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Cost Benefit Analysis ( My Case Study)At one of the companies I worked at, we actually looked at exactly this question a few years back. So I'm going to approach this question from a standpoint of a business decision for an established manufacturing company with established business processes, not as a marketing tool as other answers seem to approach this question.Background:At that point (2013) company has been using 1D barcodes for about 25 years - all parts came in using 128B or 3of9 barcodes on labels (We switched internally from 3of9 to 128 around 2005) . They left premises as finished products with 128B barcode labels on. All scanners were Zebra Symbol LS2208 1D (Amazon) or similar.Options:It all came down to whether it was worth it to us to go through the change that could be potentially very disruptive to our business. We determined three possible routes:Stay with 1D barcodes like 128BPros:$0 costfamiliarity with the processeverybody in the supply chain was using themCons:Not future-proof - the likes of FedEx and UPS already use 2D codes on their labels, thou they accommodate dinosaurs like us :) But in the future more and more companies will start using 2D barcodes.Replace everything with 2D barcodes like QRPros:Information density! When you are dealing with small parts, and you can barcode a large piece of data on a small label - that is very beneficial. Compare these two barcodes encoding a simple URL:Mobile-friendlyFuture proofCons:Not everyone in supply chain is ready to use 2D barcodesExpensive to replace 100+ scanners ( this is a manufacturing plant / warehouse) Zebra Symbol LS2208 1D ($80-$100 each) vs Zebra Symbol DS4208-SR 2D ($170) (Amazon) - we would need scanners that can handle both 1D & 2D - to accomodate labels from our suppliers and clients. So $25000 just to replace hardware ( back in 2013 they were more like $250 each, not $170)Even more expensive to replace all the labels ( 20K different kinds of parts, with a total inventory close to 3,000,000 items) - shelves, products, boxes, some label printers,etc. Not even to mention labor hoursUpgrade all the software - we had a custom built ERP, to handle our unique business process. We generated most of our barcodes on the fly ( as opposed to being preprinted on labels) on all kinds of paperwork - invoices, packing slips, inventory labels, etc.Hybrid approach: Upgrade to 2D barcodes as needed using methods borrowed from Agile developmentPros:Try new barcodes in one area ( only one portion of inventory, for one client) - if it didn't work - rollback, and iterateIncremental expenses - much smaller $initial cost, and if it didn't work - we wouldn't loose a lot of moneyEasier to see results - instead of waiting for one big roll outOpportunity to replace scanners altogether with handheld devices like these that you often see in Apple stores, and now even in places like Nordstrom Rack - Linea Pro 5 - 1D/2D ( iPod Touch 5th/6th Gen) .Ability to use the same tech on marketing materials, including mailings, invoices, coupons, etc.Cons:Longer overall roll-out timeNeed to handle two sets of codebases / business processesMore difficult learning curve for new employees that come on-board during transition. (In manufacturing - there is boatload of different training sessions for new employees to go through - so the more difficult the process the more expensive it is to on-board someone, and manufacturing in USA doesn't have large margins as it is)Final decision:After some careful consideration we decided to go with Hybrid approach, as weren't in a hurry to upgrade, and we needed to maintain backwards comparability with our business processes. The marketing aspect that was outlined in some of the other great answers, was only 1 of the reasons for us to consider it. Hopefully this will be helpful to someone, as they consider QR barcodes carefully, instead of rushing into it because it's cool, modern, or just the current buzzword that everybody jumps onto.Linea Pro vs Competition vs regular scannersDisclaimer: I'm in no way associated with Linea Pro, Honeywell or Motorola. These are just my personal opinions and experience.A couple of notes on Linea Pro vs other options like Honeywell and why I chose it over other options.Pros:App. Unlike with a regular barcode scanner - you can not only handle several different types of barcodes - you can actually create complex behaviors/operations/interactions with your system based on those barcodes.Only iOS - they are very focused on a good productPeripherals - links up to thermal printers and suchCode examples - there are some examples for Livecode ( we used livecode) and Appcelerator Titanium ( considered it for a while) that I found online.Free SDK that comes with the purchases. The last I checked Honeywell wanted you to purchase SDK access . I might be wrong about it now.1D/2D & Magnetic reader in one case ( at the time, that was the only item I found, that had also decent reviews, the field has changed now)Coolness factor. I know it's kind of vain, but if the tool is cool, it's more likely to be used by employees, instead of being forced onto them.Cons:Only iOS - there is no option to use Android or Windows device, like with solutions from Honeywell or MotorollaA bit more expensive than competition ( by about 10% to 30%)Linea Pro comes in several options:Linea Pro 5 - 1D/2D ( iPod Touch 5th/6th Gen) for iPod 5 / iPhone 5Linea Pro 6 - 1D/2D w/ MSR for iPhone 6 - mucho dinero! $$$Linea-pro 4 - for iPod 4 - with 3-Track mag-stripe reader and 1D/2D barcode - most affordable, but it's older tech using older firmware,Infinea Tab 2 - 1D/2D w/ MSR for iPad 2/4) - for contractors and people working in the field.P.S.:If you enjoy short tidbits of historical trivia - subscribe to my blog right here on Quora called History Bits . I try to add a story or two every week.