Dabbawala of Mumbai

Service Marketing
 CONTENT OF PRESENTATION
INTRODUCTION
ABOUT TIFFIN SERVICES
ABOUT NMTBSA
Q-FACTOR OF DABBEWALAS SERVICES
FEATURES OF SUPPLY CHAIN
CODING SYSTEM
JOURNEY OF DABBAWALAS
SIX SIGMA CERTIFICATION
7PS OF MARKETING
SWOT ANALYSIS
AWARDS AND FELICITATION
SOME ACHIVEMENTS
MANAGEMENT LEARNING FROM DABBAWALAS SERVICES
 INTRODUCTION
HOW THE DABBAWALA SYSTEM
STARTED?
It was the time when English were ruling
the India
New Government offices, Post Offices,
Bridges etc. were being Constructed.
No McDonald or Pizza Hut
A Parsi Banker employed a person to bring
home made food to site of work
His Colleagues too liked this idea and
Started availing this service.
Slowly this evolved into the present 5000
strong Dabbawala System.
 INTRODUCTION

5000 Dabbawala No strike for 116 years

2,00,000 Dabbas Prince Charles Friend

Six Sigma Certified Indias Top Brand

ISO 2000 Certified Pride Of Marathas

Most are Illiterate Icon Of Hard Work

Lecture MBAs A management Guru

 FOUNDER OF DABBAWALA
SYSTEM
Hon. Mahadu Havaji Bacche Hon. Dhondiba Medge

Educated only up to Class 2 Educated only up to class 4

Started the Dabbawala System Framed the Rules and
with a handful of 35 Dabbawala Regulations of Dabbawala
in 1890
THEY BELIEVE IN.

Work is Worship.
Serving People is serving
god.
Annadan is Mahadaan.
The Decedents of the
Dabbawalas were the
warriors in army of
Chatrapati Shivaji Mahraj.
Time is money.
Unity is Power.
WHAT IS NUTAN MUMBAI TIFFIN
BOX SUPPLIERS ASSOCIATION?

History- Started in 1890

Charitable Trust- Registered in 1956
Education:- 85% Illiterate
Total area Coverage:- 60Kms/ 70 Kms
Employee Strength:- 5000
Mukhadhams:- 635
No. of Dabbas:- 2,00,000 Dabbas i.e.
4,00,000 transactions every day.
Time Taken:- 3 Hrs.
Q FACTOR OF DABBAWALA

Error Rate:- 1 in 16 million transaction

Six sigma Performance (99.9999)
Technological Backup:- Nil
Cost Of service:- Rs. 350- 400 per Month
Standard price for all (Weight; Distance;
Space)
Rs. 30 Crore approximately Annual
Turnover.
No Strike records as reach one a share
holder
Earnings:- 5000 To 6000 pm
 Facts
2003: 5000 recruits, 175, 000 clients
350,000 deliveries
75 kms of public transport
Failure: once in two months, one in 16
million
Rs 380 million per annum
MAJOR FEATURES OF SUPPLY
CHAIN

0% Fuel
0% Modern Technology
0% Investment
0% Disputes
99.9999 Performance
100% Customer satisfaction
Food is taken from home or
mess & is delivered at office
DISCIPLINE

Wearing White Cap During

business Hrs.
Reporting To Duty on time
Behave Properly & respect the
customers
Carry Identity cards.
Organizational Flowchart Of
Dabbawala

President

Vice president
13 Members
General Secretary

Treasure

Director (9)

Mukadaam

Member (500)
CODING SYSTEM
Initial Coding System used colored threads
to mark 7 Islands
Then Utilized thrown away cotton waste
from tailors.
Now using colour markers.
E:: Code for Dabbawala Street at residential
station
VLP:: Residential Station Ville Parle
3:: Code for Destination station.
E.G :- Church gate
9:: Code for Dabbawala at Destination.
Ex: Express towers ( Building name)
12:: Floor no. in the building.
SOME EXAMPLES OF CODING
SYSTEM
SIX SIGMA CERTIFICATION BY
FORBES GROUP
Dabbawalas got six sigma
Dabbawalas were invited to collect the six
sigma certificate they did not know what it is
made of Gold or Bronze.
Dabbawalas got ISO 9001- 2000 for Excellence
in service
The only think that a Error is Horror
Dabbawalas work with Great efficiency
without caring for any certificates.
JOURNEY OF DABBAWALA
PICK UP DABBA FROM RESIDENCE
& BRING IT TO ANDHERI STATION.

9:30 A.M- 10:30 A.M

Dabbas are collected from different
resources such as homes, hotels, messes
etc. by Dabbawalas & brought to
Andheri Station.
Sorting of dabbas according to
Destination.
Wherever there is Dabba- There is
Dabbawala.
JOURNEY IN THE LOCAL TRAIN

10:34- 11:20 A.M ( Andheri Station)

This time period is actually the journey
time. The Dabbawalas load the wooden
Crates filled with Tiffin on t the luggage or
goods compartment in the train.
Generally, they Choose to Occupy the last
compartment of the train.
12 coach Train
4,000 Commuters
8,000 Disputes
But no excuses Duty First.
UNLOADING & SORTING AT
DESTINATION STATION
11:20- 12:30 P:M ( Church gate
Station)
At this stage; the unloading takes
place at the destination station
Re- arrangement at Tiffin's takes
place as per the Destination Areas &
destination buildings
Dabbas are Delivered by cycle; hand
card or even walk.
 COLLECTION OF EMPTY DABBA &
SORTING AT DESTINATIONS STATION
1:15- 2:30 P.M( At all destination
stations)
Collection of dabbas from the places
it were delivered an hour back.
The Return journey by train where
the group finally meets up after the
days routine of dispatching &
collecting from various destination
offices.
The Dabbawalas meet for the
segregation as per the destination
suburb.
RETURN JOURNEY

