What Are the Responsibilities of a Buffer Manager?

The medical industry has been revolutionized in recent years. As a result, many processes are introduced and updated yearly. This includes the use of buffers in the process of biopharmaceutical manufacturing1. In order to produce and maintain quality biopharmaceutical products, buffers are a necessary component.

What is Buffer Management?

Buffer management is one of the most important steps in the process of biopharmaceutical manufacturing. Buffers are used to maintain a certain pH value of certain components used in manufacturing. 

These ensure longevity and prevent the degradation of substances even after consumption. It involves the use of concentrate solutions in different phases and where necessary. According to the leading biopharma company Avantor, buffer management 2can constitute the majority of a company’s expenses through labor and equipment costs.

Due to the sensitivity of the materials being used and their need to be handled in a particular environment, equipment, stock, and other resources can have a high initial cost. Protecting this investment may be something of concern for companies. This is where a buffer manager can be useful. This article explores the responsibilities of a buffer manager below.

What Does a Buffer Manager do?

Buffer managers ensure quality buffers are made and used by monitoring each step of the process carefully. These steps include:

  • Buffer creation3
  • Purchasing Materials
  • Input

A buffer manager ensures the quality of buffers is maintained throughout the process by monitoring the creation process and ensuring only the best raw materials are purchased and used. They are also responsible for ensuring that the equipment is always within standard and up to date and that the input of the buffer solution is done correctly.

What Does This Mean?

Buffers are substances that can be purchased from local suppliers, but depending on the operating needs of the company, these can also be made in-house. These will include many subprocesses that include storage for raw materials, distribution of these on production days, and use of equipment to create the buffers.

Buffer managers play a part in ensuring that this process is done smoothly and accurately, mitigating costs and possible loss. Having quality buffers in the right quantity can be challenging. A good buffer manager stays ahead of new developments and tracks usage and input within their area to ensure an accurate count of stock and finished products at all times.

In terms of maintenance, buffer managers also monitor the equipment necessary for buffer creation. Depending on company needs, these may include hydrators, storage materials, and dispensers. When purchasing, a buffer manager ensures that all equipment is current and functioning appropriately. They also ensure that all material and equipment is available in the right quantity. They keep an account of stock and ensure that high-quality stock is purchased and used always. They quality-test materials when necessary and change suppliers if the need arises.

Buffer managers are responsible for the entire set of processes that fall under the domain of buffer management. A good buffer manager knows this and takes each and every aspect seriously, no matter how minor it may seem at the outset.

  1. Hong, Moo Sun, et al. “Challenges and opportunities in biopharmaceutical manufacturing control.” Computers & Chemical Engineering 110 (2018): 106-114. ↩︎
  2. Effelsberg, Wolfgang, and Theo Haerder. “Principles of database buffer management.” ACM Transactions on Database Systems (TODS) 9.4 (1984): 560-595. ↩︎
  3. Forsyth, Ann, et al. “Creating a replicable, valid cross-platform buffering technique: the sausage network buffer for measuring food and physical activity built environments.” International journal of health geographics 11.1 (2012): 1-9. ↩︎

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Icy Health Editorial Team

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