Mr. Omkar Nagotkar-Management Learning’s From Dabbawala
Name: – Omkar Nagotkar
Complete Educational Qualification: – B.M.S (Finance) from Sydenham College.
Present Educational Qualification: – MBA in PGDM(Finance) from N.L. Dalmia.
Undertakings: –
I declare that this essay is the work of my own creation as part of essays competition organized by Dabbawalas Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. I transfer the ownership, title and rights of this essay to Dabbawala Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. Dabbawala Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. may use this essay content in any way it deems suitable.
Name: Omkar Nagotkar.
Date: 15-08-2024
Topic: – Management Learning’s from Dabbawala
Introduction:
In Mumbai the Dabbawallas is known for the precises timing delivery system without using any technology as the part of the system. In this Case study we look into its History, System of Working, Uniqueness of work and culture, Challenges faced by them, Reason for decline of business and Possible solutions. Originally this idea was developed by Mahadeo Havaji Bachche who was working under a Parsi banker. The Parsi banker has appointed Mahadeo Havaji Bachche to deliver food to Parsi banker workplace. The Parsi banker colleague like his idea and started availing the service from Mahadeo Havaji Bachche. This is how the Dabbawallas started his business in 1890 with handful of 35 dabbawallas in the start. Slowly these services were also availed by the Britisher they also loved these services and these services were also known as lunch delivery system. Has that time Britisher were ruling the India, Britisher has his own government offices and post offices the business of dabbawallas also got expanded has they also liked his services.
The Education of Mahadeo Havaji Bachche just up to class 2. The worker who works in dabbawallas company were also illiterate and some workers were not even matric pass but still mange their business every efficiently.
System Of Working:
The Mumbai dabbawallas organization has a flat organizational structure with three levels: executive management, regional supervisors, and delivery teams. The organization is democratic, and all dabbawallas, regardless of experience, have equal status, pay, and say in the operations even the team leaders of Dabbawallas deliver tiffins. Typically, a person rises from being a dabbawallas to a mukadam and then rises to become a director, treasurer and secretary. The Executive Committee members meet once every month for discussing problems on the association’s line of operations and service front. Each Delivery team member consist of 20-25 member and in turn in each member has to collected 40 tiffins from home and delivery 40 tiffins to office or workplace. Usually after 1 hours from delivery to office they recollect the empty dabbas and reverse this process. The lunchboxes are transported using a combination of bicycles, trains, and walking. For example, they may be loaded onto trains at around 10 AM, sorted again in the train’s luggage compartment, and then loaded into carts at the destination station.
Uniqueness of work and culture:
What makes unique Dabbawallas work is there Color-Coding System of Dabbas (Tiffin). This color-coding system consist of alphabets and Number. The color-coding system alphabets consist of name of street, consist of residential station, the name of residential building name and the number consist of code for destination station, code for dabbawallas at destination and in the number represent the floor or room number of residential. For e.g. a dabbas has a number written B – S – 4 – 7OT5 where B represent code for dabbawalla/ Street at residential station, S represent for residential station, number 4 code represent for destination station, number 7 represent for Dabbawallas destination, OT represent the name of residential building, number 5 represent the floor number or the room number of residential building.
By using this color-coding system and hierarchy management system is known for its efficiency and accuracy, with a performance rate of 99.9999% and a margin of error of less than 0.1% in 16 million transactions. There was no technology involved in this system. Zero percent emission, zero percent fuel used, zero percent investment but still manages to work efficiently and with 100% customer satisfaction. No Strike record. Cost of services was Rs.500-700/- per month. Average earning was 15000/- per month for each dabbawallas employee. Diwali Bonus of 1 month salary were also given to each employee every year.
The work culture of dabbawallas followed by all employees are written down below in few points they are as followed –
- Work is worship
- Annadan is Mahadan.
- Serving people is serving God.
- Time is Money.
- Unity is power.
The most employee that was delivering the dabbas were Varkari (Devotees of the lord Vital) and the decedents of the dabbawallas were the warrior in the Shivaji Maharaj army. So, all employee past has a good discipline cultural and followed the rules and regulations.
