Small Tech = Big Value
In 1994, a company supporting Toyota car manufacturing automation in Japan created this simple, kinda ugly square image, black and white and full of squares and dots, that enabled their team to track automotive parts across the production line. They didn’t make it pretty; they didn’t make it restrictive. They just made it functional. They even made it open source. And it did the job very well.
Fast forward 10-15 years, and this kinda ugly tech started to be used by companies in the United States. I remember giving presentations showcasing it, and the conversation was always about two things. First, how ugly it was. Nobody in their right mind would want to use it. Second, that people couldn’t see a reason to use something like that, especially for meetings, events and faith-based organizations.
But the kinda ugly tech didn’t go away. By the mid-teens, as other technologies, such as augmented and virtual reality, began to have their short-lived moments, the kinda ugly tech that could kept getting used more. Why? It was inexpensive. It was easy to create. And it did the job. You could put it anywhere. On your promotional copy. On a poster. Even in your event app.
By now, you probably are aware that the kinda ugly tech that could is nothing more than the QR code. And over 30 years after its creation, all the best tech minds still haven’t figured out something better to do the job. Yeah, I know, ten years ago we showed how augmented reality would make the QR code obsolete. I, for one, still hold on to that idea. While it worked, usually, it wasn’t as easy to create. People needed special tech on their device to make it work. And it wasn’t free.
There’s a tech story here, and perhaps a larger life story, that relates to all of us. While the landscape of generative AI is clearly changing so much about our day-to-day work and lives, those of us in hospitality and focused on serving others need to always pay attention to the simple tech and tools that do the job we need them to.
And in your daily work, it’s the kinda ugly tech that you go to time after time. Think about it:
Text-based reminders to your congregation or attendees about the information they need to know, like a room change for the upcoming session
Easy-to-create forms, think Google or Jot Forms, to obtain necessary information from your community
Calendar invites sent from our emails so meetings are automatically placed on everyone’s calendar
TinyURLs that take large, unwieldy web addresses and make them quick and easy to share
Maybe we should create a National QR Code Day, in thanks to the reminder that in this age of amazing technological developments, we need to remember to pay homage to the basic tech, the fundamental tech, the kinda ugly tech that is an integral part of our productivity.
Happy QR Code Day everyone…whenever that might be!
Jim Spellos, President of Meeting U., is a trusted technology expert in the meetings and events industry and RCMA’s key technology voice. Known for making complex tools and trends clear, relevant, and actionable, he inspires audiences to embrace change, work smarter, and lead with confidence.