...The Dabbawalas of Mumbai* Ashok Kumar, Stephen T. Margulis, and jaideep Motwani The dabbawalas of Mumbai carry hot lunches from the homes of employees (customers) to their places of employment. The aluminium containers or 'tiffins' serve the dual purpose of keeping the food warm and preventing it from splashing out during the tiffin carrier's rushed and jostling journey. A typical tiffin carrier carries about 40 of these dabbas on a long, unwieldy tray on his head as he moves speedily through busy streets and cramped trains. The tray and tiffins have a combined weight of more than 60 kg. For distances over 4 km, the carriers often use bicycles; when carrying more than 40 tiffins, the carriers use handcarts. Each dabbawala is employed by one of the city's 800 contractors (mukaddams). The contractors and tiffin carriers both belong to the Mumbai Tiffinbox Carriers Association, It was registered as a trust in 1967, but was an informal guild for some 50 years before this. There are two primary reasons why the tiffin carrier operations started and succeeded in Mumbai. First, the Indian value system places great emphasis on home-cooked meals, served hot. The problem for roughly eight out of ten white-collar workers in Mumbai is that they do not have time to go home for lunch. The tiffin carrier brings the security of an inexpensive, clean, tasty, and often still warm, home-cooked meal. Restaurant meals cost five to fifteen times more than home-cooked food and there is also...
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...Dabbawala Case Q1) How does the dabbawala organization achieve its high service performance ? what is its secret of success? Ans: * Usage of Technology. The dabbawalas use the technology called Web technology and SMS for orders. Since most of the places they serve are near to railway station so they travel by trains and barefoot men. They neither use any computer to track records nor social networks to market their services. * Performance chain are Integrated. The dabbawala system keeps its eye on and Focus too much on those individual pieces where they obstruct the details and, as a result, are less efficient. Concentrate on the entire system and flow of products and information and you have a much better chance of success. * More accurate and Reliable. The features of dabbawala-based system is that all of the dabbawalas understand exactly what is happening and when — to the minute. If certain deadlines and hand-offs are missed, people don’t eat. It’s as simple as that. Make sure everyone within your chain understands what he or she needs to do, where they need to be and what needs to happen for the chain to be successful. * Simple and Honorable . One of the key lessons any organization can learn from the dabbawalas is the simplicity with which this system works. The dabbawalas are intimately aware of what their customers value (food delivered on time, every day). And, just as importantly, they don’t try to do anything other than that. They don’t overcomplicate...
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...Case Study : Mumbai Dabbawala Padmini Prasun Fateh Amrit 1 Introduction 1890 1 Employee 2010 5000 Employee Caters to 2 Lakhs Customer A Day Meals On Wheels Presented By Amrit, Prasun, Fateh & Padmini 2 Why so Famous? 99.999% Error Free Service Six Sigma Certified Matchless Service Icon of Hardwork In The League Of GE, Motorola Presented By Amrit, Prasun, Fateh & Padmini 3 Supply Chain Inventory Inventory Management Management Purchase Purchase Process Process Marketing Marketing SUPPLY CHAIN Some of the major companies of the world fail to coordinate the activities of supply chain which are flawlessly managed by semi-litterate dabbawals,with accuracy of 99.999% Presented By Amrit, Prasun, Fateh & Padmini 4 Supply Chain Presented By Amrit, Prasun, Fateh & Padmini 5 Features of Supply Chain ● ● ● ● ● ● 0% Fuel 0% Modern Technology 0% Investments 0% Disputes 100% customer satisfaction 99.9999% performance Presented By Amrit, Prasun, Fateh & Padmini 6 Time Management 8-10.30 am Tiffin is collected from house 10.3011.30 Journey in local train after sorting 11.3012.30 Unloadi ng and sorting at destinat ion Presented By Amrit, Prasun, Fateh & Padmini 12.30-1 Tiffins are deliverd 7 Strengths of the Supply Chain ● ● ● High Stress on Human Capital Everyone is an Equal share holder of the firm Discipline ● ● Fined for non-conformity with rules May leave customer if he continuously...
