This paper discusses risk and uncertainty aspects and proposes an assessment tool leading to identification of critical control points (CCPs) within purchasing-oriented activities of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Identifying such CCPs is the basis for developing SME purchasing instruments to support purchasing-oriented activities. The identification of such CCPs will be theoretically approached from a systems perspective using four management functions which are needed to operate as a viable system: implementation, control, intelligence and coordination. When applied to the development of purchasing instruments, these instruments can be used for supporting one of these four management control functions.