Dabbawallas

The Nutan Mumbai Tiffinbox Suppliers, or Mumbai Dabbawallas came calling to ISB today, for an elaborate presentation on their methods and six-sigma status. Mr. Raghunath Medge (President) and Mr. Gangarao Talekar (Secretary) gave simple speeches with lots of native wit thrown in. The efficiency of 1 error in 16 million transactions which translates to 99.999999% probability of successful dabba delivery is achieved by a unique letter & colour coding scheme. One that obviates the need for the delivery address and the name. Amazingly, though the scheme doesn't include return address, the dabba reaches back home everyday without fail. Process, supply-chain, six-sigma... 'ye sab kya hai, pata to nahi... par kaam ho jaata hai' quipped Mr. Talekar.



Manish who had come with them presented 'IT's role in dabbawalas'. I didn't quite like the content and tone... more importantly, the core idea of IT'izing the supply chain. Training the dabbawalas to use more savvy methods of delivery, bringing mechanical efficiency into this all-human efficient model, is akin to fixing something that ain't broken. Again, macro-economics teaches us that training and technofication would move the dabbawalas up the value chain, fewer leg-work men may be required, wages would increase quickly, and the little industry may soon lose its cost advantage. Do use IT for promotion and consumer redressal. Let it not touch the gandhi-topis moving effortlessly, reshuffling hundreds of tiffins in Mumbai local trains, readying each for one of the 2 lac who value fresh home food at work.