1. transferable or personalised (physical card)

Digital business cards stand for sustainability above all. Therefore, it is advisable to adapt the layout so that it is easy to pass on the DVC at any time. This makes it possible for employees who have left the company to pass on their card in an uncomplicated manner. Internal numbering facilitates assignment both offline and online. It is also important to consider what information should appear on the card. For example, if the name and position are on the card, it is not possible to pass it on to a new or different employee, and a new card must be created for each employee.

2 Physical or fully digital

Before introducing digital business cards, it is important to clarify which variant should be used. There is the option of using a physical medium, e.g. in the form of a smart card that references digital content. This eases the transition from traditional paper business cards to the fully digital variant and can improve user acceptance. If your organisation is very open, both variants can be mixed.

3. options for contact exchange

How should contact exchange or contact data capture be done? There are two basic options here. First, your counterpart can save the contact, which will land it directly in the address book on the counterpart's device. This can be helpful, but requires your counterpart to actively remember to use you as a contact later. The better alternative is for the other person to fill out the contact form on your profile. This will give you the contact details of your counterpart and you can save or import them into your profile area. At the same time, an email with your contact details is sent to the new contact. This makes it easy for both parties to exchange data in one step. As an additional feature, you can be notified by email when you have a new contact on your profile (including follow-up function).

4. how should the digital business card be shared?

There are many ways to share your digital business card, but what is the main method you should use? You can share your card via NFC, Apple/Google Wallet or different wallpapers (e.g. lock screen). Of course, these options can also be used in combination. Another advantage is that different sharing options can have different goals. For example, wallet sharing can take contacts directly to a website, while lock screen sharing makes it easier to download your contact details and opens the address book. If you are offline, you can still use your profile by installing the app on your device. In this case, an offline QR code is automatically generated if you do not have a network connection.

5. access for profile users

The next consideration is access for profile users, i.e. the owners of the digital business cards. You can restrict access, for example, to only allow the use of various sharing options on the platform. However, there are also situations where there should be no access at all. This has certain advantages in terms of control over usage, but increases the administrative burden on the administrator. In this case, the link to the wallet could, for example, be passed on by the administrator to the individual profile owners. The profile owner therefore does not have to log in, but can still use their profile. Note, however, that in this case the AI paper business card scanner cannot be used.

6. profile updates

How should profiles be updated? At what intervals are adjustments required due to job changes or new employees? If the effort is small, you can simply import a CSV file at the beginning and later edit individual profiles or the profile overview (a tabular overview with direct possibility for updating). However, if larger amounts of data need to be updated on a regular basis, it is advantageous to use a REST API to automatically keep data up-to-date in a central location and just transfer it.

7. data protection 

Clarify your requirements in detail with your data protection officer and agree on the contracts and further measures. Reworking is difficult and hinders both sides. It is best to involve your data protection officer in the project from the beginning. 

Conclusion: 

The introduction of digital business cards in companies is a significant undertaking that needs to be well prepared. The 7 questions listed here provide a comprehensive overview of the essential aspects that should be clarified in advance. From deciding whether business cards should be transferable or personalised, to choosing between physical or fully digital cards, we have covered the key considerations. The options for contact sharing and how the digital business card is shared are other key aspects. Access control for profile users and the need for profile updates should also be carefully considered. Last but not least, data protection is crucial and also regulated somewhat differently across countries. Close cooperation with the data protection officer is essential. Overall, the introduction of digital business cards is a step towards efficiency and sustainability. If these issues are clarified in advance, the implementation will run more smoothly and the advantages of digital business card technology (DVC) can thus be fully exploited.