Originally published on December 10, 2021
Last updated on March 6, 2026
How to Use QR Codes for Inventory Management
Inventory management is a complex operation that requires fast and accurate product tracking and a well-organized database of information. Quick response (QR) codes efficiently record product information and trace each item’s path along the supply chain. QR code inventory management is an easy solution to make your warehouse a powerhouse of efficiency. QR codes are squares […]
Inventory management is a complex operation that requires fast and accurate product tracking and a well-organized database of information. Quick response (QR) codes efficiently record product information and trace each item’s path along the supply chain. QR code inventory management is an easy solution to make your warehouse a powerhouse of efficiency.
QR codes are squares of black dots superimposed on a white background. They were invented in Japan in 1994 by a subsidiary of Toyota to keep track of automobile parts during assembly. Now they are used frequently in advertising, as they can lead the scanner directly to a URL, social media site, app or other online destination. While QR codes are helpful in many business and marketing scenarios, their performance truly shines in inventory management.
A QR code system can streamline your inventory management process and make product tracking easier. With Finale Inventory, you can create QR codes that combine large amounts of data in a small square, giving you access to product details about each item as well as location information for easy tracking in your warehouse.
QR codes made with Finale Inventory’s inventory management software can contain all of the following information:
Product ID: Usually found below or above the barcode, you can easily incorporate product IDs into a QR code.
Lot ID: These identification numbers are found elsewhere on the packaging. QR codes centralize the information contained in a lot ID and help you track bulk items at any point along the supply chain, from the time they arrive in the warehouse to when you ship them to customers.
Serial number: Located on the label or sometimes inside a product’s manual, serial numbers are assigned to each part or piece of merchandise to allow for complete tracking.
Sublocation: This identifier allows warehouse workers to find products within their stock quickly. Input an item’s sublocation into a QR code and be able to instantly check if it’s in stock and check its location.
Order labels: With a QR code, you can bring up the order label associated with an item and determine its status.
Because QR codes can contain so much information, they can replace all linear codes already in use. Switching to QR code inventory management simplifies your product identification process and makes receiving new shipments, picking products from the warehouse and transferring stock between locations a smoother process. Finale’s inventory management software is also agile enough to incorporate QR codes into the system of barcodes you already use.
How to Make QR Codes Using Finale Inventory
Using QR code technology in your inventory management can save your company lots of time in the warehouse. Learning how to make QR codes for inventory management is simple with your existing Finale Inventory account. Follow the step-by-step guide below to begin printing QR code labels with Finale Inventory:
Create a list of products you want to track using QR codes.
Determine the label sizes you need for your products.
Navigate to the Finale Inventory homepage on our website. Log in if you have not already.
Select the Products option under the Inventory column.
Click on the product for which you want to print a QR code.
Go to the Product Reports column on the left.
Select Print QR Code Labels.
Input the number of labels you want to print.
Click Print PDF.
Your new QR codes will then be part of Finale Inventory’s efficient inventory management system. Scan them as a quality check to be sure they contain the information you need.
Benefits of Our QR Code Solutions
With accessible order information and automatic notifications available directly from a scanner or enabled smartphone, many companies switch from barcodes to manage inventory with QR codes. Consider the following benefits of integrating a QR code system into your product tracking:
1. Increased Storage
QR codes can store the same information as all linear labels mentioned above, including product details and part numbers. They can do this because QR codes can contain plain text up to thousands of characters long, far more than other kinds of line-based universal product codes (UPCs). All of your product’s information is accessible with just a mobile phone’s camera scan.
2. Updates in Real-Time
With dynamic QR codes, you can automatically update product details like cost without needing to print new labels. You can input further information and correct mistakes virtually and your QR codes will be updated immediately. Dynamic codes will also tell you when and with what device the code was last scanned so you can keep tabs on tracking and order fulfillment.
3. Faster Scanning
Linear, or 1D, codes are only scannable in one direction — from left to right — and you must scan them using a specialized barcode scanner or pen. Most barcodes only contain two pieces of information — five numbers each to identify the manufacturer and the make or style of the product. You can scan QR codes, on the other hand, from multiple directions. They also have a much larger capacity for data storage.
4. Ease of Access
QR codes make it easy for warehouse managers and inventory directors to store information in the cloud, giving all team members access to stored data. Finale Inventory’s cloud-based warehouse management system lets you track products within a warehouse or across multiple locations. QR codes can be beneficial if employees spend a lot of time picking orders on the warehouse floor because they give employees mobile access to the product database.
