Define the event
What should happen, for whom, and how will success be measured?
Can be detected by a compatible app or system.
[ practical location technology / no futurism ]
Plan proximity systems for the building you actually have.
Independent guidance on Bluetooth beacons, NFC, QR, indoor navigation, location-based experiences, privacy and day-to-day operation.
beacon / signal field
interference check
interference check
MODEL: ILLUSTRATIVE
ACCURACY: NOT GUARANTEED
CALIBRATION: REQUIRED
ACCURACY: NOT GUARANTEED
CALIBRATION: REQUIRED
PILOT_BEFORE_SCALEtest the real environment
PRIVACY_BY_DESIGNconsent, minimisation, retention
OPERATIONS_INCLUDEDbatteries, mounting, monitoring
LIMITS_VISIBLEwalls, people, devices, interference
Beacon, NFC or QR?
The right technology depends on user action, distance, app requirements, environment, cost and privacy — not which option looks most advanced.
Decision factor
Bluetooth beacon
NFC
QR code
User action
Intentional tap at very short range.
Intentional camera scan.
Best fit
Zone events, indoor context, repeated deployments.
Touchpoints, exhibits, assets and controlled actions.
Low-cost access to web content or forms.
Operational load
Hardware placement, batteries, calibration and monitoring.
Physical labels, placement and destination control.
Print quality, placement and link maintenance.
Key caution
Distance estimates vary with the environment.
Very short range and device/user behaviour.
Easy to copy or replace; verify sensitive destinations.
Design around a real use case.
Start with the visitor, staff member or customer journey. Then decide whether proximity technology improves it.
INDOOR NAVIGATION
Museums & exhibitions
Routes, accessible experiences, exhibit context, content updates and on-site support.
RETAILIn-store experiences
Zones, consent, message frequency, offer relevance and measurement.
EVENTSTemporary venues
Rapid deployment, changing maps, peak loads, signs and post-event removal.
OPERATIONSAsset & site operations
Mounting, identification, battery records, inspection and replacement procedures.
TOUCHPOINTSNFC & QR interactions
Lower-complexity ways to connect physical places and objects to digital actions.
PRIVACYConsent & analytics
Transparent purpose, minimum data, retention, deletion and access controls.
[ pilot scope estimator ]
How large should the first test be?
A pilot should answer a small number of measurable questions before hardware and operational complexity spread.
A deployment is an operating system.
The hardware purchase is only one line. Mapping, mounting, calibration, monitoring and privacy continue after launch.
Map the site
Walls, entrances, power, traffic, interference and access constraints.
Install & calibrate
Test representative devices, positions, power and real visitor flow.
Document assets
Identifiers, locations, mounting, owners, firmware and battery dates.
Monitor & maintain
Failures, drift, content changes, privacy requests and replacement cycles.
△
Privacy is part of the architecture
Define purpose, consent, data flow, retention and deletion before collecting location-related data. Do not treat a generic compliance statement as evidence that a deployment is appropriate.
Field guides.
Technical enough to reveal limits, practical enough to improve a deployment brief.
How accurate are Bluetooth beacons?
RSSI, walls, people, device differences, calibration and why “distance” should be expressed as a range and confidence level.
Read the accuracy guide →How to plan beacon placement
Objective, map, mounting, calibration and monitoring.
What a beacon system costs
Hardware, installation, application, content, analytics and support.
Battery life and maintenance
Intervals, power, temperature, records and replacement.
Location notification rules
Consent, context, quiet hours, frequency and measurement.
NO_FAKE_PRECISION
Accuracy is described with conditions and uncertainty.
PILOT_NE_SCALE
A controlled test comes before a broad rollout.
PRIVACY_REVIEW
Location and consent claims require current authoritative checking.
NO_OLD_IDENTITY
The site is not the former product, platform or client portfolio.