Single-track experiments in Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) play an essential role in understanding temperature history, bead morphology, microstructure, and thus paving way to optimizing the process parameters. These experiments help understand the optimal process window devoid of porosity and balling. They could assist further in the validation of simulations. The temperature evolution for a given laser power characteristics and material also depends on the base plate preheat temperature and purged gas flow rate. Any variation in these from the set value over the build volume could potentially lead to location specific properties in printed components. Thus, in this study, we determine the sensitivity of the bead morphology (which is a surrogate to the thermal history) to the variation in the above-said two parameters. Single-track test coupons were printed in SS316L using Intech SF1™ LPBF machine using heat source characteristics (Laser power 200W, Scan speed 820 mm/s and hatch distance of 0.11 mm) and set values of base plate preheat temperature of 170℃ and nitrogen purging with the blower operating at 40% rated speed. To study the effect of base plate preheat temperature and gas flow rate distribution over the build volume, an array of 3 × 3 substrate cube of dimensions 10 × 10x5 mm3 were placed to represent different regions in build plate printable region. Samples were etched and polished to study the sample under optical microscope at 200X and 500X magnification to measure the bead morphology. The difference in the morphology were statistically analyzed to study the sensitivity.