The Dabbawala system: On time delivery, every
time
- 20484, Saiprem
1.In your opinion discuss the three most important aspects that make Six Sigma
performance by Dabbawallahs possible. Discuss only the 3 most important
aspects.
The Dabbawalas are known for their supply chain efficiency and process quality. Various
aspects of strategy implementation have helped them achieve this level of service. The
thumb rule of the organisation is to minimize costs and improve performance service.
For starters, the Dabbawalas stand out because they keep things simple, real simple. Even
in the times of technology, they stuck to their coding system, bicycles/handcarts and
memory for gaps in information. It helped them save on fuel, training and be eco-friendly.
They are intimately aware of the customers value- food delivered on time, daily and they try
to focus all efforts to meet this without extraneous value and overpromising. By focussing
on ensuring delivery punctuality, they gained customer satisfaction. They also have a flat
organizational structure of three layers which not only reduces operational costs but also
empowers employees to perform effectively as any problems are solved faster.
In order to create an integrated performance chain, the Dabbawalas concentrate on the
sum- the system as a whole instead of the individual parts. With no or ow literacy levels, it
would be difficult to implement any sophisticated system. So, a clear and simple means of
information was developed using colours and alpha-numeric codes which was easy to
understand for any member. This intelligent coding system helps them to drop and deliver
the tiffin boxes at the correct location without referring to any database or list. They use re-
engineering and keep updating as per the expansion of geographical coverage of client base.
Colour coding system is one of the strongest factors for Mumbai Dabbawala 99.99% work
efficiency rate.
The Dabbawalas have discipline and passion towards their work and revere the customer as
God and function to delight the customer. They have clear guidelines about work attire and
policies which must be adhered to. Any failure results in fines and punishments which rarely
happened as they took great pride and satisfaction in their work. The members are mostly
taken in through recommendations after undergoing a probation period. Most employees
are also not educated so they opt to stay and grow in the organisation. Being disciplined
helps them to become planned and focussed which creates a productive environment.
2. What are the design service elements of Dabbawallahs and briefly discuss
how they come together to create an outstanding service?
Structural elements:
Location:
Dabbawalas serve customers from the length and breadth of Mumbai by help of the
intensive railway network. Most of their customers belong to the working class, so they
deliver mainly to offices, schools and the like. A permanent residential address in Mumbai is
required to avail the service of the Dabbawalas.
Capacity planning:
The Dabbawalas being over 5000 in number split themselves into various groups based on
areas in order to be more effective in their service. Each Dabbawala typically collects around
30 lunch boxes to be delivered and there is not much fluctuation in demand. They also
discontinue service to defaulting customers after two warnings.
Delivery system:
Process structure: They follow a simple and clear routine daily in order to simplify activities
and avoid complications.
8:30-9:00 am Report for work at designated nearest
railway station
9:00-10:00 am Pick up dabbas from homes
10:00-10:30am Groups congregate at the station
designated station and sort based on
destination station
10:30-10:45am Board trains with dabbas to destination
station
10:45-11:30am Travel by trains to the destination stations
11:30-12:00pm All groups of that station congregate and
sort dabbas based on final destination
12:00-1:00pm Delivery to the final destinations of their
given areas
1:00-1:30pm Lunch break
1:30-2:30pm Collect empty dabbas and return to the
destination station; sort based on station of
origin
2:40-3:30pm Train ride back to station of origin
3:30-4:00pm Sort dabbas at the station of origin
4:00-5:00pm Return dabbas to homes
Automation:
They don’t make use of any technology to get their work going and rely on human resources
and trains instead.
Customer participation:
Customers must ensure that their lunch boxes are prepared when the Dabbawala comes to
pick it up else it will be left behind or delay all the other activities.
Facility Design:
The Dabbawalas don’t work out of any building but instead make use of public amenities
like the railway network, footpath and platforms. They make use of handcarts and cycles to
deliver the food based on the destination.
Managerial:
Information:
They don’t have any formal registry of their clients’ addresses or numbers. Instead, they use
the intelligent coding system they developed to know the address and any gap in
information is automatically filled by their years of experience and memory. All the
advertising is done by word of mouth and the testimonies of the delighted clients who have
experienced their services. They can also be identified easily because of their white attire,
Gandhi caps and cycles/handcarts.
Quality:
The quality of their service is evident in the ever-increasing list of their clients. A happy and
satisfied customer naturally recommends their service to his circle because he is convinced
of the quality. Another important reason for consistency is that they stuck to their core
purpose in doing what they know best instead of expanding and diluting their quality and
efficiency.
