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Which technology fits the buyer's project
Why a decision page persuades better than a brochure
Anyone buying a bioreactor or a TFF system already knows both technologies. They want to know which one fits their process, their scale and their production plan. If your website only lists the benefits of one option, the process development team reads it as advertising and looks for a comparison elsewhere.
A decision page explains when each technology fits and when it does not, and ends with an offer to talk through the specific case. It works even if you only make one of the two, because it brings you enquiries from people who already know your option is the right one for them.
The criteria that tip the decision
The comparison should follow the order in which buyers think. Batch size and number of products come first, then cleaning and validation, and finally supply and cost. The table sums up how each criterion can be presented without declaring a winner.
| Criterion | Single-use | Stainless steel |
|---|---|---|
| Batch size and scale | Common in development, clinical supply and mid-volume production | Common in stable, high-volume production |
| Product or campaign changeover | Product contact parts are replaced | Equipment must be cleaned and the cleaning proven to work |
| Cleaning and sterilisation | Components usually arrive sterilised by the supplier | CIP and SIP systems plus cleaning validation |
| Extractables and leachables | Must be assessed for each polymer component | Mainly a concern for gaskets and other polymer parts |
| Supply | Relies on a qualified consumables supplier | Relies more on spare parts and maintenance |
| Cost | Lower upfront investment, higher cost per batch | Higher upfront investment, lower cost per batch with heavy use |
If we only make single-use equipment, should we mention stainless steel?
Yes, briefly and without running it down. Buyers will make the comparison anyway, and if they find it on your website they will trust you more. Explaining when stainless steel is the better fit also filters enquiries, because the people who contact you already know their project suits single-use.
What EU GMP Annex 1 says about single-use systems
Annex 1 of the EU GMP guidelines covers the manufacture of sterile medicinal products, and since its 2022 revision points 8.131 to 8.139 deal with single-use systems. They list risks the drug manufacturer must assess, such as interaction between the product and the contact material, extractables and leachables, fragility compared with fixed systems, leaks and particles.
Point 8.134 says that assessing the suppliers of these systems is critical when selecting them. So your single-use page should answer these questions before the quality team asks them. These are the points worth having published or ready to send.
- Which extractables studies exist for each component and how to request them.
- How the integrity of bags, connectors and filters is tested.
- How components are sterilised and which certificate comes with each delivery.
- Where and how the consumables are manufactured and packed.
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Review my comparisonHow to make the case for stainless steel without sounding dated
Stainless steel is still the logical choice for many high-volume projects with few product changes. The investment is spread over many batches and the plant depends less on a steady supply of consumables. Your website should make that case with process examples rather than presenting it as the way things have always been done.
Buyers want to see how cleaning is handled. Point 10.1 of Annex 15 of the EU GMP guidelines requires cleaning validation for all product contact equipment. A good page explains the hygienic design, how CIP and SIP work and which documents you provide to validate cleaning at the customer's site.
Should we publish our extractables and leachables data?
You do not need to publish full reports, but you should explain which studies you have, for which components and how to request them. Point 8.136 of Annex 1 calls for these profiles to be evaluated, and supplier data helps the drug manufacturer do it. If people have to request the data, keep the form short and reply quickly.
How to present single-use without overpromising
Cleaning is one of the strongest arguments for single-use. In a BioPlan Associates survey published in BioProcess International in 2009, 88% of biopharmaceutical production decision makers said eliminating cleaning was an important or very important reason to adopt it. Lower cross-contamination risk and getting a facility running sooner came close behind.
Your page should build on these reasons without exaggerating. Promises such as zero contamination risk clash with Annex 1, which asks manufacturers to assess risks like leaks and particles. It works better to explain how you reduce those risks and how you secure the supply of bags and connectors.
Play the video. Single-use bioreactors for bioprocessing and biopharmaceutical applications - TECNICHow do we know if the decision page is working?
Track how many enquiries come from that page and which technology they ask about. If your form includes fields such as batch size or number of products, you will see which projects it brings in. It also helps to ask your sales team whether buyers arrive better informed at the first meeting.
If you make both technologies, talk about hybrid facilities
Many facilities combine both options. They may run stainless steel production bioreactors and use single-use for media and buffer preparation or product storage. If you make both, your website can help customers plan that combination instead of showing them two separate catalogues.
TECNIC, for example, presents single-use and reusable versions of its bioreactors and TFF systems on its website, along with ancillary equipment such as a CIP system. David Monje, founder of crida studio, led its marketing for four and a half years. A dual offer like this is the natural starting point for a decision page.
