EAN/UCC System is managed by GS1 (merger of EAN International and the Uniform Code Council), Inc. It is a fully international system administered and promoted by a global network of Member Organisations representing 90 countries and all economic regions including Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Africa. GS1 Singapore joined as a member of EAN International in 1987.

GS1 is a voluntary standards organisation which develops, establishes and promotes global, open standards for identification and communication for the benefit of the users involved and the ultimate consumers.

• GS1 Singapore Membership Registration
• Allocation of Global Location Number
• Providing Singapore standards for EANUCC Barcoding Systems
• Setting guidelines for retailers using scanning at point-of-sales computerised check-out system
• Technical assistance to printers, barcode label designers, retailers, supermarkets and departmental store operators
• Free consultancy to industries implementing the EANUCC Systems
• Barcode Verification Service
• Product Dimensions Measuring
• Product Imaging
• The National Electronic Product Catalogue : NEPC (on-line product catalogue)
• Training on EAN identification and communication system
• Broadcasting the latest developments on the worldwide Barcoding Systems in GS1 Singapore Newsletter

It is recommended that products should be submitted as they would appear on the shelf as product dimensions can only be measured if:

• the packaging is complete and formed
• the product sample is undamaged
• the absence of the contents of the packaging will not affect the measurements (if the contents of the packaging are not included)

1. Establishing the Front Facing

Prior to measuring product dimensions, the front facing of the product must be determined. It is the front facing that will dictate the orientation of the product for the purpose of measurement. It should be noted that this orientation may not necessarily relate to how the product is placed on the shelf.

The front facing of a product is the largest surface that the manufacturer uses to sell the product to the customer. It shows the product information (eg, brand, product, variant and pack size information). The print orientation should always be upright. If a product has more than one facing that meets this criteria, but having different print orientations, then the side with the highest vertical height is the front facing.

2. Measurement of Dimensions

All measurements are in millimetres and always rounded up to the nearest millimetre.

After determining the front facing of the product, the following three dimensions are measured:

• Height - The vertical dimension from the lowest extremity to the highest extremity.
• Width - The horizontal dimension from the left-most extremity to the right-most extremity
• Depth - The dimension from the front-most extremity to the back-most extremity.
3. Hanging Products

Hanging products are those which are designed to hang on pegs. If a product has a peg hole, it is measured as if it were hanging on a peg, whether or not it is displayed that way on the shelf. The following additional dimensions are measured:
• Peg Horizontal - The horizontal distance from the left-hand extremity of the product to the centre of the peg hole.
• Peg Vertical - The vertical distance from the top of the product to the top of the peg hole.
  If there is more than one peg hole, the measurements are made to the peg hole closest to the left-hand extremity of the product.
4. Measurement of Particular Package Types

When measuring circular cans, bottles and jars, two dimensions, usually the Width and Depth will be identical. Non-circular and irregular-shaped bottles and jars are squared off for measuring.

Multi-packs of cans and bottles that are banded together are measured as a single unit. The side with the largest number of individual products and containing the product information determines the front facing.

For some products, eg, milk and other fluid-filled cartons, the contents tend to bulge the packaging. Measurements take into account any bulging.

The movement and settling of the contents of flexible bags due to their orientation may greatly affect the product measurements. Flexible bags are usually measured with the contents distributed as if the bags were lying flat on a shelf. Any flaps on the ends of the bags are folded over and discounted when measuring dimensions. However, if the bags have peg holes, they are measured with the contents settled as if the bags were hung vertically on a peg. In these cases, the end flaps are included in the measurements.

Non-packaged products are squared off and measurements taken to their extremities.

Manufacturers often use a standard package for a number of different products or for a number of variants of a product. Awareness of standard package types reduces the need to take measurement for each individual product or variant of a product.

The product dimensions information is reported in an attachment to the Symbol Verification Reports issued by the GS1 Singapore Barcode Verification Service.

Members of GS1 Singapore can source their product dimensions data by accessing NEPC. By using the NEPC online catalogue, they can also search for details of any registered publicly available products. Product dimensions data is included where available.

Image specifications have been designed with industry assistance for the purpose of space management and on-line product presentations. However, images can be used for other purposes as required.

Imaging can be requested at any time by sending a complete sample of each item to GS1 Singapore with a note expressing that images are required.