A new approach to parametric sensitivity studies of a catalytic fixed-bed operation is presented. This approach is based on the sensitivity functions of technological characteristics with respect to small variations of control parameters under the condition that the pressure drop over the catalyst bed is fixed. The problem of parametric sensitivity of the methanol oxidation process is formulated as an example serving to illustrate the computational technique discussed in the paper. The mathematical model can be written as a boundary-value problem for ordinary differential equations with the linear gas velocity as an unknown parameter. Our approach provides the possibility of estimating the influence of space-nonuniformities on the technological process characteristics in a real fixed-bed reactor using a relatively simple one-dimensional model.