John Henry COMMUNICA Issue Three | Page 13

COMMUNICA | No.3 WH 30 years of ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE? SCAN HERE with your mobile device to find out more information about this works site Or search online for: Inmystreet.info I n the 1990s Japan’s automotive industry had entered into something of a mini crisis. Long-envied for its massive, yet efficient robotic production assembly lines, Japan had emerged a world-leader in the production of affordable vehicles in the 1970s and 1980s. But despite the exterior of the literally, well-oiled robotic machine, there was a problem. The eruption of the Japanese car and technology markets meant collosal factories sprung up across Japan, satiating the rising and gargantuan demand for Japanese cars and tech from Asia, Europe and the Americas. Companies such as Panasoinc, Sony, Nissan, Casio and Toyota all typical examples. Tracking parts for these products across the mass production lines of these village-sized factories gave the bosses of the major Japanese car and technology manufacturers a headache. That was until Denso Wave, a Toyota subsidiary solved the problem. It developed a low cost matrix-like barcode which could be added to each component, so it could be sent to the right part of the factory assembly line, remotely, being scanned by the production line machinery. The barcode was specifically designed to allow for fast decoding speeds and the term Quick Reponse Code (QR code) was coined. Roll the clock forward 22 years to streetworks in the 21st Century and the issue of communication between one party and another can still sometimes be a problem - that was until the idea of QR was utilised by John Henry Group. A new simple but intuitive initiative which could help solve the problem to public communication and whilst helping to increase the amount of sales enquiries gained by ISPs commissioning John Henry Group services to maintain, upgrade or repair their network assets in the street. | 13