Association of the Dabbawalas in Mumbai

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The service which has surprised one and all by its efficient work and management skill, many things come into the mind when one thinks about dabbawalas, their supply chain management, their distribution network structure, the team work of the system, the unique coding system followed by to identify and deliver the Tiffin boxes and finally the mutual trust and goodwill that they have created for themselves in the minds of the people of Mumbai with their unique service. It's one of the oldest service systems in Mumbai which has survived the hardship of time.

The association of the dabbawalas in Mumbai is over a hundred years old. It began as a Tiffin carrier service for particular community who worked in downtown Mumbai. Today, this organization caters to over 2, 00,000 customers every day, using 60 - 80 kilometres of the cities transport service with the help of over 5000 individual dabbawalas aiming to serve the customer with full dedication and hard work. This system basically involves service of delivering Tiffin's from the customer's residence in the morning transporting it by train to the destination station and then dispatching it to the respective offices. The system involved follows a strict pattern of operation they are time specific and are standard everyday. The entire system is dependent upon the coding, which is an ingenious creation which is easy to decipher by the semi illiterate dabbawalas.

The system is recognized worldwide for their accurate operation and it has received six sigma certification from Forbes and ISO 9001: 2000 certification for its error free operation. The dabbawalas are famous case study in all the reputed B- School for their efficient management skill and they have the pleasure of respect from great personalities like Prince Charles, Princess Diana and Richard Branson who visited them on their trip to India. They are appreciated for their hard work and efficient management skill they posses Dabbawalas are following efficient SBU ( strategic business management ) concept before it was even introduced , they have monopoly in their type of business with very tough competition by the fast food and canteens which can be explained by applying potters five forces.

A SWOT analysis is necessary to study the various aspects of the business and gain more knowledge about its present and future. Being the traditional Indian management system, it is bound by simplicity and efficiency. It is technology free and does not involve any paper work, modern communication techniques. It is an esteemed organization and is an aspiration to companies and other organization across the globe. In absence of HR policies and guidance Dabbawalas are highly motivated and there is zero attrition rates. They give us enormous knowledge about many management concepts. India take proud of such an organization and give it due recognition