QR Code to mark checklist item as complete?

Question

I work in a joinery manufacturing business. We are starting to use Trello cards to visually show our projects, using checklists to show the individual items which need to be made by the joinery team for each project.

Is there a way in which the joiner making the item can scan a QR code printed on his general assembly drawing which would mark the checklisted item in a card as complete (basically helping us to see the progress of the project as it is being built).

Would love to hear your thoughts on this. Thanks.

Iain Dooley · Answer

@Matthew Fennon yep, we have built a product called BenkoBot for automating Trello:

http://www.benkobot.com/

In addition to listening for Trello events it also has a "webhook listeners" feature which would allow you to define a unique URL that would mark an individual checklist item as complete.

You could create the function that would listen for a new card being created, then that function would generate a QR code image and attach it to the card so you would then include that graphic on the drawings.

The URL in the QR code would contain the card ID and the checklist item name to be completed, although you would have to ensure that the QR code wasn't shared externally as it would allow people to post fake notification data into your system (ie. this is generally intended as a webhook to be entered into a secure system). Another option if you can't guarantee the security of the QR code is to have the QR code generate an email or SMS template automatically that would then send a specially formatted message to be parsed by the system and check off the item.

milynnus · Answer

@Matthew Fennon

If the QR is a url with some query parameters like card and checklistitem ids, the endpoint would be able to check the item when the work is completed. The logistics to create the QR for the drawings will need to be considered.

Definitely using cards at the production line as checklistitem proxies would be a lot easier.

Update

Here's a small collection of modules that goes to update board/cards. They are designed to be called from within Trello but platform does not made any distinction on the source of the request. It has a Basic Authentication mechanism to prevent unauthorized use of the service. It can attach pre-built modules or custom module.

https://trello.com/b/POqPZOwG/just-a-butler-add-on

It is also very easy to start one just for yourself or company. I have a fiber optics using it for reverse geocoding, a petroluem delivery using it to provide maps for their drivers, a rental company using it to send welcome videos...etc For workflow, most would use Trello