How to Use QR Codes in Identification Card Service Providers to Drive Conversions

QR codes have become indispensable tools for identification card service providers, connecting physical credentials with digital experiences. As the need for secure, frictionless identification and efficient access control increases, providers often struggle with challenges like missing high-value prospects due to lack of CRM tracking, limited visibility into client engagement, and lost opportunities when prospects abandon forms.

By incorporating QR codes, providers can offer faster onboarding, automate data collection, and improve satisfaction, no app required. Cards embedded with QR codes trigger workflows such as contactless payments and secure access, turning physical touchpoints into opportunities for proactive engagement.

Using advanced QR code creation, real-time analytics, and CRM integration, identification card service providers can avoid losing prospects to anonymous visits and untracked interactions. This guide outlines strategies for maximizing the impact of QR codes, focusing on lead generation, campaign optimization, and seamless audience engagement while addressing key conversion and targeting challenges.

How to Achieve Seamless Conversions in Identification Card Service Providers Using QR Codes: A Step-by-Step Guide

QR codes bridge the gap between physical touchpoints and digital workflows, making it easier to convert interest into action. For identification card service providers, this means replacing manual enrollment packets, printed brochures, and paper sign-up sheets with instant scan-to-form experiences that pre-fill data, authenticate identity, and sync to your CRM. The result is lower abandonment, faster time to value, and a measurable lift in qualified leads.

Start by mapping your current analog processes and identifying friction points: hand-delivered brochures that do not create traceable clicks, event badge scans that do not sync to your marketing automation, renewal mailers that rely on phone calls rather than one-tap self-service, or visitor intake managed by clipboards. Replace each with a QR-enabled flow that launches the right action for that moment: self-check-in, photo upload, consent capture, payment, or demo request. Then layer in analytics and intent-driven retargeting so every scan fuels smarter follow-up.

• Deploy use cases tailored to your services: Prioritize the moments where scans unlock real value, such as onboarding, employee or student card activation, visitor pass issuance, or field-service technician verification.
• Define success metrics and targets: Track reductions in form abandonment, time to issue, and inbound call volume; track increases in CRM-qualified leads, account expansions, and app adoption.
• Design with intent at the point of scan: Use clear calls to action, readable sizes, and contrast that fits the environment; display the benefit near the code so people know what they get by scanning.
• Leverage tracking and optimization tools: Monitor scans, drop-offs, and downstream conversions in real time; route high-intent scanners to sales; retarget non-converters through email or ads.

Providers shifting from manual applications to QR-enabled cards and collateral see faster onboarding, cleaner data, and more qualified prospects in their CRM. A flexible platform like Sona QR supports ongoing engagement, even if a conversion point is missed, by letting you update destinations instantly and trigger follow-ups based on scan behavior.

Why QR Codes Matter for Identification Card Service Providers

Identification cards are natural bridges between the offline and online worlds. Yet without a direct digital pathway, many interactions remain anonymous, unmeasured, or too slow to convert. QR codes transform static credentials and print assets into gateways for ongoing engagement, solving industry pain points like poor data visibility, incomplete tracking, and disjointed follow-up. They let you capture consented signals at the exact moment someone shows intent, then act on that information with speed and precision.

Consider common materials in this space: ID cards, lanyards, badges, enrollment packets, campus posters, customer invoices, visitor passes, and access signage. Each touchpoint can carry a unique code tied to a specific action, from card activation and PIN setup to policy acknowledgment and renewal payment. Instead of hoping someone navigates to your website later, a scan gives them the precise destination and gives you measurable data.

• Closing the offline-to-online gap: Whether you place a code on a student ID, a corporate badge, or a direct mail renewal letter, scanners can instantly access activation pages, support portals, or payment links. Your team sees who engaged, where, and when, which fuels targeted outreach.
• Speed and simplicity for every user: End users do not want to download an app just to activate a card or schedule an appointment. One scan can load a mobile-optimized form that completes the task in minutes, reducing abandonment and support load.
• Dynamic content flexibility: If a regulation changes or a campaign needs a new landing page, dynamic QR codes let you update destinations without reprinting. For providers managing thousands of cards and flyers, this avoids waste and keeps experiences current.
• Trackability that informs growth: Unlike posters and brochures alone, QR codes show scans by device, time, and location. With Sona QR you can combine these signals with CRM activity to determine which placements attract decision makers and which content drives conversion.
• Cost efficiency at scale: Codes are inexpensive, fast to deploy, and repeatable across every customer touchpoint. You replace multiple low-yield materials with a single interactive entry point that improves ROI.

