing process control to QR Codes for construction inspection checklists on job sites, this tech offers easy access to relevant information for everyone involved.
Benefits of using QR Codes for quality assurance
Implementing QR Codes in your quality assurance process provides more than just a tech upgrade; it unlocks smarter, faster, and more reliable operations. From inventory management to compliance tracking, here’s how QR codes for small businesses and large conglomerates help streamline quality control across industries:
- Better inventory management
QR Codes make it easy to track raw materials, serial numbers, and product batches in real-time. For example, manufacturers can scan QR Codes on shipments to instantly update stock levels or flag items nearing expiration. - Improved security and compliance with standards
QR Codes can help you ensure every product meets quality standards by linking directly to documents like inspection checklists, certification data, or audit logs that are critical for industries like pharmaceuticals and food production. - Cost savings
Automating quality checks with QR Codes can cut down on time-consuming manual work, reduce paperwork, and minimize costly product recalls, saving you labor costs at every turn. - Fewer human errors
Scanning QR Codes for data entry or product verification eliminates the risk of typos and mislabeling that goes hand in hand with manual entry. - Streamlined maintenance schedules
Equipment labeled with QR Codes can link to digital maintenance logs and upcoming service dates, reducing downtime. - Faster traceability in recalls
If you need to pull a batch, scanning the associated QR Code provides instant access to lot numbers and production data, speeding up the recall process. - Optimized workflows
Teams can scan and retrieve real-time updates from mobile devices, improving efficiency on the floor and during audits.
Examples of how to use QR Codes for quality assurance
With such a wide functionality, it’s not surprising that many companies use QR codes in supply chain management. Below are several use cases where QR Codes can boost product quality and streamline compliance.
Verification of ingredients
With Bitly QR Codes, businesses can link to a dynamic webpage listing verified ingredients, sourcing info, or certifications. This is especially useful in the cosmetics, pharmaceutical, and food industries where ingredient transparency is critical. A scanned QR Code on a cosmetics label, for example, could show detailed sourcing documentation for natural extracts. French cosmetics giant L’Oréal is leading the pack in this field, reporting in 2024 that it had added detailed ingredient information QR Codes to over 1.5 billion products from 41 different brands, with plans to double that number by the end of 2025.
Batch tracking
Dynamic QR Codes linked to batch numbers and production details give manufacturers full traceability from raw materials to finished goods while letting you update the linked information at any moment. This reliable flexibility is essential in the food, beverage, and chemical sectors, especially when recall processes depend on accurate, real-time batch tracking. Dutch milk powder company Friso takes this type of batch tracking so seriously that it has implemented the Friso Gold TrackEasy program to make information about every step in its supply chain completely transparent to any user with a smartphone.
Legal compliance
Industries like construction, medical devices, and aerospace must meet strict regulatory standards. QR Codes can link to compliance checklists, audit trails, or certifications stored in the cloud, ensuring that field teams and inspectors can instantly access legal documentation from any mobile device. Many countries and states now require CBD product manufacturers to include QR Codes on all packaging that inform consumers about the ingredients used and display a certificate of analysis (CoA) done by a third-party lab. As a result, most national CBD brands in the USA now have QR Code product packaging for every item they produce.
Keep track of expiration dates
In industries like frozen food, pharmaceuticals, and dairy, expiration dates are mission-critical. By scanning a QR Code, teams can view the product’s production date, shelf life, and use-by information, reducing spoilage and improving inventory management across the supply chain. Consumers are equally enamoured of QR Code technology for expiration date tracking, with research from Cornell University showing that 60% of milk purchasers preferred QR-Coded “best before” dates to traditional printed labels.
Allergen compliance check
For food manufacturers and cosmetic brands, QR Codes can provide customers and inspectors instant access to allergen statements. With one scan, a Bitly Code can reveal detailed breakdowns of allergens like gluten, dairy, or nuts, ensuring legal compliance and product safety. In 2024, Nestlé added QR Codes to its KitKat and Quality Street products to “provide essential product information, such as allergen details, dietary requirements, and usage instructions, which can be accessed through existing apps for the blind and partially sighted community.”
Tips for creating QR Codes for your quality assurance processes
Once you’re ready to implement QR Codes into your quality assurance workflow, the next step is creating and managing them effectively. From choosing the right QR Code generator to optimizing placement and analyzing performance, these tips will help you build a high-quality, scannable system that supports traceability, automation, and real-time updates across your operations.
Easily generate QR Codes at scale with Bitly
With Bitly, you can quickly create QR Codes—individually or in bulk—using our intuitive spreadsheet upload feature or the Bitly API. For quality control processes, Dynamic QR Codes are especially valuable. You can update the destination link for any code at any time, directing users to the most relevant inspection checklist, batch log, or product information based on your production stage. You can manage everything from one centralized place, making it easy to generate, edit, organize, and oversee your QR Codes at scale.
Use QR Code best practices
To ensure your QR Codes are easy to scan and function correctly, start by using high-contrast color combinations. A dark QR Code on a light background, such as black on white, offers the best readability and minimizes scanning errors.
Next, place your QR Codes on flat, visible surfaces. Whether you’re applying them to packaging, equipment, or signage, clear visibility and minimal distortion are key to consistent scanning performance.
Finally, make sure each QR Code is large enough that users can scan it quickly and easily with mobile devices. A scannable size of at least one inch by one inch ensures users can access the linked content without frustration, which is especially important in fast-paced or low-light environments. Always test scannability with several different devices in a variety of different environments before deployment.
Ensure your QR Codes for quality control integrate with your existing system
To truly streamline your quality assurance process, it’s essential that your QR Codes integrate effortlessly with your existing systems—whether that’s your ERP, inventory management platform, or traceability solution. Seamless integration means your team doesn’t waste time switching between tools or manually entering the same data twice.
By embedding scannable QR Codes directly into your workflows, you enable instant access to key documents like inspection checklists, maintenance schedules, batch lists, and product specifications. Whether accessed on the production floor or during audits, this real-time functionality reduces human error, shortens inspection times, and helps maintain compliance with industry regulations.
You can customize QR Codes to point to specific dashboards, product records, or quality control logs, ensuring your team always has the most relevant information at their fingertips. With accurate, up-to-date data just a scan away, you’ll elevate product traceability, improve accountability, and optimize your entire manufacturing process—from raw materials to finished goods.
Monitor QR Code analytics
Tracking how your QR Codes perform can uncover inefficiencies and highlight areas for improvement. With Bitly Analytics, you get real-time data on:
- Total scans and scan trends over time
- Location-based usage (city/country)
- Device types used to scan
- Peak scan activity days
This insight helps you identify potential issues in your quality control process, like inconsistent scan rates in a particular facility, and take immediate action.
Use Bitly Codes for efficient quality control
Using QR Codes for quality assurance helps you streamline workflows, reduce human error, and gain real-time visibility into your production process. With Bitly, you can generate, manage, and track Dynamic QR Codes—all from one easy-to-use platform. Whether you’re verifying ingredients, tracking batches, or monitoring compliance, Bitly helps ensure your quality control system is efficient, scalable, and always up to date.
Ready to optimize your QA process? Sign up for a Bitly account to start creating high-quality, scannable QR Codes today.
