The document details the Mumbai Dabbawalas, a tiffin delivery service established in 1880, providing homemade meals to office workers with a focus on reliability and timely service. It highlights their operational model, organizational structure, and management principles, emphasizing simplicity, efficiency, and customer satisfaction. The Dabbawalas, predominantly uneducated, exemplify world-class service through commitment and innovative use of local infrastructure.

1. Principles of ManagementMumbai DabbawalasA case studyBy VinayakGarkoti 2009A4PS355HAnkitSinha 2009A5PS905HJatin Chuglani 2009A7PS003HDarshanKishore 2009A7PS011H05-03-20111

2. MumbaiDabbawaalas05-03-20112

3. Introduction Who are dabbawalas ?“Dabba” (or box or tiffin) walaMeaning the carriers of the tiffin boxJob is to carry home made food to the office workersMission : “To serve their costumers on time.”05-03-20113

4. Introduction Why dabbawalas ?In most metros, the only food choices for an office worker are the restaurants or fast food joints.In India , We love home food and love our home cook lunch.Dabbawalas come to rescue in the situation !05-03-20114

5. ORGANISATION : The Nutan Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Trust(NMTBST) PAST :Started in 1880.Mahadeo Havaji Bachche started with about 100 men.Unified the Dabbawalas.Started for the British people.05-03-20115

6. ORGANISATION : PRESENT:Employees / Partners : 5000

7. Number of Tiffin boxes per day : 2,00,000

8. Number of transactions : 4,00,000

9. Time : 180 Minutes

10. Six Sigma performances : 99.999999

11. Cost of service : 200 INR (@ 5 $ a month)

12. Total turnover : 500000000 INR

13. Industrial growth 5-10% each year.05-03-20116

14. Tiffin Box Suppliers AssociationOrganizational structureThe CodeOperationsWar Against time 05-03-20117Executive Committee(5 Members)Team of 20-25 headed by group leaderIndividual dabbawalla workload:Collect from home -35 Tiffins Delivery at Office -35 TiffinsReturn empty tiffins to home

15. Organizational Structure 13 members05-03-20118PresidentVice PresidentGeneral SecretaryTreasurersDirectors (9)MukaddamMembers (5000)

16. Coding System VLP : Vile Parle(Mumbai) 9EX12 : Code for Dabbawalas at destinations. EX : Express Towers (building name) 12 : Floor No. E : Code for Dabbawalas at residential station. 3 : Code for destination station eg. churchgate05-03-20119

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18. Flow Logic Zones for destinationCollection from home Distribution to offices05-03-201111Point of aggregation and sortingGrant Road(12)12EA3Churchgate(1-10)DB4C5Lower Parel(14)6

19. DABBAWALA SCHEDULE05-03-201112

20. Journey time(10.30AM-11.30AM)The dabbawalas load the wooden crates filled withtiffinsonto the luggage or goods compartment in the train. 05-03-20111312 coach train

21. 4,000 commuters

22. 8,000 disputesBut no excuses, Duty first

23. Destination Station (11.30AM-12.10PM) Unloading takes place at the destination stationRe-arrangement of tiffins takes place as per the destination areaand destination building 05-03-201114

24. RETURN JOURNEY:1:15 – 2:00 pm ( At All Destination Stations)Begins the collection process where the dabbawalas pick up the tiffins from the offices.2:00 – 2:30 pm (At Destination Station) The dabbawallas meet for the segregation at the destination suburb.05-03-201115

25. Final Sorting and DispatchReturn journey by train after dispatching and collecting from various destination offices. The group meets up at origin station and they finally sort out the tiffins as per the origin area.05-03-201116

26. Management lessons from the Dabbawalas Keep operational costs to a minimum:Use cycles, hand carts, local trains – all low cost.

27. No big office to maintain.

28. No I-T budget and no miscellaneous costs.

29. No ad budget – word of mouth publicity!

30. Very nominal monthly service cost – Rs.200/-05-03-201117

31. Keep capital investment bare minimum :Hard work, honesty, promptness and time management are the only investments.

32. Low cost offices.

33. Cheap hand carts.

34. Cycles – easy to maintain.

35. Use of public space for sorting.05-03-201118

36. Just serve your customer – nothing else!!Always deliver food on time – even during heavy rains.

37. Always on time – even without using a watch!!

38. Don’t try to impress or bother customers with unsolicited offers.

39. Bothering customers with offers may force them to discontinue even existing services.05-03-201119