For identification card service providers, the implications are clear: QR codes help you modernize credential programs, remove friction from onboarding, and maintain continuous digital engagement with stakeholders across campuses, enterprises, healthcare systems, and government facilities.

Common QR Code Formats for Identification Card Service Provider Use Cases

Different goals call for different QR formats. Identification card service providers typically rely on a blend of formats that prioritize secure identity actions, guided onboarding, and measurable outcomes. Selecting the right destination for each use case ensures scanners reach the most relevant, conversion-ready page.

• Web links: Send scanners to mobile-friendly onboarding portals, card activation pages, identity verification flows, policy pages, or knowledge bases. This format is ideal for turning badges, brochures, and invoices into instant entry points for completing a task. For a quick overview of options, explore common QR code types.
• vCards: Let prospects save your sales or support contact details directly to their phone. For events and sales meetings, QR vCards on business cards or booth signage keep follow-ups from getting lost and keep your contact info up to date without reprinting. Learn how smartphone vCards work in practice.
• App downloads: Route scanners to the correct app store based on device to accelerate adoption of authentication apps, wallet apps, or HR portals that pair with the credential. This format is most effective when your program requires an app for multi-factor authentication or secure mobile ID.
• Secure payment: Link to PCI-compliant payment pages for renewals, replacement card fees, or event registrations. Visibility into which accounts scan and begin payment gives sales and finance teams earlier signals of purchase intent.
• Event check-in forms: Power session registration, training attendance, or visitor validation. Codes on badges or signage capture who attended and can dynamically update a user’s profile or compliance record.

Use dynamic QR codes when you need analytics, editing capability, or personalization. Reserve static codes for permanent, unchanging destinations like a general support site. In practice, most identification card use cases benefit from dynamic codes because they enable A/B testing, secure redirects, and post-scan workflows.

Where to Find Growth Opportunities

The fastest path to growth is to place QR codes where your prospects and users already engage with your brand. For identification card service providers, this often means moments that involve credentials, compliance, access, or service requests. Audit your current materials and touchpoints, then upgrade the high-intent ones first.

• Activation kits and renewal mailers: Include unique QR codes that drive to self-service portals for activating or renewing credentials. Each scan becomes a trackable event and opens a direct line for retargeting if someone drops off.
• Onsite signage and access points: Add codes to lobby displays, security desk placards, and turnstile areas so visitors can pre-register, upload ID photos, or acknowledge policies while waiting. Segment audiences by location and time to detect peak engagement windows.
• Events and conferences: Place codes on booth banners, staff badges, and printed leave-behinds. Tie each placement to a specific campaign in your CRM so scans automatically route leads to the right owner and nurture track. Test formats on banners to compare CTA performance.
• Invoices and statements: Replace phone-only payment instructions with a scan-to-pay experience. Tag these scans to trigger timely reminders and identify accounts likely to expand or renew.
• Packaging and welcome kits: When shipping physical cards, insert a QR-driven quick start guide that links to training videos, device pairing, or policy acceptance.

Centralizing these workflows recovers missed opportunities, reactivates cold accounts, and illuminates the offline interactions that previously went unmeasured. As data accumulates, you can forecast demand, refine messaging, and scale the placements that convert best.

Use Cases for QR Codes in Identification Card Service Providers

QR codes align naturally with the core services of ID issuance, access control, and lifecycle management. The following use cases map to common customer interactions and measurable outcomes. Each can be launched with dynamic codes managed in a single platform and instrumented for attribution.

Use Case 1: Digital identity verification: QR codes on ID cards improve security and convenience by routing scanners to a secure verification flow. This supports real-time status checks, instant updates to roles or permissions, and faster troubleshooting. The outcome is fewer missed identification attempts, shorter queues, and more accurate audit trails for compliance.

Use Case 2: Digital business cards: QR vCards printed on staff badges or handed out at conferences ensure follow-ups are not lost. Scans trigger automatic contact saving and can open a pre-filled meeting request form. Engagement data ties back to your CRM, allowing marketing to nurture based on interaction level and content consumed. The outcome is higher lead catch rates and better targeting.