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...The journey starts: Early in the morning a Dabbawala takes bath and do his pooja. Puts a tilak (religious mark) on his forehead and by 9 am he is out on the streets with his bicycle. These bicycles are heavy. Their carriers are designed with extra iron to be able to take a lot of weight. He moves through the Mumbai traffic to his assigned area and move up and down the multi-storied buildings to collect the tiffin boxes from homes. Many old buildings don’t have elevators. But that’s not an excuse! Just imagine running up and down a building a couple of times. Now multiply it by…10! May be 20, depending on the area! By the time he collects all these tiffins, it’s already about 10.30 On an average a destination is about 40 Km away! He carries about 30-40 tiffins on his bicycle, fighting the bad roads, mud, traffic and now even Mumbai monsoons. No excuses! But thankfully he is not alone. He reaches the nearest railway station where Dabbawalas from different areas gather. The tiffins are sorted as per their destination according to Dabbawala coding system. By now, most of his tiffins are handed over to other Dabbawala teams going to different parts of the town. Our Dabbawala joins one of those teams. So he is also carrying tiffin boxes which doesn’t belong to him. This teamwork and trust is what makes a common Dabbawala do extraordinary things. He and his teammates pick up tiffin boxes for their assigned destination and transfer them in head crates. Want to do some...
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...| Recommendations | 7 | Implementations | 8 | Monitor and Control | 8 | Conclusion | 9 | References | 10 | Exhibits | 1112 | Executive Summary My decision is to provide the Appropriate Information and research on the Mumbai Dabbawala or tiffin bearer operation has been chosen as a best practice, as it is broadly perceived as an Exceptional case of six sigma execution in the Indian connection. This is a meal delivery system in the extensive mega polis of Mumbai, where many workers and employees prefer home-cooked meals for lunch. This is currently a highly efficient and low cost delivery solution, which has astounded logistics professionals all over the world. The main objective of the report is to analyses the business model of the Mumbai Dabbawala best practice and to evaluate the potential transferability of the best practices to urban logistics processes in other cities across the world. Before focusing on the Mumbai Dabbawala case study, basic information of India and the city of Mumbai is presented along with the institutional governance framework, transport policies, existing transport related problems and measures undertaken to mitigate the existing problems. The commitment and dedication, each Dabbawalas, like any other businessman, has to bring some capital with him. The minimum investment is two bicycles (approximately Rs.4,000), a wooden crate for the tiffin’s...
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...The Dabbawala System: On-Time Delivery, Every Time Case Analysis Executive Summary Describes the Mumbai-based Dabbawala organization, which achieves very high service performance (6 Sigma equivalent or better) with a low-cost and very simple operating system. The case explores all aspects of their system (mission, information management, material flows, human resource system, processes, etc.) and the challenges that the Dabbawala organization faces in a rapidly changing environment. An outside consultant proposes the introduction of new technologies and management systems, while the leading logistics companies (e.g., FedEx) come to Mumbai to learn about the Dabbawala system. Background Summary Business Description A dabbawala is a person in India, most commonly found in the city of Mumbai, whose job is to carry and deliver freshly in lunch boxes to office workers. History and IPO date This service originated in 1880. In 1890, Mahadeo Havaji Bachche and Ananth Mandra Reddy started a lunch delivery service with about 100 men. In 1930, he informally attempted to unionize the dabbawallas. Later a charitable trust was registered in 1956 under the name of Nutan Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Trust. Founder and Organization NMTBSA was headed by a President Raghunath Medge, who is still in this position. He was assisted by a general secretary, a treasurer and a director. Apart from that two committees oversee the functioning of dabbawala system: -The Operational Committee established...
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... The workers have a special bond making it feel like a family rather than a business. My task is to do a case analysis on MTBSA (as the company is called) using the SWOT-analysis. Strengths: • A good business idea – The company has found a need that is, if not ever-lasting, long-lasting. In these days with long business hours you don’t have time to eat long lunches and its to expensive eating out every day at restaurants. The offices don’t offer cafeterias or restaurants and it would be hard to fill all the different food-demands that the workers want. Bringing their own lunchboxes is hard as the public transport is crowded and you need your two hands for holding on to the train and your briefcase. • Environmental friendly – The dabbawalas uses their feet, bicycles, handcarts and the public transport making their contribution to pollution close to zero. The dabbas are made by tin or aluminum and has a long life span making their impact on the environment small as well. Weeknesses: • Complicated system – The system the dabbawallas use to devide their dabbas to the different districts is all made by hand. By using different colour pens they write codes that helps them figure out where to deliver the dabba. These codes are written on top of the lid and on the bottom making it hard to identify. As everyone has his...
