After my short walk in the Waari a few weeks ago, I am
generally feeling excited and have already started making plans for a bigger
lap next year. Fingers crossed!
My habit of keenly pursuing subjects of interest has
continued here as well. After coming back, I have been trying to get my hands
on lots of material to read about the Waari tradition. I was once reading an
article about the usual suspects in the Waari. This was when I stumbled upon an
article about the ‘Mumbai Dabbawalas’ and their association with the Waari.
Being originally a Mumbaikar, I know of this
institution for many years. I also distinctly remember having seen many
‘Dabbawalas’ carrying long crates of wood on their shoulders. However, my
recent reading about the Mumbai Dabbawalas in the context of the Waari got me particularly
interested in finding out more about them.
A little background on this for those who want to know
what I am on about:
The Mumbai Tiffin Box Supplier's Association or simply, the Mumbai
Dabbawalas deliver homemade food from customers’ homes to their places of work.
‘Dabbawalas’ are those who deliver these ‘Dabbas’. The association has a record
of 5000 Dabbawalas delivering as many as 200,000 lunch boxes across Mumbai –
every day. No modern technology methods are engaged to carry out this mammoth
task, yet there have been no instances of failure to deliver on time – irrespective
of weather, social unrest, natural calamity etc. – with an error co-efficient
of 1 in 6,000,000 boxes. As a result, the association is often recognized as
delivering a 6 sigma level of accuracy in its delivery.
What started as a small time lunch service way back in 1890, became a charitable
trust in 1956 and is today one of the most prominent features of the Mumbai way
of life.The Dabbawalas are mostly semi-literate people of the Warkari sect from
rural Maharashtra.The success of the system also lies with the Mumbai Suburban
Railway (Locals) – another backbone of the city of Mumbai.Making use of the
well-connected railway system and bicycles, the Dabbawalas cover an area of 60
– 70 kilometres daily.All this in a short span of 3 hours!Through a unique
system of coding, these Dabbawalas collect lunch boxes from customers’ homes at
9:00 am and deliver them at 12:00 noon. Post the lunch hour, these Dabbawalas
once again collect the tiffins and return them to their rightful homes. (Source: http://mumbaidabbawala.in/)
I was intrigued by this
highly efficient method of working and was keen to learn more. Around the same
time, one of the senior executives at my company recommended inviting the
Dabbawalas to our office to learn about their Operational Excellence &
Supply Chain Management technique and how they ensure “0% fuel, 0 % investment,
0 % modern technology, 0% Disputes, 99.9999% performance and 100 % customer satisfaction”.
As expected, I was extremely excited to attend this unique session, where we
invited Mr. Raghunath Medge, President of the Mumbai Tiffin Box Supplier's
Association, to give us an insight into their most sought after organization.
A lot has already been
written about the supply chain management systems used by the Mumbai
Dabbawalas. Numerous case studies and papers have also been published on their
system of operation. However, what I took home was not just management lessons
but learnings I will cherish all my life. I am still living in the impact of
this enthralling session and felt I must share my learnings with you.
Apart from career tips, I
learnt some life changing tips on honesty, commitment, stress management,
humility, discipline, HR and time management. Here I present to you some of my
takeaways:
- Dependence on Human Capital– As mentioned above, most Dabbawalas are semi-literate people (Thumbs-up as the President of the association called them). As a result, there is very little scope for technological intervention in their daily work. Therefore, a vital link in this chain of food delivery is human capital. Although the procedures were laid down more than a century ago, it is the correct implementation of these procedures that make the system work even today. The Mumbai Dabbawalas demonstrate how the correct amount of human dependence yields amazing results.
- Honesty and Integrity–I know it sounds a little “cheesy”, but I have to say the threads of honesty and integrity hold the dabbas together. Just like their customers, it is lunchtime for them as well. However, that has never kept them away from performing their duties.
- Discipline and Time Management – It can be safely said that the Dabbawalas operate on the lines of Chanakya’s system of ‘Sama-Dama-Danda-Bhed’. This approach has, on a number of occasions, ensured customers stay within the system. As the President said in a lighter vein “…Mumbai’s homemakers are more scared of the Dabbawalas than their own husbands or anyone else…” This stems from their strict discipline about sticking to timelines, because they realise the value of every second in the delivery chain. Two examples are worth mentioning here. The first one being the highly talked about visit by Prince Charles in 2003. When the then British High Commissioner to India approached the association, the committee only agreed to meet the Prince in a pre-decided time slot, to ensure smooth running of the day’s deliveries. Another example is during Richard Branson’s (Chairman of Virgin Atlantic Airways) visit. Richard Branson, without giving the association any prior notice, got on to the luggage compartment (in which the Dabbawalas travel). This was a classic case of trespassing in the eyes of those innocent Dabbawalas, who had no idea who this stranger was. As Mr. Medge went on to tell us, the Dabbawalas were all set to pick a fight with this stranger, if they were not told a little later who this “intruder” was. For them, nothing or nobody can come in between their work.
- Pride towards their work– India is a nation where “Annadatas” or food-givers are often put on a pedestal. And the Dabbawalas take their role as Annadatas very seriously. For them, delivering on time goes beyond their job – they see it as their duty to quell customers’ hunger. Thus, they go about their daily job with a smile, making sure they are never late.
- Complete contentment – In spite of a relatively tough and physically strenuous job, there was an extremely positive vibe around Mr. Medge. Pride and a sense of contentment were evident on his face. For them, “work is worship”.
- Sustained success will lead to fame – The Dabbawalas believe in doing their work properly and have ensured the ‘zero error’ flag is held high at all times. Very few Dabbawalas actually realise the importance of a ‘Six-Sigma’ certification, and therefore, continue doing their work without thinking about any gain. Maybe, that’s why success and popularity has been chasing them.
I cannot end this piece
without going back to talking about the long standing Warkari tradition. As
mentioned at the beginning, the Dabbawalas belong to the Warkari tradition. As
a way of unwinding after the morning rush to meet deadlines, the Dabbawalas often
chant songs (Bhajans) of praises to Lord Vitthal, on their return journey.
Their daily ‘Bhajan’ sessions play an important role in relieving the day’s
stress. It wouldn’t be wrong to say they truly embody a living where one looks
beyond materialistic earnings and serves with commitment for a cause.
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