Use Case 3: Contactless payment: QR-enabled badges or invoices facilitate transactions for renewals, replacements, training sessions, or event tickets. Payment pages can offer optional add-ons, allowing you to surface purchase patterns and segment accounts by intent. The outcome is faster time to revenue and more opportunities for upsell or targeted offers.

In practice, providers often combine multiple use cases within a single program. For example, a corporate ID rollout can use one code for the activation portal, a second for the authentication app, and a third for ongoing support and policy updates. Each code feeds an audience segment and a specific follow-up path.

How to Build High-Value Audiences for Retargeting with QR Code Campaigns

Every scan is a consented signal that reveals intent, context, and timing. By deploying different codes across your journey, you can auto-segment audiences and tailor follow-up with precision. This moves you from anonymous interest to targeted engagement with Sona’s account identification and helps your sales and success teams prioritize the right accounts.

Start by aligning codes with lifecycle stages and roles. In the identification card ecosystem, stakeholders might include procurement leaders evaluating vendors, IT and security teams responsible for integration and compliance, HR or registrar offices running onboarding, and end users activating cards. Each audience has different needs and signals. A scan on a technical integration guide suggests a very different follow-up than a scan on a pricing sheet.

• Create unique QR codes for each journey stage: Assign codes for awareness assets like program overviews, mid-funnel assets like integration blueprints, and bottom-funnel assets like demo bookings or pilots. Each scan builds a segmented list aligned with funnel stage and buying role.
• Tag audiences based on use case: Distinguish scans for activation, renewal, replacements, or support. Tie these tags to personalized email and SMS flows that address the specific task the user intended to complete.
• Track location, channel, and timing: Compare scans from campus kiosks, corporate lobbies, or conference booths. Analyze weekday versus weekend scans and morning versus afternoon windows. These patterns help you plan staffing, outreach, and promotion schedules.
• Feed segments into CRM and ad platforms: Sync with Salesforce, HubSpot, or your MAP to trigger lead scoring, sales alerts, and custom audiences in LinkedIn or Meta. With Sona QR, you can tie scans to contact records and unify the journey from first scan to closed-won.

For this vertical, useful distinctions include decision makers versus implementers, students versus faculty, staff versus visitors, and new customers versus renewal cohorts. Over time, these segments let you deliver the right assets through the right channels, lifting click-through rates and conversion while reducing wasted impressions.

Integrating QR Codes into Your Multi-Channel Marketing Mix

QR codes are connective tissue for your marketing. They take offline interest and turn it into a measurable digital action, then feed those signals back into your systems. When thoughtfully deployed across channels, they enrich your attribution model and create a smoother experience across touchpoints.

In identification card services, your media mix often spans trade shows, direct mail, physical kits, onsite signage, and digital content. QR codes unify these by giving every offline asset a unique, trackable entry point. You can then compare the performance of a brochure handed to a security director versus a poster in a registrar’s office, or a webinar promo card versus a booth banner. This improves budget allocation and targeting and sharpens your multi-touch attribution.

• Brochures and print collateral: Place codes that lead to mobile-optimized demos, security documentation, or case studies. Include clear benefits alongside the code, such as scan to see a 2-minute activation walkthrough.
• Social media and UGC campaigns: Encourage campus ambassadors, partner reps, or satisfied clients to share how they use QR-enabled IDs. Event signage can promote scanning to submit photos, testimonials, or questions. Tie scans to a content gallery and retarget contributors with nurture sequences.
• Direct mail: Make mailers measureable by linking to personalized landing pages with pre-filled fields for demos or pilots. Track scan timing to trigger same-day SDR callbacks when intent is high. Upgrade your mailers with unique codes and offers.
• Digital signage and video ads: Add QR codes to lobby screens and explainer videos so viewers can act immediately instead of typing a URL. Rotate different codes to test which calls to action convert.
• Conferences, trade shows, and events: Equip your team’s badges and booth with prominent codes for meeting booking, resource libraries, and giveaway entries. Tag scans by day and session to identify topics that resonate and prospects who return.

Unified QR platforms like Sona QR let you manage codes, monitor performance across channels, and sync scan data to your CRM and ad platforms. That integration closes the loop between offline exposure and digital outcomes, giving you a complete view of marketing effectiveness.

