A method for determining the optimum operating binding capacity for a multiple column chromatography (MCC) process using a single column, the MCC process including N number of columns, the method comprising: (a) loading a target product on a first column at a first residence time; (b) loading the target product on the first column at a second residence time, wherein the second residence time is about N times the first residence time; (c) generating a first breakthrough curve for the first residence time and a second breakthrough curve for the second residence time, wherein the first breakthrough curve represents target product breakthrough for the first column and the second breakthrough curve represents target product breakthrough for an Nth column in the N number of columns; and (d) using the breakthrough curves to determine a target product loading capacity of the first column before target product breakthrough at the Nth column, wherein the target product loading capacity of the first column equals the optimum operating binding capacity for the MCC process, wherein in each case the target product breakthrough is represented as a graph of target product concentration in the flowthrough versus time, wherein the area in the graph above the first breakthrough curve represents the amount of target product bound to the first column and the area below the first breakthrough curve represents the amount of target product that has flowed through the first column, and wherein the area in the graph above the second breakthrough curve represents the amount of target product bound to the Nth column and the area below the second breakthrough curve represents the amount of target product that has flowed through the Nth column. (a) loading a target product on a first column at a first residence time; (b) loading the target product on the first column at a second residence time, wherein the second residence time is about N times the first residence time; (c) generating a first breakthrough curve for the first residence time and a second breakthrough curve for the second residence time, wherein the first breakthrough curve represents target product breakthrough for the first column and the second breakthrough curve represents target product breakthrough for an Nth column in the N number of columns; and (d) using the breakthrough curves to determine a target product loading capacity of the first column before target product breakthrough at the Nth column, wherein the target product loading capacity of the first column equals the optimum operating binding capacity for the MCC process, wherein in each case the target product breakthrough is represented as a graph of target product concentration in the flowthrough versus time, wherein the area in the graph above the first breakthrough curve represents the amount of target product bound to the first column and the area below the first breakthrough curve represents the amount of target product that has flowed through the first column, and wherein the area in the graph above the second breakthrough curve represents the amount of target product bound to the Nth column and the area below the second breakthrough curve represents the amount of target product that has flowed through the Nth column. <EOS>