About the author
As VP of Product at Fulcrum, Coleman leads strategy and development on all product development activities – from concept and engineering through marketing and growth.
Fulcrum update – In-App Barcode and QR Code Scanning
Fulcrum is already flush with data types that you can build into your own custom data collection apps for field surveying. Many Fulcrum users have deployed Fulcrum for asset inventory and evaluation projects, with service technicians or inspectors tracking asset locations and conducting quality inspections.
Today we’ve just released a major additional capability for these types of use cases: barcode and QR code scanning. Now you can add a barcode field to your data collection survey, and mobile users can scan barcodes and QR codes using their iPhone or Android device camera.
Our mobile barcode scanner even works on the record search feature on mobile. If you load Fulcrum with your asset list, including barcode asset tag data, you can scan a barcode to retrieve its record. This capability works well for sign inventories and other asset tracking applications with many assets nearby. Searching by ID quickly pulls up the right asset, allowing you to complete an inspection, view its location on a map, and route to it.
Check out this example from our App Gallery for collecting hardware inventory using barcode capture. Do you have applications and projects requiring barcode or QR code lookup? We’d love to hear more about interesting applications for new features.
Barcode scanning & QR update 2022:
In August 2022, Fulcrum expanded QR code functionality, allowing anyone to report issues without a license, login, or download. Using a mobile device, a person can scan a QR code on-site and submit a report about existing conditions. Managers then initiate follow-up actions, assign remediation tasks, schedule inspections, and track progress through a centralized dashboard. With one QR code scan, an entire issue resolution process begins.
Expanding reporting capabilities makes it easier for more people, teams, and departments—even site visitors—to participate. Broadening the pool of reporters helps identify problems early, leading to faster and simpler remediation. This inclusive approach fosters shared responsibility for work quality and team safety. Encouraging community involvement ensures that reporting extends beyond those with “inspector” in their job titles.