Step-by-Step QR Campaign Execution Checklist

Successful QR programs follow a consistent playbook: define the outcome, pick the right format, design for the environment, deploy at high-intent touchpoints, and optimize. Use the steps below to plan and launch a campaign that fits your identification card services.

Step 1: Choose the most impactful use case

Select a use case that maps tightly to a business goal, such as reducing onboarding time, driving event registrations, or accelerating renewals. If you run campus programs, prioritize activation and course registration flows on student IDs. If you serve enterprises, focus on visitor pre-registration and policy acknowledgment at lobby checkpoints.

• Clarify the outcome: Decide the conversion you will measure, for example activation completed, payment submitted, demo booked, or meeting scheduled.
• Identify the audience: Define who will scan and why. Tailor the destination to their role and context so the next step is obvious and quick.

Step 2: Select a dynamic QR code type for real-time engagement tracking

Dynamic codes let you change destinations, add UTM parameters, and capture analytics. For identification card service providers, this flexibility is essential because materials often persist for months and must adapt to new campaigns or regulations.

• Map format to action: Use web links for activation portals, vCards for sales networking, and payment links for invoices and renewals.
• Enable analytics and retargeting: With Sona QR, dynamic codes capture device, location, and timestamp, and can sync to your CRM so scans trigger workflows and alerts. For broader tactics, see QR codes in marketing.

Step 3: Design with strong branding and clear calls to action; test for readability

Your QR code is only as effective as its visibility and promise. Design for the environment: lanyards and badges need shorter CTAs and larger contrast; lobby signage can support a short value statement; mailers must survive fold lines and glare.

• Make the benefit explicit: Add microcopy like scan to activate your card, scan to pre-register, or scan to pay invoice. Avoid vague instructions that do not tell people what happens next.
• Test under real conditions: Check scannability at typical distances and angles. Test across iOS and Android devices, in bright and low light, and with different camera apps.

Step 4: Deploy at key touchpoints where intent is highest

Place your codes where people have a reason to take action. Use badge backs, enrollment kits, lobby posters, conference booths, invoices, and equipment packaging. Assign unique codes for each placement so you can see which touchpoints drive the most engagement.

• Match placement to behavior: Put activation codes on new card mailers, policy acknowledgment codes at access points, and support codes in help center emails and printed guides.
• Train staff to promote scans: Security desks, registrars, and booth teams should point to the code and explain the benefit in one sentence.

Step 5: Track and optimize by analyzing scan drop-off and retargeting accordingly

Launch with a baseline hypothesis, then refine your funnel based on real data. Monitor scan volume, conversion rate, and time to completion. If a code drives scans but not conversions, test a shorter form, a different CTA, or a clearer headline on the landing page.

• Instrument your funnel: Use Sona QR to pass UTM parameters and campaign IDs to your analytics platform. Connect scans to CRM records and pipeline stages to see revenue impact.
• Iterate continuously: A/B test designs and placements. Rotate CTAs for different audiences and times of day. Update destinations seasonally or for specific events.

Tracking and Analytics: From Scan to Revenue

Analytics turn QR engagement into business outcomes. Without a clear measurement framework, you may know that people scanned but not whether those scans created pipeline, improved satisfaction, or reduced cost to serve. Identification card service providers need to go beyond vanity metrics and attribute downstream value.

Modern QR analytics platforms capture timing, frequency, and segmentation data across channels. Combined with CRM and marketing automation, they help you identify dormant accounts, missed follow-ups, and high-intent signals. For example, if a facilities manager scans your integration guide twice in a week, your sales team should know. If hundreds of students scan an activation code but drop at the photo upload step, your operations team can adjust the workflow.

• Detailed scan insights: Track scans by device, geo, and time to understand usage patterns. Use this to plan staffing, support hours, and content localization.
• CRM integration: Sync scans to contact or account records to trigger alerts, add to nurture programs, and update lead scores. Enrich profiles with scan history to guide conversations.
• Attribution modeling: Connect QR scans to pipeline and revenue using revenue attribution. Identify which placements and messages influence conversion so you can double down on what works.

With Sona QR and Sona.com, you can view scan performance in real time, segment by placement, and tie activity to both marketing and sales outcomes. Sona QR captures real-world engagement; Sona.com links that engagement to website visits, ad clicks, email opens, and CRM stages. Together they help you prove impact, reduce churn, and respond proactively to new sales signals.