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...An Investigation study on the life and livings, organization and culture of the six sigma winners “Mumbai Dabbawallas” Global Cuisine Reasearch Assignment Arjun Singh Arora Research Proposal Research Question An Investigation Study of the Life and Livings, Organisations and Culture of the Six Sigma Winners ‘ Mumbai Dabawalas’ Rationale The reason why I selected this topic is because I’m very fascinated towards the supply chain management line. I find this research interesting because the “Mumbai Dabawalas” are doing 4,00,000 transactions everyday without the help of any technology or educated manpower and are still able to deliver the tiffins on time and without any errors. Methodology To conduct the investigation study I mainly concentrated on secondary research by reading the various studies that have already been conducted by students from other management institudes. To gain more information I also watched a few lectures by Professor Pramod Agarwal (PHD on Supply chain management) and other documentaries such as “….” By BBC. Declaration I declare that this report is the result of my own individual efforts and that it conforms to university, departmental and course regulations regarding cheating and plagiarism. No material contained within report has been used in any other submission, by the author, for an academic award. Acknowledgement I would like to thank Chef Shankar Jha for helping me frame the research question for my report and would...
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...SUMMER INTERSHIP PROJECT REPORT ON “Dabbawala Employee Satisfaction Survey” At Mumbai Dabbawala SUBMITTED IN THE PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIRMENT FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION BY SHRISH PRATAP SINGH Roll no – (0844370026) (2008-2010) EXCEL SCHOOL OF BUSINESS MATHURA (U.P) (Affiliated to U.P.Technical University,Lucknow) ACKNOWLEDEMENT A task undertaken without offering prayers to almighty and taking blessings from the elders is not a good beginning. Likewise the work completed without acknowledging the assistance to those who were always by my sides to make my efforts fruitful in the task left incomplete. In the beginning, I would like to express my sincere thanks to my Institute teachers for giving me an opportunity to take the practical experience of working life. I convey my sincere thanks to Mr Raghunath Medge or providing me the proper guidance and Mrs. Priyankya Gautam for providing me the opportunity to carry out research effectively and efficiently. I would also like to pay thanks to all my classmates and friends and my family members for co-operating with me and helping me to complete the project. (SHRISH PRATAP SINGH) PREFACE Quality without creativity is meaningless. As changes grow ever more unpredictable creativity is rapidly becoming recognized a core management skill. Today’s business environment demands that managers posses a wide range of knowledge skills and competencies, as well as sound understanding of management...
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...Case notes: ”The Dabbawala System: On-Time Delivery, Every Time” Summary of main issues The Dabbawala system is a unique lunch delivery system, with an outstanding accuracy in delivery time. A main issue in the case is the identification of ways to improve the use of technology in the business, balanced with a technology aversion among the employees. It is not only a matter of the employees not being willing to adopt technology in their work procedures, though, the issue is further complicated by the technical as well as academic illiteracy among staff members. Another central issue is the delicate balance between exploring ways to expand business and avoiding to compromise the core service. Generation and evaluation of main issues The Dabbawala managing committee is in a phase of consideration of whether to expand into new areas or to increase efficiency. They have considered such things as: Increased use of technology The Dabbawalas use of technology is very limited. Anil Joshi wants to open up for online payment on the website as well as start a cell phone texting service for order inquiries. →Problem: In the consideration of implementing technology in the Dabbawala system, Anil Joshi is faced with the very simple hurdle that most of his employees do not own a cell phone, and would not know how to operate it even if one was provided to them. Delivering dabbas on motorcycles It has been suggested that the Dabbawalas use motorcycles instead of bicycles, in...
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...SIGMA AND DABBAWALLAH Delivering The Goods : Forbes rates the lunch-box carriers of Mumbai on a par with Motorola FOOD EXPRESS: The dabbawallahs ferry 1.5 lakh lunches daily with the help of simple codes. It was an unusual story by Forbes Global, A marked departure from its sought-after macro-economic reviews and corporate analyses. The US-based business magazine recently zeroed in on Mumbai's dabbawallah.The lunch> logisticians who deliver 1.5 lakh lunch boxes to hungry office goers every day have in the past found mention in the Indian press, but the Forbes story was the first time an international organization had analyzed them scientifically and rated them as if they comprised a corporate body. And the conclusions were more than flattering. The dabbawallahs scored a 6 Sigma performance rating, a term used in quality assurance if the percentage of correctness is 99.999999 or more. In simple words, this means one error in six million transactions,a benchmark reserved for blue-chip companies like Motorola. For the humble dabbawallah, it was a treasured feather in his Gandhi cap. But the ground realities for him will not change. His story begins every sultry Mumbai morning at 9 a.m. sharp. The doorbell rings at the Bhalekar residence in Dahisar, a far-flung suburb, in a ritual that is being played out simultaneously in thousands of Mumbai homes. Vrinda Bhalekar hands over an aluminum container with piping hot lunch for her husband to a middle-aged man wearing the...
