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To compete effectively in today's business world we need to be an innovative user of e-business techniques. We recognise that e-business is not only a cost-effective way to do business but can also minimise the use of resources:

• We have been using Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) in parts of the business for many years.
• We work with key customers, mainly in the US and UK, to develop flexible e-business links that can be tailored to meet their individual needs.
• We provide detailed product and educational information on our websites and sponsor a number of external sites in conjunction with professional organisations, providing healthcare information for professionals and patients.
• Smith & Nephew offers on-line, interactive patient education for those who are looking for credible information regarding hip, knee or shoulder surgery. A user can choose the type of surgery they are interested in and view patient education videos, interactive surgery and anatomy demonstrations, as well as receive information on what to expect in surgery.
• Online surgeon locator. In the US, while a user is viewing one of our patient information websites, they have the facility to seek treatment from an orthopaedic surgeon in their area by simply typing in their zip code into the surgeon locator found on those sites. From there, they will be provided with a choice of surgeons in their area who can help treat their condition.  The Smith & Nephew Sales Portal is the primary website for our Recon and Trauma sales force to access information from Orthopaedics Online including their sales data, email and various applications in the Smith & Nephew system. Additional business unit information is included on this site such as Print on Demand, Sales Training and the OrthoMeetings event calendar. We offer this website to our sales force for quick and easy access the latest business unit information.
• The Orthopaedics Online extranet is geared primarily toward our sales force. Information is categorized by area: Trauma, Recon, and Biologics & Clinical Therapies. In addition, users can download items including sales sheets, surgical techniques, and product information. This site also includes details about areas such as customer service, convention services as well as comments for the Orthopaedic GBU executives. Multimedia content is available and presented in video format including Town Hall Meetings and Sales Updates. We offer this site to our sales force to give them the upper hand when making a sale.
• Our Orthopaedics business offers the entire line of products in DXF file format on the eTemplate Digital Archive. Our sales force coordinates registration to this website with product vendors and hospitals to download templates. eTemplating, provides doctors with the ability to template orthopaedic products with the hospital's digital images. For doctors to be able to use digital templating, the hospital must have purchased digital templating software that is compatible with their PACs system. There are many digital templating software vendors in the market. These vendors are responsible for integrating Smith & Nephew's product templates into their system. Smith & Nephew is only responsible for providing templates to these vendors.
• Dyonics1.com makes available pre-owned endoscopy equipment on the web; an outlet for used equipment.
• Distance learning - we have invested in sophisticated distance learning programs, allowing us to disseminate information efficiently and on an as-needed basis while reducing travel requirements.
• Email newsletters - in some markets we have replaced paper-based newsletters with e-mail newsletters. This offers benefits to both our customers and the business in terms of speed, access to appropriate information, reduction of costs and reduced usage of natural resources.
• The Global Wound Academy, available at Globalwoundacademy.com, provides worldwide access to education and information about the therapeutic area of wound management. Available in eight languages, this interactive website has up to twelve wound management education modules with case studies and a resources area. We currently have over 18,000 registered users of the site.

The services around the world vary and are subject to availability. Full details should be sourced locally.

Customers need product information they can trust, particularly as we introduce more sophisticated products and techniques. We are using the Internet to provide constantly updated information in unprecedented detail - including appropriate regulatory and product availability information, in the appropriate language, for the country specified by the user.

We are investing heavily in technology to support much higher levels of electronic working within the company. Our businesses are continually developing intranets and using them to disseminate information that would previously have been printed and copied. We handle tens of thousands of emails a day, much of this would previously have been paper based memoranda and reports.