When QStrat’s Managing Director Steve Wargalla contacted me about his company’s latest and greatest technological breakthrough, I immediately thought of the ubiquitous influence of the ATM machines that are as prevalent around the globe as the air that we breath. In short, the words Virtual Buyers Kiosk flashed across my mind, and how this spark of disruptive innovation has the potential to ignite a raging fire of massive change across an industry that is still coming to grips with the demise of the traditional license model and the emergence of the low cost/no cost SaaS solution as a viable mainstream alternative.
Now some might suggest, myself included, that technology in and of itself is irrelevant in the absence of true purchasing knowledge and skill sets. This of course to a large extent is very true. However the QLM Virtual Buyers Kiosk or VBK, is not designed to usurp or replace the necessary buyer expertise, but is instead designed to alleviate buyers of expending inordinate amounts of time and energy on the less complex, low dollar – high transactional volume acquisitions that often accounts for 80 percent of all purchasing activity.
Or to be more precise, and in line with my ATM analogy, you would not go to the bank to stand in a long line to withdraw $100 from your account. This level of time commitment associated with traveling to a physical branch, like a complex acquisition, would be more appropriate for a complex transaction such as applying for a mortgage or reviewing your investment portfolio.
As is the case with a low dollar purchase, you would instead want to take advantage of a conveniently accessible ATM machine. In the case of the QLM Virtual Buyers Kiosk, convenient accessibility is at your immediate fingertips through your computer.
Following this simple logic to its natural conclusion, one would be safe to assume that the virtual kiosk platform will also attain a similar degree of ubiquity within the purchasing world.
I will of course be tracking this developing story over the weeks and months ahead. In the meantime, check out the following video.
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Procurement Insights 
Posted on October 13, 2010
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