When you’re running a business, it can be hard to find time to do everything, which means the less interesting tasks often get overlooked.
Reviewing, monitoring and enforcing policies are in danger of falling into this category because, sometimes, it’s just about getting the job done. However, policies and procedures are important tools for your business that guide employees, keep people safe, and help manage risk.
So how do you get people to read them and follow them? One idea that has become popular with fleet managers is using QR codes. Businesses are linking QR codes to safety policies and pre-start checks and asking staff to scan them before driving a company car.
Why use QR codes?
It makes sense for two reasons. Everyone knows how to use a QR code thanks to the recent pandemic, and employees always have their phones on them.
QR codes deliver relevant information to your team when and where they need it. By scanning the unique code with their phone, they’re taken directly to the document related to the task at hand.
They can also be used for staff surveys and registration forms. Once you start using them internally, you’ll likely find many different applications and might event start using them externally for marketing comms to customers and prospects as well.
Using them with your fleet
When you operate a fleet, QR codes are a great way to relay information to new employees and non-regular drivers. Just ensure you stick the QR code in an obvious spot on the inside of the windscreen so it’s easy for them to find.
Another point to consider is that according to Safe Work NSW, vehicles used for business purposes are considered a workplace. QR codes can be used to make drivers aware of their responsibilities when they are in a fleet vehicle.
Typically, fleet vehicles are newer than private vehicles so fleet managers are now also using this tool during induction programs to educate drivers about new safety technologies, navigation systems and Apple CarPlay.
Go paperless
With hybrid workplaces, paper is becoming a thing of the past. Everything is transitioning to digital and using QR codes is a great way to provide access to policies and procedures people use regularly. The latest version of these can be stored online, which also makes version control easy.
Monitoring compliance
Storing polices on an intranet or asking new starters to read and sign on the first day won’t be enough if there is a workplace incident. Authorities expect employers to monitor compliance by employees.
Technology creates transparency so organisations can monitor who has accessed policies using QR codes. With this data, you can tailor employee education and other communications based on the number of views for each policy.
Easy to create
There are two types of QR codes – static and dynamic. A static QR code is free and easy to create online. This is the one to use if you don’t need any reporting or can track it via a unique URL.
You’ll need to pay to use a dynamic QR code but it does allow you to track usage and update the information linked to the code. This type is popular with marketing departments running multiple campaigns with the same QR code.
Technology is developing at a rapid pace and a business that moves with it and uses it to simplify, speed up and increase accuracy in their systems will be ready for whatever the future throws at us next.
