The first book I lay my hands on was on Mumbai Dabbawallas by Shrinivas Pandit .....Emblematic of fine management skills the Dabbawallas have become a much sought after subject in most of the MBA institutions in India and abroad...and this indeed was a key motivation behind choosing to read a book on them. The contents of the book follow a structured dialogue between the author and two representatives on the dabbawallas end, Raghu and Ganga ...Anyways my intention in writing this blog is not aimed at reviewing the book rather it is to reflect on the stuff I liked the most in the dabbawallas strategy.
The first high point in the dialogue was when the dabbawallas clearly demarcate the business they are in, indeed the first step of any startegic management starts with defining the business you are in which subsequently defines your competition and other environmental factors (the widely known porter's five forces). The dabbawallas are in the business of Delivery and hence do not see the road side restaurants as a competition. A key factor that contributes to the success of their Business Model is the shared system of values among a workforce of more than 4k. Simply put , a key ingredient in the success of any organisation is a uniformly motivated workforce and the dabbawallas' reflect just that. The motivation to supply home cooked food ON-TIME with the customer at the heart of the delivery service is the binding force among them. Everyday 9 to 12 constitute the action packed hours for the dabbawallas. And yes they exhibit Time Mangement to the core of it. The operational excellence displayed by them further enhances the Brand Dabbawallas (if I may say so) with an error rate of 1 in 16 million transactions that works out tobe say once in two months. Another remarkable attribute is the coloured codes on the dabbas which guide them along the delivery routes...and mind it-its a dabbawalla innovation , a logic that has its root in a semi literate workforce.
A logistics enterprise that delivers home cooked food (carrying it mostly on foot) with no computer processing involved (to keep track of the delivery or the pick up or determining the destination) , dependent on the Mumbai Local Trains - the life line of the city and still boasts of management at its best. The dabbawallas dont perceive any need for incorporating technology in their business model, once again a customer centric approach prohibits them from passing the additional burden of technology to the customer's wallet. The business is all about subsistence.
What keeps the business going on? Is it because the service is highly economic perhaps not , the USP of the business is Home Cooked Food , the yearning for which or may be the necessity of which holds the key to the sustainability of the Dabbawalla model. Nothing can replace the value of mom's cooking or home food and thats exactly what the Dabbawallas thrive on and yes they are no stranger to this fact. A pizza or a burger fails to replace the dal-roti cooked in the traditional Indian way. But as all enterprises must grow the dabbawallas have very recently started delivering food from some restaurant outlets as well. Well, one should never miss an opportunity, if the dabbawallas can maximise revenues without compromising on the values of the core business such opportunities should be explored and implemented.
Nevertheless the dabbawallas have their share of accolades too which include the prestigious invitation to the wedding of Hon. Prince Charles as also a place in the Guiness Book of World Records. Their business model has been the subject of many a documentary and a case study in business schools in India and abroad. Thus its imminent that today when ambitious corporates and people all over the world strive for increased visibility and recognition here's a brand that has made a mark internationally in all its humility, with no conscious greed for the same and still made the country proud.
No comments:
Post a Comment