5. Damage Resistance
QR codes use an algorithm for error correction, which means that depending on the damage they suffer, they can still restore some of the lost information. The highest level of error correction a QR code can have is 30% correction. If your QR codes are torn, smudged or folded in some way during shipment, they are much more likely to still function as compared to a 1D barcode.
QR Code Technology for Your Business Needs
With the QR code solutions at Finale Inventory, your business can:
Save time: With QR codes, you can locate products within your warehouse quickly. Employees can use smartphones or other mobile scanners to scan the QR code without returning to a single computer to check data.
Save money: Our inventory tracking software works with any scanning equipment you already use, including smartphone scanners, so you save on scanning equipment. And by using QR codes, you can lower your printing costs by combing multiple labels into one.
Eliminate paper waste: With Finale Inventory’s cloud-based inventory tracking system, you only need to print QR code labels for your products. There is no need to track inventory by hand because the system stores all the updates.
QR Code Solutions From Finale Inventory
Our QR code technology helps crucial warehouse operations run smoothly. The inventory management software from Finale Inventory can fit flexibly with the inventory management techniques you currently use or switch to efficient QR code labeling. Save time and cut costs while tracking products through every shipping stage with the efficiency of QR codes.
QR codes are simple to print with Finale Inventory and can replace many other labels used during inventory management and shipping. If you need a custom QR code or run into any issues with the printing process, our in-house support team will be happy to help. Schedule a live demo of our software or start a free trial today and see the difference Finale Inventory systems make.
“The core of maturity, that I see, is starting with a unified view of inventory. I’ve got to be able to accurately represent what do I have, make sure that I know where it’s located so I can get it to my customers quickly.”
— Troy Graham, Descartes
What is the first thing I should fix if I want to scale operations?
Start with a unified view of inventory. The core of maturity starts with being able to accurately represent what you do have and make sure that you know where it’s located to get it to customers quickly. Without a unified view across your warehouses, 3PLs, and vendors, you cannot make the best decisions because you don’t have the best information at hand.
With Inventory Visibility, Businesses Can Make Smarter Allocation Decisions
Once inventory is centralized, businesses can move from reactive updates to intentional allocation. They can decide how much inventory to expose to each channel, when to use buffers, which marketplaces need extra protection, and how seasonality or campaign performance influence availability.
Once I know what inventory I have, how should I decide where to make it available?
Inventory allocation should reflect where orders are coming from, where marketing is working, and which channels carry the most risk. Once you know what you have and where it is located, you can think more strategically using centralized inventory to make prioritization happen automatically. One fertilizer company lost a little over 5,000 orders in one weekend because someone manually uploaded the wrong available inventory to Amazon.
Better Inventory Data Improves Planning, Purchasing, and Growth Bets
Better visibility turns inventory data into a planning tool. With insight into sales velocity, inventory levels, vendors, and channel performance, businesses can make more informed replenishment decisions, avoid overbuying, and test new product lines or vendor-supplied inventory without taking on unnecessary risk.
“You have to have unified inventory to know how to price your products just at that basic level. I can’t price my products if I don’t know the true cost to get it.”
— Mike Bernico, Flxpoint
How does better inventory data help me make smarter buying decisions?
It lets you measure whether your plan is working before you commit more capital. A key question becomes: “Did my plan work? Am I overleveraged in one place or another?” Centralized systems can also help businesses test new product lines or vendor relationships by looking at sales velocity by channel, allowing them to take risks in a calculated and measured way.
Intelligent Order Routing Turns Inventory Complexity Into Automation
Once inventory and supplier data are reliable, businesses can automate fulfillment decisions. Orders can be routed based on cost, speed, margin, location, warehouse priority, vendor fallback, split-shipment rules, or customer expectations. This helps hybrid fulfillment scale because every order does not need a manual review.
How do I decide the best way to fulfill each order?
There is no single answer, which is why order routing needs to account for the context of each order. Intelligent order routing is not just sending an order to someone who has stock; it is taking each and every order and treating it like its own unique use case. Depending on the order, the business may prioritize speed, margin, an internal warehouse, vendor fallback, or preventing split shipments.
Supplier Inventory Sync Extends Inventory Beyond the Four Walls
For hybrid fulfillment to work, supplier inventory needs to become part of the operating model. Supplier sync does not always require advanced technology; it can happen through automated files, FTP, email, APIs, EDI, or ecommerce storefront integrations. The key is replacing manual updates with automated, reliable supplier data.
Can supplier inventory really be treated like part of my own inventory?
