{"id":1761,"date":"2015-12-06T12:55:18","date_gmt":"2015-12-06T17:55:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digital.hbs.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/mumbai-dabbawalas-vs-top-gear\/"},"modified":"2015-12-07T16:38:31","modified_gmt":"2015-12-07T21:38:31","slug":"mumbai-dabbawalas-vs-top-gear","status":"publish","type":"hck-submission","link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/mumbai-dabbawalas-vs-top-gear\/","title":{"rendered":"Mumbai Dabbawalas Vs Top Gear"},"content":{"rendered":"

The clock struck 12.00 pm. I ran to the office receptionist to collect my Dabba<\/em> (Hindi word for Lunchbox).\u00a0 The aroma of my mom\u2019s delicious paneer tikka filled the office cafeteria. I could not thank the Dabbawala<\/em> (lunchbox delivery man) enough. What could be a better way to treat yourself in office than to have home-made fresh paneer tikka on a rainy Mumbai afternoon!\"Presentation1-page-001\"<\/a>I wondered how the Dabbawala<\/em> delivers a home-made lunchbox to me everyday on time? How does this service cost less than $10 a month for each customer? I was determined to find out how the foolproof\u00a0pickup and delivery system\u00a0works for thousands of customers.<\/p>\n

And what I found blew my mind!<\/p>\n

\"Presentation1-page-002\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Dabbawalas<\/em> pickup and deliver meals prepared in customers\u2019 homes to their offices and then return the empty\u00a0dabbas<\/em>\u00a0(metal lunchboxes) the same day.[1]<\/a> I have illustrated the journey of my Dabba<\/em> through this system below:<\/p>\n

The Dabba<\/em> is prepared by my Mom at home and picked up by a Dabbawala<\/em> at a specific time every day. He then carries my Dabba<\/em> to the nearest subway station (along with about 30-40 other lunchboxes from my locality) on his bicycle.[2]<\/a>\"Presentation1-page-003\"<\/a>At the subway station he meets his colleagues who cover other localities in the area. Here, they sort lunchboxes according to destination station, office address and floor on which I sit.\"Presentation1-page-004\"<\/a>On \u00a0average a destination is about 25 miles away! The Dabbawala<\/em> has to then catch the right train to be on time. My Dabba<\/em> travels in a subway train to reach the destination station where it is picked up by another Dabbawala<\/em> who finally delivers it to my office.<\/p>\n

\"Presentation1-page-005\"<\/a><\/p>\n

On the surface, the Dabbawala <\/em>system seems to be a straightforward service\u2026 until I understand that I am only one of 200,000+ customers that are served by them every day.<\/p>\n

\"Presentation1-page-006\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Every day 4500 to 5000<\/strong> Dabbawalas<\/em> pick up lunchboxes from 200,000+ <\/strong>home locations, and use 100+<\/strong> subway stations and 10,000+<\/strong> bicycle rides to deliver Dabba<\/em>s at 200,000+<\/strong> office locations before 12 noon and back home the same day!<\/p>\n

\"Presentation1-page-007\"<\/a><\/p>\n

And if you are not impressed yet, here is an amazing fact \u2013 the Dabbawala<\/em> operation qualifies to be a six sigma operation with less than one mistake in 8 million lunchboxes or 16 million deliveries, since the lunchboxes are returned home each day! [3]<\/a><\/p>\n

To top it all, what makes this system even more complex is the fact that they operate in Mumbai – one of the most populous cities in the world.<\/p>\n

\"Presentation1-page-008\"<\/a><\/p>\n

So how do they do this? Understanding the Dabbawala<\/em>\u2019s unique operating model sheds some light on how they achieve this miraculous feat every day.<\/p>\n

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  1. Simplifying the complex system – sorting and coding: <\/strong>Literacy among Dabbawalas<\/em> is low to zero. This calls for implementing efficient work flows that are simple to understand and follow. The Dabba<\/em> coding system uses colorful bands and uses 5 simple characters (as in the picture below) to designate the address of destination and source location. This code eliminates the need to insert a detailed address – thus speeding up the sorting process and reducing errors.\u00a0[4]<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \"Presentation1-page-012\"<\/a><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Focus on process control, standardization and continuous improvement:<\/strong> The failure in adherence of any process is very visible to everyone in the supply chain. Just like the \u2018Andon Cord\u2019 system at Toyota[4]<\/a>, high visibility leads to higher accountability and continuous participative problem solving. Every step of the process is standardized to minimize variation \u2013 from the size of the lunchboxes to train schedules, color codes and pickup time for every lunchbox.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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      1. Flat organizational structure: <\/strong>Dabbawalas<\/em>\u00a0is 125 year old organization. It has\u00a0a flat\u00a0organizational structure with only 3 levels \u2013 the executive management team, the regional supervisors, and the delivery team. The organization is democratic in nature. Each Dabbawala<\/em> (whether a novice or someone with 20 years of experience) has equal stake, status, pay and say in the operations. To buy an equal stake, a new Dabbawala<\/em> invests in 2 bicycles, one wooden crate to carry Dabba<\/em>s and one Gandhi cap!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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        1. Community values and strong sense of belonging: <\/strong>All things aside, the biggest thing that differentiates the Dabbawalas<\/em> is their strong sense of belonging to the community and their unparalleled dedication to give back to Mumbai city.\u00a0Each Dabbawala<\/em> earns as little as $100 every month. But they toil hard day after day – fighting Mumbai rains, bad roads, hot summers and notorious traffic!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          \"Presentation1-page-009\"<\/a><\/p>\n

          Dabbawalas<\/em> embody the spirit of resilience that Mumbai city is known for. Their dedication is exemplified by the fact that they decided to deliver lunchboxes on the very next day of the horrendous 26 Nov 2008 terrorist attack \u2013 spreading hope and exhibiting resilience!<\/p>\n

          \"Presentation1-page-010\"<\/a>Above all, Dabbawalas<\/em> don\u2019t take themselves too seriously! They spread love with every lunchbox \u2013and are forever smiling!<\/p>\n

          \"Presentation1-page-011\"\"Presentation1-page-011<\/p>\n

          But how good can the Dabbawalas\u2019<\/em> operations really be?<\/p>\n

          With world-class cars and reckless drivers, the Top Gear team decided to challenge Mumbai\u2019s low-tech Dabbawala<\/em>\u2019s on bicycles. Watch the \u00a0video below to find out who wins!<\/p>\n