Q1] What are your learning’s from the Mumbai dabbawalas?? Enumerate.
Ans:
Simplicity
The people of Mumbai say with confidence: “Our lunch can go wrong but not the Mumbai
dabbawalas.” The dabbawalas maintains the value of simplicity and which drives them
with great efficiency at keeping their basics simple.
Standardization
They took a simple colour coding system which acts as an identification system for the
destination and recipient. It uses hardly any complicated papers.
Team work
The entire system depends on teamwork and meticulous timing. Tiffin boxes are collected
from homes between 7.00 am and 9.00 am, and taken to the nearest railway station.
Build, measure, learn
They are flexible with their approach, and they understand the need to keep pace with the
fast-changing world around us. E.g. mobiles, the Dabbawala Association recently started to
embrace technology and now allow for delivery through SMS.
Build services around your own infrastructure
Dabbawalas use a combination of various transportmodes, especially very efficient and
low cost ones. Trains, cycles, and handcarts contribute to maintaining reliable, efficient,
and accuratedelivery timelines.
As lean as it gets
Their invesment is bare minimum–two bicycles, a wooden crate for the tiffins, white
cotton kurta pyjamas, and the trademark whiteGandhi cap, or topi as its called.
Q2. Why and how, despite practically 0 technology input, dabbawalas could give very high
service quality consistently for a century?
Ans. The dabbawals have been able to provide a very high quality of service despite
practically 0 technology input as they are dedicated towards their work. They don’t take
holidays often and consider customers as their lord (vitthal). Simplicity in process and not