Problems and Challenges they Faced:
- As any Mumbaikar will tell you, the city’s traffic of Mumbai makes it difficult to delivery. The stunningly efficient Dabbawallas face daily hurdles, as navigating through congested streets and packed trains can often lead to delays.
- With ever-increasing vehicle counts, this challenge looms larger every day. Being primarily from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, the Dabbawallas feel the pinch of rising living costs acutely. As prices rise keeping inflation in mind, sustaining their livelihoods has become increasingly challenging, impacting the quality of service they can provide to their customers.
- In the era of technology, we see the rapid rise of food delivery apps that offer a plethora of culinary options at the tap of a screen. Competitive pricing, variety, and ease of access have veered some customers away from traditional Dabbawallas, particularly the younger crowd who prefer these modern conveniences.
- In the Phases of Covid-19 the Business drastically collapse because they do not have a substitute option of delivery and they do not upgrade their business digitally as India was taking a change in digitalization of business.
Reason For Decline of Business:
There are many reasons for decline of Business for Dabbawallas they are as followed:
- Earlier the many employees do not have bank accounts, does not have insurance policy, Mediclaim policy, pension or saving fund that were also not planned by them and many other facilities that an employee or worker should be given because of this many reason the employee could not survive the Covid-19 phase and was one of the reasons for collapse of business.
- Lack of technology has made the business collapse completely. Because if there was upgradation of technology the business could have survive. As India was accepting the change of digitalization in government policies. The government website and registration work were also getting digital, Government has also launched many schemes for business to grow digital such as Credit Linked Capital Subsidy Scheme (CLCSS), Indian BPO Promotion Scheme (IBPS) and many other schemes that would help to survive business.
- Despite their decades-old tradition of excellence, the Dabbawallas fully embraced technological advancements. While their time-tested methods are still effective, but they fail to address the change in consumer preference as consumer required more fast delivery that was provide by other business competitor such as Zomato, Swiggy and Uber eats etc.
- Another reason I fell is the lack of education in business executives still they had runed the business the for many years with traditional method lack of education and upliftment of education program was missing. If this gap of education among executives could have filled business would have survive for many more years.
Possible Solutions:
Let’s Discuss the possible solution:
- After many years of running a business successfully the business should diversify their investment and returns. And if possible, the business should expand such as dabbawallas could also get delivery of other things rather than food such as Dunzo, Zepto and Porter are doing though they are different deliver business but dabbawallas can still enter into the market can expand the business.
- If dabbawallas can still get into digitalization and can be little bit improvement in advancement of technology can help the dabbawallas to again regain its position in market. Because still now till date I think there is no app only focus on this problem on large scale.
- Adding qualified educationalist executives in business can help to take this business in growth by working on data and statistic and technology. Which they can track the exact problem and make a better solution for the business.
- Financial literacy can be a game-changer for the Dabbawallas. Providing training programs focused on business management could empower these workers to better handle their finances. Moreover, establishing financial aid programs or low-interest loans can help them adapt to rising costs.
- While change is essential, celebrating the Dabbawalla legacy can attract customers who value tradition. Initiatives that promote the Dabbawallas as Mumbai’s cultural symbols can build a sense of pride and support within the community.
Conclusion:
There’s something beautiful about how the Dabbawallas of Mumbai have thrived amidst the chaos of the city. Their legacy of precision and dedication has woven itself into the heart of Mumbai. However, like everything in life, they face challenges that threaten to overshadow their great story.
By embracing technology, diversifying services, and fostering public awareness of their invaluable contributions, the Dabbawallas can rise to meet modern challenges head-on. Their story isn’t just one of lunchboxes; it’s a narrative of resilience, nostalgia, and the undying spirit of a city that refuses to be quelled. Let’s hope this legacy continues to thrive for generations to come!
So, the next time you enjoy a meal in Mumbai, take a moment to appreciate the dedication behind that dabbawallas delivery, and remember—it’s not just food; its tradition served with love.