Yes, but the goal is not necessarily to force every supplier into a complex integration. Real-time supplier sync can be defined as any way to get an automated update from a supplier, such as Google Sheets, email, FTP, API, EDI, or ecommerce storefront connections. The key is that accurate supplier stock is foundational. If you don’t have an accurate view of what is in stock with your suppliers, you cannot tell your sales channel accurately what’s available.
Exception-Based Workflows Keep Humans Focused Where They Matter
Automation does not remove people from the process. Mature operations let technology handle the routine majority while humans focus on exceptions, such as high-value orders, fraud risk, compliance requirements, restricted products, export rules, or unusual fulfillment scenarios.
If my business has special cases, can automation still work?
Yes. The point is not to automate every possible decision; it is to automate the routine work and surface the exceptions. Businesses should not have to look at every single order. Instead, technology can highlight high-value orders, risky locations, or compliance requirements. The goal is to take care of the 80% of workflows that are obvious while still allowing human review when specific exceptions arise.
The Right Inventory Technology Should Fit the Business, Not Overwhelm It
Software decisions should be based on business fit, not popularity, feature volume, or broad “all-in-one” promises. Growing ecommerce businesses should identify their highest-impact bottleneck, prioritize what matters now, and choose technology that is right-sized but flexible enough to support future phases of growth.
How should I choose software without overbuying or picking the wrong system?
Start with your priorities, not the biggest feature list. Avoid an all-in-one system that claims to “do everything under the sun” and look for a “best of breed approach” with systems that can scale as you add channels or vendors. The practical advice is to stack rank what matters now, make sure the system can support future phases, and choose technology that fits your business rather than overwhelming it.
How to Scale Ecommerce Operations Beyond Spreadsheets
For many growing ecommerce businesses, Finale and Flxpoint work together as a practical answer to these challenges. Finale helps centralize and manage internal inventory, purchasing, warehouse operations, and stock visibility, while Flxpoint helps connect vendor inventory, automate supplier sync, and route orders across hybrid fulfillment networks. Together, they give businesses a best-of-breed way to improve inventory accuracy, reduce spreadsheet work, and scale fulfillment without forcing every process into a one-size-fits-all system.
Ecommerce Fulfillment Operations FAQ
What Is Ecommerce Fulfillment Operations?
Ecommerce fulfillment operations are the processes that move an online order from purchase to delivery. This includes managing inventory, syncing product availability across channels, routing orders to the right warehouse, 3PL, supplier, or vendor, and making sure the customer receives the right product on time. As discussed in the webinar, fulfillment is no longer limited to “what’s in my warehouse these days”; growing businesses may rely on internal warehouses, 3PLs, marketplace fulfillment services, and supplier inventory at the same time.
What Are Ecommerce Fulfillment Operation Examples?
Examples of ecommerce fulfillment operations include updating inventory across Shopify, Amazon, Walmart, and other sales channels; allocating inventory to specific marketplaces; sending orders to an internal warehouse, 3PL, or vendor; syncing supplier inventory through files, APIs, EDI, email, or FTP; replenishing warehouse stock based on sales velocity; and flagging exceptions such as high-value orders, compliance requirements, or restricted products. In the webinar, the speakers also discussed hybrid fulfillment examples where a business may fulfill some products from its own warehouse and use vendors as a fallback or extension of available inventory.
How Can I Track My Inventory at an Ecommerce Fulfillment Center?
The best way to track inventory at an ecommerce fulfillment center is to create a unified inventory view that shows what is available, where it is located, and how that inventory connects to each sales channel. That means tracking inventory across internal warehouses, fulfillment centers, 3PLs, marketplace fulfillment programs, and supplier locations instead of relying on disconnected spreadsheets. The webinar emphasized that businesses need to “accurately represent” what they have and know where it is located so they can get products to customers quickly.
How Can I Connect My Inventory to My Supplier?
You can connect supplier inventory through several methods, depending on what the supplier supports. The webinar discussed low-tech and advanced options, including automated Excel or CSV files, Google Sheets, email updates, FTP servers, APIs, EDI, and direct connections to ecommerce storefronts such as Shopify, BigCommerce, or Magento. The key is to ask suppliers how they share inventory today, then use a system that can automate that data flow instead of manually copying supplier inventory into spreadsheets.
What Is Ecommerce Order Routing?
Ecommerce order routing is the process of deciding where an order is fulfilled from after a customer buys. In a simple operation, every order may go to one warehouse. In a more complex or hybrid fulfillment model, the best fulfillment source may depend on inventory availability, shipping speed, cost, margin, customer location, warehouse priority, vendor fallback rules, or whether the order should be split. The webinar described intelligent order routing as treating each order like its own use case, so businesses can automate the best fulfillment decision without manually reviewing every order.
