stove pipe

v. to develop, or be developed, in an isolated environment; to solve narrow goals or meet specific needs in a way not readily compatible with other systems. Also attrib. Subjects: English, United States, Business, Jargon

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Citations: [1987 Brad Bass Government Computer News (June 5) “A review is last hurdle for BASIS” vol. 6, no. 11, p. 1: “There are a lot of data processing systems out on Navy bases and stations,” he said. “But they’re, for lack of a better word, stove-pipe systems that found one specific application and solved that problem very efficiently.”] 1993 Sally Atkins Open Systems Today (Sept. 20) “In The New Era Of Systems Architecture, Apple Is Mr. (Frank Lloyd) Wright” no. 133, p. 88: In short, Apple had the sort of confusion present at most older organizations, where databases grew up with stove-piped or isolated islands of proprietary automation. 1994 Linda Taft Telemarketing (Feb. 1) “Technology upgrades that are essential for outstanding customer service” vol. 12, no. 8, p. 59: Each of these systems is supplied by different manufacturers with particular and typically focused disciplines. The various systems get “stove piped” and opportunities resolved within their discipline and sphere of control only. These systems were typically conceived within the vacuum of their own particular discipline and tend not to easily interface with each other. 2004 Keith Cowing SpaceRef.com (June 24) “NASA Begins to Transform Itself”: The net result was what came to be called “stove piping” where all centers began dueling fiefdoms—all intent on having their own min-NASA complete with efforts which unabashedly duplicated those resident at other centers.

Posted 26 Jun 04 | Permalink | Tell a Friend