DABAWALAS

Book Review

By:
•Amber Kumar (04)
•Jayant Bhatnagar (55)
 Contents
• About Book and Characters

• Organizational Structure

• About Dabawalas

• Logistics and Teamwork

• SWOT Analysis

• Recognition

• Ethics and Values

• Learnings to Manager

• Awards and achievements

• Key points to remember

 About NMTBSA?
Nutan Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Association
History Started in 1890

Charitable trust Registered in 1956

Avg. Literacy Rate 8th Grade Schooling

Total area coverage 60 Kms to 70 Kms

Employee Strength 5000

Number of Tiffin's 2,00,000 Tiffin Boxes

i.e 4,00,000 transactions every day

Time taken 3 hrs

Raghu: President
Gnaga: General Secretary
Anita: Journalist & Business consultant
Shrinivas Pandit: Author
 Organizational Structure
PRESIDENT
Raghunath D Medge

VICE-PRESIDENT GENERAL TREASURER

Sambhaji G Medge DIRECTORS(9)
SECETARY {Damodar Pingle}

Groups MUKADAM 1 MUKADAM n

(120)

DABAWALA 1 DABAWALA 1
Groups
(35-40) DABAWALA n DABAWALA n
 Dabawalas
• Purpose: Employment to semi-educated persons and low cost
services
• centralized system initially but later decentralized (each group
separately)
• Decentralized: Used distinctive color coding
• Why not computerized
– Cost for customers will increase
• No use of motor
– Why displace the available labor? driven vehicles
• Phases:
How they work?
1. Collection: clients residence, collect Dabba and load in
train
2. Unloading sorting reloading phase: Unload from train at
Hub, Sorting and Then reloading on train
3. Unloading sorting delivery phase: Unloading at
respective station and sorting area wise according to
delivery routes and deliver to locations
4. Return: Pick up phase: Completion of Lunch, collect
Dabba and return from same path to deliver at home
 Dabawalas

– Work strictly according to railway times and

offices

– To maintain shelf life of food deliver food within

3.5 hrs max (9:00 am – 12:30 pm)

– Cost of service - Rs. 300/month ($ 6.00/month)

– Standard price for all (Weight, Distance, Space)

– Turnover: INR 50 crores p.a.

 Coding System
VLP : Vile Parle (suburb in
Mumbai)
9EX12 : Code for Dabbawalas at
destination
9 : Destination station code
EX : Express Towers
(building name)
12 : Floor no.
E : Code for Dabbawala
at residential station
3 : Code for destination
Station eg. Churchgate
Station (Nariman Point) D’souza
 Basic Postulates
– Railways and need for Home-made food

– Savor the old but maintain the changing

– Follows Six-Sigma (99.999999% accuracy)

Error Rate : 1 in 16 million transactions

– Teamwork = Net work = Cooperation

– Proper work distribution

(Snrs: sorting at hubs)

(Jnrs: lot of leg work; collection,

loading, unloading, delivery)

Zero % fuel Zero % investment

Zero % modern technology Zero % Disputes
99.9999% performance 100 % Customer Satisfaction
 SWOT Analysis
Strengths:
• Simplicity in organization with
Innovative service
• Coordination, team spirit, &
time management
• Low operation cost
• Customer satisfaction
• Low Attrition Rate
Weaknesses:
• High dependability on
local trains
• Funds for the association
• Limited Access to Education
Opportunities:
• Wide range publicity
• Operational cost is low
• Catering
Threats:
• Indirect competition is being
faced from caterers like
maharaja community
• Indirect threats from fast foods
and hotels
• Flexi-Office timings
• Company transport
• Ticket restaurant
• Nuclear Families
 Ethics and Values
• Customer is the King (delight the customer)
• Low charges
• Work is worship
• Honesty, Integrity
Tiffin basket’s weight:
75-80 kgs.

• No Alcohol Drinking during business hours

• Wearing White Cap during business hours
• Carry Identity Cards
• Give something to society rather than misusing it
 Learnings for a Manager
• “No strike” record as each one a share holder

• Discipline and time management

• Ethics and Values {Give to society, mutual benefit}

• Let the employee feel their importance (entrepreneurs)

• Holding old customers provides new customers

• Transparency

• Error free Local service provide Global recognition (Prince charles)

• Understanding supply chain and strong SCM is key to meet changing demands and withstand competition
– Helps in cost cutting and quality improvement

• Latest marketing strategy:

Marketing pamphlets in the “Dabba”

 Key points to remember
• Decentralize to empower and deliver with excellence

• Management doesn’t mean to first complicate the things and

then spend time and money for simplifying it
• Importance to service rather than selfishness

• People are ready to learn new techniques and skills..cherish

old methods but embrace new ways of doing things
• Serve customer as god and win his loyalty
Recognition
ANY Queries

T H A N K S
T
H
A
N
K Amber Kumar

JAYANT BHATNAGAR
S 18