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...Saturday March 12, 2011 Growing demand for tiffin carriers Brisk sales since Jan 1 anti-plastic ruling TIFFIN carriers are selling like hot cakes due to the Penang Government’s No Free Plastic Bags policy. Sellers have been enjoying brisk business since Jan 1 when the state government implemented the policy on a daily basis. Tan Saw Bee, who has been selling tiffin carriers for the last 20 years in Sungai Dua and the Chowrasta Market, said she could sell up to 25 tiffin carriers when business was good. “Of course, there are times when I only have two people purchasing them in a day. Still, the number of people buying them has been increasing,” she said. Tan, 55, said the single-tiered stainless steel lunch box, that could also maintain the heat of food kept inside, was gaining popularity. “It is one of the most sellable items among my tiffin carriers. Customers find it convenient especially for takeaways that come with soup. “They can also eat from the lunch box without having to pour them into any bowl,” she said, adding that these lunch boxes were sold from RM15 to RM17 each. Another seller Ch’ng Ah Sim, 34, said more people were going back to the olden days when people carried tiffin carriers for takeaways. “The sales of tiffin carriers have significantly improved, particularly those that can maintain the heat of the food,” she said. Apart from the lunch box, Ch’ng said customers also purchased those in two tiers, three tiers and four...
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...Dabbawalas Business India’s is one of the most population country in the world, and every working day its millions of people’ crowd onto trains buses taxi for an often lengthy commute to their Duty. Going back home for lunch is not easy; so many organization workers have prefer get their meal from home to their office. It is Mumbai’s 5,000-strong dabbawala collective that provides this service, usually for a monthly fee. The meal is prepare in the morning (by family or caterer), placed in regulation dabbers or tiffin (lunch) boxes and sent to each individual worker’s office on time at lunch time. After lunch the container are collected and returned so that they can be re-sent the next day. ‘Dabbawala’ means ‘one who carries a box’, or more...
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...THE DABBAWALLAS Hungry kya? What would you like: pizza from the local Domino's (30 minute delivery) or a fresh, hot meal from home? Most working people don't have a choice. It's either a packed lunch or junk food grabbed from a fast food outlet. Unless you live in Mumbai, that is, where a small army of semi or low-literate men picks up over 2,00,000 lunches from homes and delivers them to harried students, managers and workers on every working day. At your desk, at 12.30 pm on the dot; Served hot, of course. And now you can even order through the Internet. They know no English but have managerial wisdom that is much sought after. They are management gurus with a difference. They work with their heads and speak from their hearts. They do not speak English; many of them are illiterate and wear white kurtas and Gandhi topis. Forbes Global has saluted their efficiency. Several television channels in India and abroad, including the BBC, have done documentaries on the amazing ways of these 5,000-odd work-force. They are a close-knit cooperative where they share work, income and even life's joys and sorrows. Meet the Mumbai dabbawallas. The dabbawallas of Mumbai have a more-than-100-year-old tradition that Mumbaiites now cannot live without. They deliver over two lakh tiffin boxes to offices, business establishments and industrial units daily, with impressive precision. A Six Sigma quality certification endorsed by the Forbes magazine, a fan club that includes Prince Charles...
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...Elixir 2011 Sustainable Success to futuristic approach MR. HARISH BIJOOR: Marketing Approach Sustainability is a movement. Sustainable marketing is all about needs, desires and wants. Marketing is all about practice. It is a communication between you and your customers. Consumer is a morph. There is an impact of recession on the market. Be like the consumer and plan accordingly. Marketers don’t know their customers any more. Brand managers are depending on intermediaries for information, they are focusing on branding and advertising. In such they are building walls between themselves and target segments. Some of the theories suggested by Mr. Harish Bijoor are as follows 1. Get off the script: According to him modern retail store does not occupy less then 5.5% of market it is the Kirana stores that accommodate around 92%. So sustainable marketing is all about focusing in unorganized sector. Let the product speak and not the marketing. Eg: Pizza Hut (Keep the smile going), Jet Flight 2. Trysumers: It means a new consumer. Such consumers try everything before they buy. 3. Demand generation has taken a back seat: “Why buy when you can borrow”. – Proscmer Movement. People nowadays have started considering installments (emi) as an option to try a product and if it suits the consumer needs it will buy. So marketers have to create a demand in order to sustain with the competition. 4. Marketing the sublime and the ridiculous: Marketing hype is distributing real...
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