The History of the Creation of the SaaS Platform “QR-Passport”

"If you want something done right – do it yourself!" The story of the creation of the QR-Passport platform is a fascinating example of how solving an internal company need can evolve into a full-fledged commercial IT product capable of influencing the entire industrial equipment market.

In this article, we will walk you through the key stages of the development, implementation, and evolution of the QR-Passport platform.

Background

The idea for the QR-Passport service was born at the moment when a large Moscow customer received a shipment of 120 industrial filters. The client, known for meticulous attention to accompanying documentation, requested changes to certain sections of the technical passport during the acceptance process. Now imagine this: unpacking 100 boxes, each weighing 45 kilograms, retrieving the passport, finding the revised 20-page passport with the same serial number, replacing it, and repacking the box at the customer’s warehouse—what a "delightful" experience…

Moreover, over the years since production began, the technical passport and certain sections of the operating manual had undergone multiple revisions and clarifications. As a result, whenever a customer reached out with a technical inquiry, there were only two options: either ask them to send a copy of their technical documentation or request the production director to retrieve an archived copy of the passport—which had already been shipped out with the product.

The founders of QR-Passport have been working in the industrial equipment sector since the late 1990s and know firsthand how much this market has evolved. Today, no one is surprised by multi-functional CNC machining centers, sophisticated CAD software for industrial design, or the widespread adoption of modern production and quality management approaches. However, when it comes to technical passports and operating manuals, little has changed over the past 50 years—except that now they are printed directly in warehouses instead of traditional print shops.

This is how the idea for QR-Passport was born—a platform designed to store all information related to a specific piece of equipment in one place, ensuring that operating personnel can quickly access it via a QR code. For equipment manufacturers, the platform provides a cost-effective and efficient way to organize the release of technical documentation, manage version control, and establish direct communication with those who operate their equipment.

Development and First Implementation

The QR-Passport platform was initially developed as an internal production service. In early 2022, a prototype IT solution was implemented at an industrial filter manufacturing facility. While the product range was relatively small, each technical passport contained data on factory acceptance tests. Before the platform was introduced, a passport template was printed, and the production operator manually entered the serial number of the filter along with the test values obtained from the inspection bench.

Now, the operator simply entered the serial number of the product and the test values obtained during the factory acceptance tests (FAT) into the system. The system then generated QR codes for each filter, which were printed and affixed both to the filter itself and to the packaging box. Additionally, the system automatically generated a ready-to-print passport, with all relevant data seamlessly inserted into the designated fields of the template.

From the very beginning, the founders of QR-Passport discussed the possibility of commercializing the platform and bringing it to market as a SaaS solution. In April 2024, after eight months of development, the SaaS version of QR-Passport was launched for the external market. This new version was significantly different from the internal solution, as it incorporated all the insights gained from implementation and 18 months of real-world operation. However, the evolution didn’t stop there.

What started as an internal necessity has now become a full-fledged product that is transforming the industrial equipment market.

Uniqueness and Technological Innovation

The key feature of the QR-Passport platform is its flexibility—the ability to generate individualized documentation for each unit of production while maintaining an organized structure for technical documents.

QR-Passport not only stores standard instructions and manuals for each product type but also allows users to instantly access a custom document for a specific item. This document can include additional individualized data, such as factory test results, calibration dates, and more. This level of service significantly reduces the time spent by operating personnel on searching for technical information, making equipment maintenance and support more efficient.

Additionally, the platform enables users to directly contact the manufacturer's technical support regarding a specific product, eliminating the need for the manufacturer to spend time identifying the equipment and searching for the corresponding technical documentation. As a result, the workload of the service department is reduced multiple times, significantly improving efficiency and response time.

Capabilities and Advantages of Using QR-Codes

QR codes placed on each unit of equipment provide instant access to up-to-date documentation, including the technical passport, operating manual, wiring diagram, certificate, test report, calibration certificate, and more. The specific list of documents is determined by the manufacturer during platform implementation or when adding a new product to the system.

By scanning the QR code, an engineer or operator at the installation site can instantly access a full set of general technical documentation for the equipment type (such as the operating manual or certificate). After a quick one-minute registration, they can also retrieve documents specific to the individual unit (such as the technical passport or test report) or ask a question directly in the manufacturer’s technical support chat. All of this is designed not only to reduce equipment servicing time but also to minimize the risk of errors.

Notably, the service does not require the installation of any special applications on a smartphone, making the platform even more convenient. Information can be accessed directly at the workstation—right next to the equipment, increasing responsiveness in handling unexpected technical issues.

Successful Implementation

The QR-Passport platform is already actively used by multiple industrial equipment manufacturers across various industries. For example, one company, a distributor of dosing pumps, implemented the platform for technical documentation management after a major contractor required that technical passports and manuals be accessible via a QR codeplaced on each dispenser.

Another major manufacturer of butterfly valves benefited from QR-Passport by receiving support from technical documentation specialists during the platform’s integration into their workflow.

During the implementation phase, while creating the model hierarchy, the manufacturer’s technical specialists realized that their product coding system was historically developed, suboptimal, and not entirely logical. As a result, they revised their technical specifications (TU) and restructured the coding system for their product line. Additionally, QR-Passport specialists redesigned the valve passport templates for the customer to ensure full compliance with GOST R 2.610-2019 (ISO 8879:1986).

Future Plans and Development Prospects

Given the current economic challenges — sanctions, the withdrawal of foreign IT solutions from the Russian market, the need to reduce labor costs in all production processes, growing competition with Asian industrial equipment manufacturers, and increasing customer demands for better service — QR-Passport provides domestic companies with a localized and fully adapted IT solution. This platform allows businesses to significantly enhance service quality with minimal investment, ensuring they remain competitive in the evolving industrial landscape.

It turned out that the most common response from potential customers was: "QR-Passport sounds interesting, but our technical documentation is such a mess… and right now, there's no one to handle it—I don't even know who to assign this task to." To address this, QR-Passport began offering a free audit of a company's product catalog and technical documentation before they commit to implementing the platform. This audit assesses completeness and compliancewith industry GOST standards and regulations.

This is where the magic happens—clients realize that organizing their technical documentation is not as difficult as they thought, while QR-Passport gains valuable insights into how to further enhance its platform to make technical documentation management for industrial equipment even more efficient.

Conclusion

«QR-Passport» is a proven and successful IT solution, developed in Russia for Russian companies. The platform not only addresses urgent challenges in technical documentation management but also offers new opportunities for enhancing customer service and competitiveness. In a time of sanctions and restrictions, where access to Western alternatives has become limited, QR-Passport stands as a promising tool for further growth and adaptation in new market conditions.