Internally, they have a very high retention rate because of the way they treat their work and
revere it.
Service encounter:
The recruitment process is itself a rigorous one because they take in only friends and
relatives that too after a mandatory probation of six months. This results in lesser turnover
and better productivity because the members are voluntarily opting to become a part of the
organisation after experiencing the work.
The members are empowered to take their own decisions regarding prices as long as they
are within the set guidelines and issues and conflicts are mostly resolved by the group heads
at the earliest.
The members are motivated throughout because of their philosophy that customer is god
and they work to bring customer satisfaction. They have great culture by bonding through
their attire and Gandhi caps. They seek feedback and suggestions from the customers.
Managing capacity and demand:
They function as a service shop essentially as the degree of customization and interaction
with clients is high and degree of labour intensity is low. Punctuality is evident in their daily
operations as they pick up the boxes, deliver and return it on time. They also maintain
buffers and cross train members to tackle any problems. They only hire new members when
there is an increase in demand.
3. Craft an attractive and persuasive advertisement for Dabbawallahs. Use not
more than 50 words.
DELIVERING NOW ALL OVER MUMBAI
DABBAWALAS BRINGING YOU YOUR FOOD ON TIME- AS ALWAYS
Through the bustling lanes of Bombay, right on time, when food is what you need,
From trains, sporting whites and Gandhi caps, they arrive with clock precision speed.
Wearing a smile so wide that it tells you that your food has arrived, Abba!
bringing fresh, homemade, tasty and aromatic food in their famous tiffin Dabba.
WANT THE TASTE OF HOME AT YOUR WORKPLACE? GRAB YOUR DABBA TODAY BY
CONTACTING US @96674512387
4. What are some of the important managerial lessons from Dabbawallahs that
can be applied to crate excellence in a university, such as ours?
The Dabbawalas have an overall system whose basic pillars—organization, management,
process, and culture—are perfectly aligned and mutually reinforcing. Some of the most
important managerial lessons that can be adopted to create excellence in a university, such
as ours are:
1. Time management:
Time is the most important element in any system. The Dabbawalas work punctually
because they know any discrepancy in the service has a cascading effect on all the following
activities. Similarly, the university must make it clear through actions that time is not to be
taken for granted by working at clockwork precision to run efficiently and instil discipline in
the students and staff.
2. Stay true to your core purpose:
Although the Dabbawalas received numerous suggestions and offers to expand business,
they stuck to what they did best which was their core purpose- deliver food on time.
Although times are changing and people’s views change, the university should stick to its
core purpose of developing individuals of character- not job seekers, toppers or athletes but
students who are all-rounders and aligned with the institute’s values.
3. Effective hierarchy:
With a clear hierarchy and flat organisation structure, the Dabbawalas have thrived for over
a century although they have over 5000 semi-literate members. They have frequent
feedback and counselling by the seniors and Muqaddams and any roadblocks or challenges
are solved quickly by the group heads. The university can also have mentors for the students
to encourage valuable real-time feedback and help them develop.
4. Create a sense of ownership and belongingness:
The Dabbawalas have no employees because each member is actually a shareholder and
take great pride in their tasks. They are self-motivated and feel that they are as important to
the organisation as the customers. In order to create belongingness in our institute, it is
important to help each student realise his aim and purpose so that he knows what he can
give to the institute and what he can expect.
5. Co-ordination and support:
The Dabbawalas comprise many groups which are financially independent but work
together with great synchronization. Though there is tough competition among the groups
to fetch customers and provide better service, they all work towards the same goal. The
various campuses of the institute can learn and share different aspects where one is better
than the rest be it a subject, discipline, variety of food or games and extra-curricular
activities.
6. Being prepared for all situations:
The Dabbawalas are always prepared for any adversity and have buffers. They are also cross
trained so that any gap in the process can be easily filled. Similarly, students and staff in the
institute take care of most tasks by dividing themselves into various departments.
7. Have a set of uniform guidelines:
Dabbawalas use the Coding system with a set of symbols and colours to cipher the address
of the boxes. This coding is understood by all members and implemented accordingly. The
institute also has a set of guidelines that state how students should conduct themselves, the
dress codes and the expected standard of results.
8. Build your organisation around people:
The Dabbawalas’ success can be attributed to the way they treat their members and reward
them. Customers are given importance and their feedback and suggestions are taken by the
members while returning back the boxes. The institute can seek regular feedback and
grievance redressals from the faculty and students as they are the most important resources
for the institution.
