The first bar code initiative, which promises to take businesses to the next digital generation, is being introduced by Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry for its members.
The chamber thus becomes the first in the UAE - and possibly the region - to point the way ahead.
"We have signed a memorandum of understanding with EAN Emirates, the UAE office of EAN (European Association of Num-bering) International, for the benefit of business establishments registered with us, including industrial, trade and service firms," said Saeed Obaid Al Jarwan, director-general, yesterday.
Industry officials added talks are also on with the Ministry of Finance and Industry's standardisation department, to accord federal approval for the move towards bar-coding in all UAE-based business enterprises.
While signing on is unlikely to be made mandatory, the officials expected sheer peer pressure and the general move in this direction to prompt all commercial enterprises to go this route.
Charges are likely to range between Dh1,700 and Dh7,000 per annum.
"The system, which essentially assigns a scannable bar code to every product a company manufactures, yields businesses several benefits, including reduced inventory requirements, better time management, the ability to track business consignments, more efficient product handling, and cost savings on lower operating capital requirements," Al Jarwan said.
"We will also unveil very shortly the chamber's new bar-coding facility for all our registered members, on such documentation as certificates of origin, etc," he said.
The official noted the charges being levied were only to cover administrative and allied costs, with both EAN International and the chamber being non-profit organisations.
"The aim is to boost industrial and commercial trading activity, rather than there being an ulterior profit motive; and in any case, the charges should pay for themselves many times over through cost efficiencies and more business orders for the companies concerned," he added.
The chamber plans to conduct a series of seminars to educate its members and help spread awareness about the bar-coding system.
Ziad Al Habbal, general manager, EAN Emirates, added 250 firms throughout the UAE have already signed on since the organisation started operating in the country around 18 months ago.
The organisation's UAE chapter has been servicing the Oman and Qatar markets as well from its regional Sharjah base, while separate EAN chapters have been established in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, he added.
The move towards bar-coding is meanwhile gathering momentum throughout the world, with the latest regional developments forming part of the global push.
Al Habbal stressed the EAN system is the only organisation assigning bar-codes throughout the world, obviating the possibility of a parallel system coming up and confounding issues.
"Until recently, America had its own UCC system, but the two organisations have since got together into a single entity and are in the process of merging, with the new entity's name and organisational structure to be unveiled in May," he added.
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