Need to review barcodes application to benefit from e-commerce boom worldwide
The growing trend of mega-store shopping experiences in Bahrain has greatly boosted the use of barcodes in the Kingdom but there is still a big gap between what the international market expects and what Bahrain is doing, said Raed Samahiji, President and CEO of Universal Business Enterprises.
The businessman who offers barcoding solutions and who pioneered the application of an international standard in barcoding in the Kingdom, told Bahrain Tribune that with the free trade agreement (FTA) signed with America and many more on the way, Bahrain urgently needed to review its application of barcodes to business so that it could take advantage of a growing e-commerce boom worldwide.
"Big mega-stores are proliferating in Bahrain - just one outlet like Geant, for example, does all its stock-control, sourcing and purchases online and will not accept even a pin without a barcode. Even traditional Bahraini supermarkets like Jawad's and others are increasingly turning to a stricter barcoding process to track their stocks and record sales. However, the process has admittedly been slow and although barcodes are used by many Bahraini companies, the tendency is to go for individualised barcoding methods and not standardised ones that have international approval. The trend is especially slow in the manufacturing industry where such a system is vital to boost exports, given that Bahrain is such a small market and most manufacturers seek a larger market outside the Kingdom."
The bar code numbers assigned to Bahrain will conform to global identification standards. They are unique and unambiguous numbers that can identify any product or location anywhere in the world. When these numbers are represented by bar codes, they can be scanned anywhere along the supply chain, providing accurate information for improved management.
"This means if a Bahrain-manufactured product is exported, unless the barcode complies with international standards, it will not be easy for the exporting company to track the consignment or access the shipping records etc.," Samahiji said.
"Barcoding is available not just for the wholesale and retail trade but also for services and products - Bahrain Tribune, for instance, has its own barcode, which helps to establish the country of origin of the publication in international circles. Such a system also helps to protect intellectual property," he said.
If these numbers are not assigned to products and printed on their packaging at the time of manufacture, barcode scanning and the electronic stock management systems that underpin e-commerce cannot function, Samahiji said.
"Bahrain manufacturers will see a significant increase in acceptance from customers in the EU and the rest of the world following their adoption of the widely-recognised EAN bar code system," he said.
© Bahrain Tribune 2005
