firms were using the web to a greater or lesser extent to obtain information about inputs, product markets, and specific customers. Only half of the firms (6) were reported to be using the web to accept or place orders internationally. Only two firms were using an extranet (see Table 6) to accept orders from international business customers and to place orders with international suppliers, in one case frequently and in the other, infrequently. EDI was not in widespread use. Of the two firms that reported its use, both respondents said that they frequently used EDI to place orders with domestic and international suppliers, and one always used EDI to place orders with domestic suppliers. In the case of orders with international suppliers, one of these firms was a frequent user of EDI while the other placed orders in this way infrequently. 5.6 Firm Registration with Web-based Trading Sites The number of firms reported to have registered with international electronic trading sites hosted on the World Wide Web was rather small. Five firms were registered at such e-marketplace sites. One firm was registered at a local e-marketplace, e-sokoni (see section 5.3), another at a Dubai based site, and a third at a site in Hong Kong (Two firms did not provide the location of the e-marketplace at which they had registered). These sites were of two types: On-Line Auctions or Requests for Quotes and the products posted at these sites were shirts, shorts, and T-shirts. None of the respondents reported that their firms had completed a sale at these sites. One, however, was using the site to obtain contacts which he then pursued using e-mail and other means. Two firms were reported to have used the e-marketplace sites to purchase garment accessories such as buttons. 5.7 Supply Chain Management Only two respondents reported using the public Internet to support supply chain management. In one case, the use of the Internet was very basic and involved managers making decisions about new products, designs, fabric, etc., based on information found on the Internet. The firm was not using the Internet to integrate its operations with those of its suppliers or customers. The second firm had developed its Internet-based supply chain management capability more fully so that its suppliers and customers had access to real-time information about its sales and stock levels and its 22