The document discusses the Dabbawala system of Mumbai, which delivers home-cooked lunches to office workers. [1] It describes how the system started in 1890 and is now run by the Nutan Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Association, employing over 5,000 dabbawalas. [2] The dabbawalas use a complex coding system and efficient processes to deliver over 200,000 tiffin boxes across Mumbai with an extremely low error rate, earning them recognition including Six Sigma certification.

1. The L egend O f
M anagem ent Guru
The Real story of the O rganization Which
really shake all the M asters of Business
Ad m inistration Experts !

2. Dabbawala of Mumbai
The
Management Guru

3. WHO IS DA BBA WA L A ?
• 5000 D abbawala • N o strike for 1 1 6 years
• 2,00,000 D abbas • Prince C harles Friend
• Six Sigm a C ertified • Ind ia’s Top Brand
• ISO 2000 C ertified • Prid e O f M arathas
• M ost are Illiterate • Icon O f H ard Work
• L ecture M BA’s • A m anagem ent Guru

4. H O W TH E D ABBAWAL A SYSTEM STARTED ?
• It was the tim e when English were ruling the
Ind ia
• N ew Governm ent offices, Post O ffices,
Brid ges etc. were being C onstructed .
• N o M c’D onald or Pizza H ut
• A Parsi Banker em ployed a person to bring
hom e m ad e food to site of work
• H is C olleagues too liked this id ea and Started
availing this service.
• Slowly this evolved into the present 5000
strong D abbawala System .

5. FO U N D ER O F D ABBAWAL A SYSTEM
H on. M ahad u H avaji Bacche H on. D hond iba M ed ge
• Ed ucated only up to C lass 2 • Ed ucated only up to class 4
• Started the D abbawala System • Fram ed the Rules and Regulations
with a hand ful of 35 D abbawala of D abbawala
in 1 890

6. BEL IEVES O F D ABBAWAL A
• Work is Worship.
• Serving People is serving god .
• Annad an is M ahad aan.
• The D eced ents of the
D abbawalas were the warriors
in arm y of C hatrapati Shivaji
M ahraj.
• Tim e is m oney.
• U nity is Power.

7. WH AT IS N U TAN M U M BAI TIFFIN BO X SU PPL IERS ASSO C IATIO N ?
• H istory- Started in 1 890
• C haritable Trust- Registered in 1 956
• Ed ucation:- 85% Illiterate
• Total area C overage:- 60K m s/ 70 K m s
• Em ployee Strength:- 5000
• M ukhad ham s:- 635
• N o. of D abbas:- 2,00,000 D abbas i.e.
4,00,000 transactions every d ay.
• Tim e Taken:- 3 H rs.

8. Q FAC TO R O F D ABBAWAL A
• Error Rate:- 1 in 1 6 m illion transaction
• Six sigm a Perform ance (99.9999)
• Technological Backup:- N il
• C ost O f service:- Rs. 250- 300 per M onth
• Stand ard price for all (Weight; D istance;
Space)
• Rs. 30 C rore approxim ately Annual
Turnover.
• “ N o Strike” record s as reach one a share
hold er
• Earnings:- 4000 To 5000 P.m

9. M AJO R FEATU RES O F SU PPL Y C H AIN
• 0% Fuel
• 0% M od ern Technology
• 0% Investm ent
• 0% D isputes
• 99.9999 Perform ance
• 1 00% C ustom er satisfaction
• Food is taken from hom e or m ess
& is d elivered at office

10. D ISC IPL IN E
• Wearing White C ap D uring
business H rs.
• Reporting To D uty on tim e
• Behave Properly & respect the
custom ers
• C arry Id entity card s.

11. O rganizational Flowchart O f D abbawala
Presid ent
Vice presid ent
1 3 M em bers
General Secretary
Treasure
D irector (9)
M ukad aam
M em ber (500)

12. C O D IN G SYSTEM
• Initial C od ing System used colored
thread s to m ark 7 Island s
• Then U tilized thrown away cotton waste
from tailors.
• N ow using colour m arkers.
E:: C od e for D abbawala Street at resid ential
station
VL P:: Resid ential Station Ville Parle
3:: C od e for D estination station.
E.G :- C hurch gate
9:: C od e for D abbawala at D estination.
Ex: Express towers ( Build ing nam e)
1 2:: Floor no. in the build ing.

