Thus after direct sales with “Mandi”, the Management Batch of 2008 once again took to the streets with the Dabbawalas to explore the whole gamut of business experiences viz. Team work, Time management, Innovation, CRM, Logistics and Supply Chain Management and Human Resource management.
The idea was to provide a unique platform for recognizing excellence in the field of Logistics and getting hands on learning of the Design, Strategy and Networking fundamentals from the best in business- The Dabbawalas.
The field workshop entailed – Careful observation and engagement in the following activities by the students:
· Sorting out the dabbas based on the coding system
· Carrying the dabbas to the point of the delivery
· Actual delivery of the Dabba; Collecting the returned Dabbas from the consumers
· Back Sorting of the Returned Dabbas
This symbiotic programme provided the Mumbai Dabbawalas professional consulting by NITIE students and proved a practical case study of successful logistical networking thus streamlining the students’ theoretical knowledge.
As Killi Chandrashekhar, a management student, put it, “A lot of things are easier said than done. So we decided to do it. A lot has been said and spoken about the Dabbawalas; we decided to go through their daily routine.”
Using a zoning system approach with several teams supervised by their very own “Mukadam”, the men-at-arms use the city’s best resource, the local trains in the delivery process.
Over the past 115 years, the largely illiterate, able bodied members of The Nutan Mumbai Tiffin Box Supplier’s Association continue to weave through the crowded roads of Mumbai City, delivering close to 2 lakh lunch boxes to office-goers and school children, and returning the empty boxes to where they came from, daily.
As one of them related to us in Marathi, “You have a mobile fone? You can book your dabba through SMS.”
To remain current in this ever-changing environment, they have launched a web site, although they firmly advocate their aim to keep operational costs low.
The President of the Dabbawalla Association said, “We are proud to be associated with a Management Institute of NITIE’s stature. The recognition that we get from the academicians and Students goes a long way in reinforcing our belief in our system”.
Dr. S.D. Awale, Director NITIE and many of our faculties including Dr. Amitabh De, Dr. T.Prasad, Prof. MuthuKrishnan and Dr. Sachin Kamble attended the Program. Dr. S.D. Awale advised the dabbawallas on Techno-managerial aspects of the business. Dr. Amitabh De, who specializes in Ergonomics, carried out a survey aiming to find out the nature of the fatigue faced by dabbawallas during their job. Prof. MuthuKrishnan suggested improvements in Logistics and Dr. Kamble, who teaches Marketing, gave some fine tips on Customer Orientation.
While their delivery model mimics the Just-in–Time management system, their motivation still remains unparalleled. Each Dabbawalla, a “shareholder” in the Association earning an average of Rs 5,000/- per month, attributes his drive a deep-seated belief that no individual he serviced would go hungry on any working day.
As many students subsequently related “Execution was the sole objective in the Dabbawalas delivery method. It makes one realize how respect for work can help realize the importance of ‘Tacit’ Knowledge in creating Excellence.” Students learned the nuances of the System by listening to both the points of view: the Dabbawallas and their Customers.