2:48- 3:30P:M
Usually since it is more of a pleasant
journey compared to the earlier part
of the day; the Dabbawalas lighten
up the moment with merry making;
joking around singing.
There is no cause of tension or worry
as customer has eaten the lunch.
Even if the Return journey is
delayed little bit there is no problem.
SORTING & DELIVERY OF
EMPTY DABBA
3:30- 4:40 P.M ( At all Origin Stations.)
This is the stage where the final sorting &
dispatch takes place. The group meets up
at original station &
sorting out the Tiffin's as per the origin
area & the empty Dabba is delivered at the
Respected Residence.
The actual address of the residence is not
mentioned on the Dabba. It is remembered
by the Dabbawalas.
PRODUCT
a service they provide to the office goers by
delivering their Tiffin box commonly called as
Dabba

A Parsi Banker employed a person to bring

home made food to site of work

His Colleagues too liked this idea and

Started availing this service.

Slowly this evolved into the present 5000

strong Dabbawala System

There are other ancillary physical products

such as Gandhi

Cap, Video CD on Dabbawala, Dabbawala

Mug, Dabbawala T-shirt. These
products are sold by the trust to earn more
money and to work for the welfare of their
members.
 PLACE
Start of journey - Andheri station (9.30-10.30,10.30-11.20)
Dabbawalas collect dabbas and meet.

Destination- Churchgate station(11.20-12.30)

Re-arrangement and delivery of dabbas take place

Return Churchgate station

All dabbawalas meet here after collection of dabbas

Origin- Andheri station

After collection,segregation takes place at churchgate and then they
reach here

Sorting and dispatching- respective stations

Finaly,sorting and dispatching of dabbas to the origin place is done.
PROMOTION
Present since last 125 years
Orders through SMS and online-
mydabbawala.com
Maharashtra government -AIDS
awareness.
Film industry is using them to promote
their films.
World record in best time management
with Six Sigma rating.
Name in GUINESS BOOK of World
Records.
Registered with Ripley's believe it or
not.
 PRICE
Cost of Service per person-Rs350 to 400
month
Maintenance Cost -Rs 35000 per year.
Pricing of dabbawala products-

Dabba ( Tiffin box) is Rs.350 to 400/-

Gandhi cap is Rs 50/-
Video CD is Rs.200/-
Dabbawala Mug is Rs.300/-
Dabbawala T-shirt Rs 400/-
PHYSICAL EVIDENCE
Mumbai is the financial hub of the country.

Most populous city in India and the second

most populous in the world.

Have to travel 60-70 kms.

Have to travel by walking, cycle, carts and

even by Local trains.

Have to travel from one place to another in

hot summers and even in heavy rains.

Have to face the lot of crowd for the

fulfilment of service.
PEOPLE
Dabbawalas are serving from last
125 years
5000 dabbawalas are working and
all are shareholder of the system
635 are senior employee
All dabbawalas are marathi
 PROCESS
VLP : Vile Parle (suburb in
Mumbai)

9EX12 : Code for

Dabbawalas at
Destination

EX : Express Towers
(building name)

12 : Floor no.

E : Code for Dabbawala

at residential station
Dsouza
3 : Code for destination
Station eg. Churchgate
Station (Nariman Point)
 PROCESS
Baton relay system
Hub and spoke arrangement
No historical, theoretical legacy in the design
No use of computer technology
Coding system
Decentralized at the group level
Workday schedule
30-35 deliveries (manageable)
Sorting, loading and unloading at peak rush hours
4 handlings of a dabba in a day- coding essential
SWOT ANALYSIS
 SWOT ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS Weaknesses
Team work, discipline and Dependence on local trains
honesty
Time management Limited fund flow for the
Customer satisfaction association
Low operational cost and process
consistency
Limited access to
Service delivery of six sigma education
standard
Just in time approach
Service commitment
0 % dependence on fuel,
documentation technology and
investment
 SWOT ANALYSIS
OPPORTUNITY
Tie up with caterers to
serve variety of meals
Expansion of services on
routes of Mumbai metro
and BRTS
Diversification by offering
other services like courier
Expanding network in
other cities
THREATS
Threat from fast food
joints and small
restaurant
Work from home culture
Food court at malls
Paper food vouchers and
smart card
 AWARD AND FELICITATION
Documentation made by BBC , UTV, MTV, ZEE
TV, AAJ TAK, TV TODAY, SAHARA SONY TV,
TV TOKYO
Case study- ICFAI press Hyderabad
Richard Ivey School of Business
Included in a subject in graduate school of
journalism university of California, Berkeley
Invitation to Italy
Invited to marriage of Hon. Prince Charles of
England on 9th April 2005
 SOME ACHIVEMENTS
World record in Best Time Management
Name in GUINESS BOOK OF WORLD
RECORDS
Registered with Ripley's believe it or not
 Management learning from
dabbawalas
Keep operational cost as low as possible
Keep capital investment bare minimum
Just serve your customers nothing else
Customer is not RAJA but MAHARAJA
Never deviate your core competency
Do not be over dependent on technology
 Management learning from
dabbawalas
Co-operation inside competition outside
Commitment matters a lot
Know the implication of failure
Build your services around existing
infrastructure.
Penalize employees for non compliance
Do not transfer your employees very often
WHERE THERE IS A
DABBA,
THEIR WILL BE A
DABBAWALLAH