The Problem We Solved

We are reopening in a couple of weeks and are planning to use 100% touchless check-in, supplemented by staff and volunteer leaders who are able to check families in using attended check-in. Since our goal is for everyone to be familiar with the mobile check-in process (including having / creating an account), our first idea was to have info cards ready to hand to anyone who doesn't use it. But, with COVID and trying to provide a low-touch service, we knew that wouldn't be the best option. So, we came up with a way to conditionally print a QR code on the parent pickup tag if the family was not checked in with mobile check-in. When they scan the QR code, it'll redirect them to a webpage with information on next steps, who to contact if they have issues, and an overview of the whole touchless check-in process.

How We Did It

Step 1: Generate your QR code and save it as a PNG

• There's a number of services online that'll generate this code for you. Export is as a 248x248 size file.

Step 2: Get the ZPL for including your QR code in a label

• Once you have your QR code that you want to use, head to Labelary to generate the ZPL for your QR code.
  • I would recommend adding your existing label code in the Labelary viewer first before uploading your QR code. This will allow you to adjust the positioning of the QR code once it's uploaded so you can make sure you have the correct placement of the QR code. Note: the ZPL I started with for our parent pickup label is attached below if you'd like to start with the example I'm using.
• When you first upload the QR code image to Labelary, it may look like this:
• 
• But that's just because the highlighted code (the ZPL that generates the QR code image) needs to be moved down in the code
• 
• Adjust the beginning of the QR code ZPL (^FO50,50) to adjust placement of the QR code. Changing it to ^FO22,142 moves the QR code to here
• 

• Cut the QR code ZPL starting with ^GFA all the way to the ending colons :::::: and paste it into a text editor, cause we'll use this later.
• 
  
• Then add the following code where the ^GFA line was: ^FDMQR
  • MQR is going to be our merge field in Rock, and if someone doesn't use mobile check-in, MQR will be replaced with the QR code ZPL
• Change the first appearance of WWW to SQR (our second merge field)
• You should now end up with a label / content that looks like this. Keep this tab open; we'll come back for this code in Step 5.
• 
  

Step 3: Add a Lava shortcode

• Next, we're going to create a new Lava shortcode. The purpose of the shortcode is to check whether or not the child was checked in using mobile check-in. It'll return a 1 if mobile check-in was used, and a 0 if mobile check-in was not used.
• Head to Admin Tools > CMS Configuration > Lava Shortcodes and click the + icon to create a new one.
  • Name: Check-In: Security / QR Code
  • Tag Name: usedmobilecheckin
  • Tag Type: Inline
  • Description: Checks to see if the person who was checked in was checked in by mobile check-in or by attended ("normal") check-in. If mobile check-in was used, it will return a '1', and if mobile check-in was not used, it will return a '0'.
  • Documentation: <pre>{[ usedmobilecheckin primaryaliasid:'{{ Person.PrimaryAliasId }}' ]}</pre>
  • Shortcode Markup: Attached Below
  • Parameters: primaryaliasid
  • Enabled Lava Commands: Sql
• 
• Click Save

Step 4: Add two new label merge fields

• Head to Admin Tools > Check-In > Label Merge Fields
• Click the + button to create the first new merge field
  • Value: MQR
  • MergeField: Attached Below, but add the ZPL for the QR code that we put into a text editor in Step 2 in the single quotes in the picture
  • 
    
  • Click Save
• Click the + button again to create the second new merge field
  • Value: SQR
  • MergeField: Attached Below
  • 
    
  • Click Save

Step 5: Create your new label

• Head to Admin Tools > Check-in > Check-in Label and hit the + button to create a new label
  • File Name: Parent Pickup Label - with QR
  • Mime Type: application/octet-stream
  • Print For Each: Family
  • Click Save
• Edit the label you just created, and now you'll be able to click "Edit Label Contents"
  • Label Contents: copy/paste the code from the Labelary tab we kept open
  • Click Save
  • Click Reload Merge Fields
  • Delete the two merge fields:
    • Child Pickup Receipt
    • kidside@mynorthside.com
  • SQR: SQR
  • MQR: MQR
  • WWW: Security Code
  • 
• Click Save

Step 6: Attach to check-in like any other label

• That's all there is to it! Now you can add that label to any of your check-in areas to be printed. If mobile check-in is used, the QR code will not print. If they do not use mobile check-in, the QR code will be printed, giving the families an easy way to access next steps and assistance on getting setup with mobile check-in.