I'm looking for a balanced argument which considers the notion that
purchasing activities in organisations today are intrinsically
operational rather than strategic in nature.

Note that I'm not saying here that purchasing activites should be
operational or should be strategic, I'm just trying to consider the
pros and cons for each possiblity.

Note: This is not a homework question, rather I need to consider the
good and bad points of each issue as part of a work related issue.