With BioSMB, the sizing of the downstream process is based on total volume of the bioreactor to be processed, not the product mass. Batch processing requires that the column hardware be sized to the mass of product being purified. In a BioSMB process, even if the upstream process changes and titer increases, the BioSMB system hardware can remain the same and with the addition of more disposable-format columns of the same size and a change in the processing switch time, the same configuration can be used to purify a greater mass.

Specific productivity can be defined as grams of product purified per unit of chromatographic media per unit time. When calculated this way, the average in increase in a bioprocess step productivity once moved from batch to BioSMB mode exceeds 8 Xs.

BioSMB systems employ countercurrent processing technology allowing the saturation of the chromatography media (or resin) beyond its dynamic binding capacity. Countercurrent processing eliminates the idle zones in a system so only the real mass transfer zone is kept within the system. In this process, the saturated resin behind the mass transfer zone is immediately brought to the wash and elution zones, while the regenerated and equilibrated resin in front of the mass transfer zone is delivered "just in time."