Tips to Expand QR Success in Identification Card Service Providers

As you scale QR usage, a few best practices consistently separate average programs from high performers. Focus on clarity at the point of scan, reliable tracking, and automation that moves scanners to the next best action without manual intervention.

Start by ensuring every code is unique to its placement so you can attribute performance accurately. Next, add UTM parameters to destinations to enrich your analytics. Then connect scan activity to follow-up flows so each interaction triggers a timely and relevant response. Finally, educate both staff and end users so they understand the immediate value of scanning and feel confident about privacy and security.

• Use unique QR codes for each card or asset: Distinguish by placement such as badge back, lobby poster, or renewal mailer. This lets you pinpoint top-performing touchpoints and retire underperformers.
• Add UTM parameters to every QR destination: Attribute traffic by source, medium, and campaign. Use these tags to compare channels and optimize future spend.
• Trigger automated follow-ups: After a scan, send a thank-you email, a next-step SMS, or add the contact to a retargeting audience. Tie actions to the use case, such as a reminder to finish activation or a prompt to book a demo.
• Educate staff and customers: Train front-desk teams to point out the code and explain the benefit in one sentence. Publish short privacy statements that explain how scan data is used, which builds trust and boosts adoption.

Creative deployment examples for this vertical include QR codes on temporary visitor passes that link to safety briefings and acknowledgment forms, or codes on invoices that go directly to a secure payment page with the account preselected. Both improve compliance and reduce administrative effort while giving you useful engagement data.

Real-World Examples and Creative Inspiration

Organizations across education, enterprise, and healthcare are elevating their credential programs with QR codes that make every physical touchpoint actionable and measurable. These examples show how moving from anonymous contact to high-value, trackable engagements drives better outcomes for both users and providers.

• University student lifecycle: A university prints QR codes on student IDs that link to activation, meal plan management, and course registration. New students scan during orientation to complete onboarding in minutes rather than days. Each scan enriches CRM profiles so advising and enrollment teams can target reminders and support. The result is reduced manual follow-up, faster card issuance, and higher adoption of digital services.
• Enterprise event funnel: A B2B provider replaces paper lead forms at trade shows with QR codes on booth signage and staff badges. Scans open a resource library with case studies and a one-click demo booking form. Leads are tagged by session or topic to segment by interest. Decision makers who scan a pricing sheet receive a same-day callback. The outcome is cleaner data, shorter sales cycles, and precise attribution from event spend to pipeline.
• Healthcare access and compliance: A healthcare system equips staff badges with QR codes that route to real-time access verification and policy acknowledgment. Contractors scan to confirm required training and certifications before entering restricted areas. Compliance teams receive alerts for expired credentials and can prompt renewals with scan-triggered messages. Security improves, and compliance auditing becomes faster and more reliable.

You can also add user-generated content loops to boost community and insight. For example, print a QR on volunteer badges that links to a short feedback form after each shift; aggregate responses into dashboards that highlight operational improvements. These feedback loops keep programs responsive and demonstrate continuous value.

Expert Tips and Common Pitfalls

Rolling out QR codes at scale involves thoughtful design, operational readiness, and ongoing education. The most successful teams approach QR as a strategic capability rather than a one-off tactic. They set clear goals, test in the real environments where codes will live, and build automation that carries scanners across the finish line.

Avoid common pitfalls like placing tiny codes in low-contrast areas, burying the call to action, or sending scanners to slow, non-mobile pages. Do not reuse the same code across many assets if you want meaningful attribution. Ensure your privacy practices are clear and compliant, especially when scans involve identity data or payments. Finally, do not neglect internal training. Staff who understand the benefit and the script will drive more scans and happier users.

• Optimize for environment: Design codes for the actual distances and lighting where they will be scanned. For lanyards, increase size and contrast; for posters, ensure legibility from several feet away.
• Streamline landing experiences: Keep destinations fast, mobile-first, and minimal. Ask only for essential information and pre-fill when possible.
• Place strategically: Use uncluttered layouts with white space and a direct CTA. Avoid placing codes near folds, curved surfaces, or glare-prone materials.
• Invest in training and trust: Provide staff with clear talking points. Publish privacy notes explaining what data is captured and how it is used.

