QR labels are the cheapest, fastest way to make a hardware inventory actually useful in the field. A clean implementation costs less than €30 in stickers and an afternoon of work. A messy implementation is a graveyard of half-peeled stickers and wrong tag formats that nobody can fix.
This is the practical guide we wish we had when we labelled our first 200 laptops.
What the QR should encode
The single most common mistake: encoding the asset tag as text only (e.g. SO-00042). When someone scans it with a phone camera, the OS shows the raw text - and the user has no idea what to do with it.
Encode a URL instead. Something like https://your-workspace.simpleams.co.uk/scan/SO-00042. Now the scan opens a public page that says: "This is a Dell Latitude 7440. If found, please contact IT at...". The phone hands the user to a useful action, not a string.
SimpleAMS generates this URL automatically for every asset; the public lost-and-found page is built in. If you build your own, three rules for the URL:
- Stable. If the asset id ever changes, the URL changes, and the printed sticker is dead. Use the human-facing asset tag.
- HTTPS. iOS Safari sometimes silently drops insecure URLs scanned from a camera.
- Short. Shorter URL means lower QR density means a more reliable scan from imperfect angles.
Sticker stock that actually lasts
Avoid paper stickers - they peel within a year of laptop use. The viable options:
- Polypropylene (BOPP) labels. €30-50 per 1000. Survive cleaning, ageing and the back of a laptop. Available pre-cut or on rolls for label printers.
- Polyester (PET) labels. More expensive, harder to peel off intentionally. Good for "do not remove" assets.
- Tamper-evident labels. Tear into a "VOID" pattern if peeled. For loss-prone items.
Size: 38mm × 19mm is the sweet spot for laptops. Small enough to fit on a 13" lid, large enough that the QR scans reliably at 30cm.
How to design the label
The four elements on a useful asset label:
- QR code (left or top - the eye looks for it first). 18mm × 18mm minimum.
- Human-readable asset tag below the QR. So you can read it without your phone.
- Company logo or short name. So a found device is identifiable even without scanning.
- "If found, scan" instruction. Tiny text, but explicit.
Skip: barcodes (redundant with QR), serial numbers (already on the device), department names (change over time).
Where to stick the label
On laptops, the most durable position is the bottom of the lid, near the hinge. It is visible when closed, accessible when open, and protected from being rubbed off by hands. The user's wrist does not touch it.
On monitors, the back near the VESA mount works. On phones, the rear case (and re-apply when the case changes - track this).
For shared accessories (docks, headsets), stick on a flat, non-rubberised surface. Rubberised surfaces shed labels in 6-12 months.
The scan flow that works
Plan what happens when someone scans. Three useful flows:
- Internal user (signed in): the URL hits your tracker, recognises them, opens the asset detail. From there: check out, check in, log an audit, file a ticket.
- Internal user (not signed in): public asset page with safe details (model, asset tag, "If you have this, please return it to IT at room 304"). No serial, no purchase price.
- External finder: same public page, with a contact email. Critical for lost-and-found from laptops left in cafes.
In SimpleAMS, the public scan URL is /assets/scan/{tag} on every tenant. It shows the model, location, and an "I found this" form that emails the owning company.
Labelling an existing fleet
The "I'll label them as I see them" plan does not work. Do one labelling day:
- Pre-print labels for every existing asset in the inventory.
- Set up a desk in the office. Announce a 4-hour window.
- Staff bring their laptops; you label them and scan to confirm. Five minutes per laptop.
- Remote staff: ship pre-printed labels with instructions to apply at their first office visit.
The morning is high-energy, the afternoon is slow. Time it before lunch and a hard end at 4pm.
Printer options
You have three:
- Office laser + sheet labels. Cheapest. Avery 32x sheets work. Print from SimpleAMS in a layout that matches the sheet (label printing is built in). Good for 100 labels.
- Thermal label printer. Brother QL-820 or similar. €120 one-off, label cost €0.01-0.03 each. Worth it from 200 labels onwards.
- Pre-printed by a vendor. Avery, OnlineLabels, custom-printers. Best if you want branded sticker stock with a fixed design.
Gotchas
QR error correction level. Use Level M (15%) or Level H (30%). At Level L the smallest scratch kills the scan.
Reflection from glossy laptop lids. Matte stickers scan better in office lighting. Glossy stickers reflect overhead LEDs straight back into the camera.
Re-labelling after warranty repair. A repair vendor will sometimes peel the label off the bottom case. Carry spares.
Curved surfaces. QR codes need flat surfaces. The back of a Mac Studio or a curved water bottle is too curved at 38mm. Pick a flat plane or pre-cut smaller labels.
Where to go from here
SimpleAMS generates QR labels in-app at the size and density above, prints to standard A4 sheets, and includes the public lost-and-found page. Sign up risk-free - 14-day money-back guarantee, so you can run the full flow end-to-end before committing.
Or read our IT asset tracking cheat sheet for the data-model decisions you should make before printing labels.