inputs are sourced from India, Far East, China and Indonesia. The firm is connected by a modem based analogue link to access the Internet. To maintain contact with buyers or suppliers, the firm always uses email to place or accept product orders. The firm always or frequently uses the web to get general information about input markets, about product markets, customers, suppliers, and to accept international customers orders as well as to place orders with international suppliers. The company never uses an Extranet or Electronic Data Interchange but makes extensive use of the Internet to purchase or sell products internationally. Export documents are the main items sent through the Internet while payments are made through telegraphic transfer. The company has registered with a web-based international trading site located in Dubai. The company’s site is registered as “Request for Quotes” and the firm posts its garment products for sale on the trading site and the company has completed many sales in this way. It has attempted to buy products at the site; mainly garment accessories such as buttons, linings and lace and most of the transactions carried out on the site have been successful. The company does not use the Internet for supply chain management as its suppliers and customers do not have access to its real-time information on sales and stock levels. The firm’s internal operations are not electronically integrated with those of their customers or with those of its suppliers. The firm does not require suppliers to use B2B e-commerce technologies and the firm started using them to keep up with other firms (buyers/ suppliers or competing producer firms). Its B2B e-commerce applications have been developed or promoted by its import suppliers or by its customers. Since the introduction of B2B e-commerce, the firm has changed buyers and suppliers many times which is attributed to its access to the Internet and an increasing number of international suppliers and customers with whom it deals regularly. B2B e-commerce applications have contributed to an increase in revenues and profits and orders have increased beyond what can be handled. The fact that they have registered with trading sites in Dubai means that many people approach the firm to use its factory as a manufacturing base. The firm has been online since it started in 1993, but would use e-commerce more often if it was cheaper, more reliable and quicker. About 80% of the firm’s input acquisitions (accessories and fabrics) are supported by the use of B2B e-commerce. The accessories were obtained from Dubai and Hong Kong and the fabrics from China and India. Nearly 100% of international sales are supported using B2B ecommerce with garments as the main product that is sold internationally, mainly in the US. FIRM K Firm K was founded in 1990. It produces T-shirts and other assorted garments. T-shirts are the main product and it employs 60 workers with an annual turnover of approximately Kshs 60 million. Products are exported to the UK, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the US. It buys its inputs and fabrics mainly from Switzerland. The firm is connected via a modem-based analogue link and always uses e-mail to maintain contact with buyers and suppliers and to place or accept product orders. The web is frequently used to obtain information about input markets, product markets, and about suppliers. Information about customers is seldom obtained through the web. The firm always accepts orders from international customers through the web and places orders with international suppliers in this way. The firm has never used the Internet to purchase or sell products internationally. It is registered with a web-based international trading site to access trade leads and it posts products for sale at the trading sites. T-shirts are the main products sold on the site. The company has not completed a sale using the trade site or attempted to buy products at the site. This firm manages its supply chain using the Internet but its suppliers have no access to real time information about the firm’s sales and stock levels and its internal 40