Software as a Service(SaaS) and the Liquor Control Board

I am a great supporter of SaaS ( Software as a service) simply because businesses should get going with business  and IT should be a facilitator. In house IT departments  should be focusing on the business application end of things. Several  thinkers believe that software will become like electricity which started originally with generators at your factory and then moved to the distribution model that has electricity companies piping the electricity from the power station to your factory.  Therefore, I was rather pleased to read the report that a SaaS based supply chain system as been developed for the LCBO. The LCBO or the Liquor Control Board of Ontario is apparently the largest buyer of liquor in the world with over 600 stores and 5 distribution centers  in the Ontario region of Canada. The LCBO website is rather fun although the "Control Board" conjures up a somewhat stern image ! The story of the SaaS system appeared as a press release here. The company that has developed the web based supply chain solution is QLogitek.  Since the whole system is web based suppliers can simply login and offer new products. Since wines are an important product category for LCBO one can visualize the endless vintages and now countries that are involved! With a web based system that connects suppliers in different countries with warehouses and retailers in Ontario by every product offering in real time should make life much easier for all concerned. Cheers to that !