13. SO M E EX AM PL ES O F C O D IN G SYSTEM :-

14. JO U RN EY O F D ABBAWAL A

15. PIC K U P D ABBA FRO M RESID EN C E & BRIN G IT TO AN D H ERI STATIO N .
9:30 A .M- 10:30 A .M
• This tim e period is U tilized for collecting
D abbas from D ifferent places around
And heri
• D abbas are collected from d ifferent
resources such as hom es, hotels, m esses
etc. by D abbawalas & brought to And heri
Station.
• Red L ight, N o entry etc. is crossed .
• N ow these collected D abbas are sorted
accord ing to D estination.
• Wherever there is D abba- There is
D abbawala.

16. JO U RN EY IN TH E L O C AL TRAIN
• 1 0:34- 1 1 :20 A.M ( And heri Station)
• This tim e period is actually the journey tim e.
The D abbawalas load the wood en C rates filled
with Tiffin on t the luggage or good s
com partm ent in the train.
• Generally, they C hoose to O ccupy the last
com partm ent of the train.
• 1 2 coach Train
• 4,000 C om m uters
• 8,000 D isputes
• But no excuses D uty First.

17. U N L O AD IN G & SO RTIN G AT D ESTIN ATIO N STATIO N
• 1 1 :20- 1 2:30 P:M ( C hurch gate
Station)
• At this stage; the unload ing takes
place at the d estination station
• Re- arrangem ent at Tiffin's takes
place as per the D estination Areas &
d estination build ings
• D abbas are D elivered by cycle; hand
card or even walk.

18. AN N AD ATAS H AVIN G TH EIR FO O D
• 1 2:30P.M - 1 :00P.M (L U N C H TIM E)
• D abbawalas carry their Food
with them
• Areas wise sit together & have
their lunch
• The fam ily that eats together
stays together.

19. C O L L EC TIO N O F EM PTY D ABBA & SO RTIN G AT D ESTIN ATIO N S STATIO N
• 1 :1 5- 2:30 P.M ( At all
d estination stations)
• H ere on begins the collection
process where the D abbawalas
have to pick up the D abbas
from the offices where they
had d elivered alm ost an hour
ago
• The Return journey by train
where the group finally m eets
up after the day’s routine of
d ispatching & collecting from
various d estination offices.
• The D abbawalas m eet for the
segregation as per the
d estination suburb.

20. RETU RN JO U RN EY
• 2:48- 3:30P:M
• U sually since it is m ore of a
pleasant journey com pared to the
earlier part of the d ay; the
D abbawalas lighten up the
m om ent with m erry m aking;
joking around singing.
• There is no cause of tension or
worry as custom er has eaten the
lunch.
• Even if the Return journey is
d elayed little bit there is no
problem .

21. SO RTIN G & D EL IVERY O F EM PTY D ABBA
• 3:30- 4:40 P.M ( At all O rigin Stations.)
• This is the stage where the final sorting &
d ispatch takes place. The group m eets up at
origin station & they finally sort out the
Tiffin's as per the origin area & the em pty
D abba is d elivered at the Respected
Resid ence.
• The actual ad d ress of the resid ence is not
m entioned on the D abba. It is rem em bered
by the D abbawalas.

22. SIX SIGM A C ERTIFIC ATIO N BY FO RBES GRO U P
• D abbawalas got six sigm a
• D abbawalas were invited to collect the six
sigm a certificate they d id not know what it is
m ad e of Gold or Bronze.
• The certificate is lying in cupboard eating
d ust.
• D abbawalas got ISO 9001 - 2000 for
Excellence in service
• The only think that a “ Error is H orror”
• D abbawalas work with Great efficiency
without caring for any certificates.