By Ryan Gartrell | Business Operations Consultant

In the world of business operations, few things are more damaging—and more common—than the stovepipe model (also known as the silo model). You’ve likely seen it before: departments or teams operating independently, hoarding information, duplicating work, and unknowingly undermining each other’s success.

I’ve seen the effects of this model firsthand across multiple industries—from supply chains to construction firms, from marketing teams to IT departments. And here’s the hard truth: the stovepipe model isn’t just inefficient—it’s costly, risky, and ultimately unsustainable.

What Is the Stovepipe Model?

Imagine your business as a building. Each department is a floor, but there are no stairwells, elevators, or hallways connecting them. Everyone is doing their job, but no one’s talking. That’s the stovepipe model. Each department becomes its own universe—with its own data, goals, and processes.

While specialization is necessary, isolation is dangerous. In this model, even high-performing teams can inadvertently slow the entire organization down.

Where It Fails

• Data Fragmentation: Without shared systems or communication, decision-makers only get pieces of the puzzle.

• Duplicate Work: Teams unknowingly work on the same problem, using different methods.

• Missed Opportunities: Innovation suffers when insights are trapped in one department.

• Customer Experience: The customer sees your business as one entity. When your teams aren’t aligned, the cracks show.

What I’ve Learned as an Operations Manager

My job is to optimize how a business functions—across people, processes, systems, and strategy. That can’t happen in a stovepipe environment.

In one recent role, I inherited a company where sales, marketing, and production didn’t share tools, goals, or even definitions of success. The result? Missed deadlines, client frustration, and internal finger-pointing.

We changed that by implementing:

• Integrated project management tools

• Regular cross-functional alignment meetings

• Standardized metrics for shared visibility

• Lean AI® systems for real-time performance tracking

Within six months, we reduced rework by 42% and improved on-time delivery by 31%. Why? Because we stopped working in silos and started working as one company.

Moving from Stovepipes to Synergy

Whether you’re managing a startup or a multi-location enterprise, operational integration isn’t optional anymore—it’s essential. That doesn’t mean eliminating departments—it means building the bridges between them.

Ask yourself:

• Do my teams know what other departments are working on?

• Are we using integrated tools or just duct-taping systems together?

• Are we building processes that promote transparency, accountability, and collaboration?

If the answer is no—you’re not alone, but it’s time to act.

Final Thought

Silos may feel comfortable, but they cap your potential. Integration, on the other hand, unlocks innovation, resilience, and speed.

If your business is still working in stovepipes, it’s time to start the conversation. As operations leaders, we’re not just managers of the present—we’re architects of the future.

Let’s start building better systems—together.

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