As one seasoned program manager put it, scannable, secure identification cards have become standard because they combine measurable ROI with robust access control and CRM integration. Treat QR codes as part of your core infrastructure and they will continue to pay dividends across your lifecycle.

Final Thoughts

Modern identification card service providers are reshaping customer journeys by embedding QR codes for instant, measurable engagement. With the right strategy, every badge, mailer, and sign becomes a digital entry point that captures intent and pushes the journey forward. Whether your goal is faster onboarding, simplified payments, or deeper attribution, QR codes offer the shortest path from interest to action.

Here is what they deliver:

• Instant engagement: Across brochures, signage, lanyards, mailers, and welcome kits, one scan launches the next best step.
• A connected experience: Prospects and users glide from awareness to activation to adoption without friction or guesswork.
• Actionable data: Each scan becomes a signal you can segment, enrich, and act on to drive growth.

With Sona QR, you can generate, manage, and track your codes in one place, then connect scan activity to website visits, emails, ads, and CRM outcomes through Sona.com. Capture demand at the source, convert it into measurable results, and scale a QR-powered program that keeps you ahead in a rapidly evolving market. You can get started in minutes by creating your first dynamic QR codes and mapping them to the touchpoints that matter most. Start creating QR codes for free.

Conclusion

QR codes have revolutionized the identification card service providers industry by turning traditional ID issuance into a dynamic, interactive experience that drives conversions and enhances security. Whether it’s streamlining user verification, enabling instant access to personalized services, or tracking engagement to optimize client outreach, QR codes transform static ID cards into powerful tools for customer acquisition and retention.

Imagine issuing ID cards that not only authenticate identities but also provide real-time data on usage patterns and customer interactions—empowering your business to tailor services and increase satisfaction. With Sona QR, you can create dynamic, trackable QR codes that update instantly without the need to reprint cards, connect every scan to actionable insights, and maximize the impact of your identification services. Start for free with Sona QR today and turn every ID card into a gateway for growth and conversion.

FAQ

What are the benefits of using QR codes on identification cards?

QR codes on identification cards enable faster onboarding, automate data collection, improve customer satisfaction without needing an app, and provide measurable engagement through real-time analytics and CRM integration.

How can QR codes enhance the functionality of business cards?

QR codes on business cards can store vCards that allow prospects to save contact details directly to their phones, trigger pre-filled meeting request forms, and tie engagement data back to CRM systems for better lead nurturing.

Which companies offer custom QR code services for identification cards?

Companies like Sona QR provide dynamic QR code platforms that support real-time engagement tracking, analytics, CRM integration, and customizable QR code management tailored for identification card service providers.

What types of information can be stored in a QR code on an identification card?

QR codes on identification cards can store web links to onboarding portals, vCards for contact information, app download links, secure payment pages, event check-in forms, and other dynamic content for identity verification and lifecycle management.

How do QR codes improve the customer experience in payment transactions?

QR codes facilitate contactless payments by linking to PCI-compliant payment pages for renewals, replacements, or event registrations, enabling faster transactions, optional add-ons, and early signals of purchase intent for sales teams.

How can I create a QR code for my business card?

You can create QR codes for business cards by generating a dynamic QR vCard that stores your contact details, which can be designed and tracked using platforms like Sona QR to ensure up-to-date information and measurable engagement.

What are the security considerations when using QR codes on identification cards?

Security considerations include using secure verification flows for identity checks, ensuring PCI-compliant payment links, maintaining clear privacy statements about data usage, and avoiding reuse of the same QR code across multiple assets to maintain attribution accuracy.

How do I choose the right QR code service provider for my business needs?

Select a provider that offers dynamic QR codes with real-time analytics, CRM integration, flexible content updates, multi-channel management, and automation capabilities to support your identification card service workflows and marketing goals.

What are the latest trends in QR code technology for identification cards?

Latest trends include the use of dynamic QR codes for flexible content updating, integration with CRM and marketing automation for intent-driven retargeting, multi-touch attribution across channels, and embedding codes in diverse touchpoints like badges, mailers, and signage.

How do QR codes work in the context of EMV payment systems?

In EMV payment systems, QR codes enable contactless payments by linking to secure, PCI-compliant payment pages that process transactions without physical cards, providing visibility into payment intent and facilitating faster revenue capture and upsell opportunities.