IIMB Management Review
Document Type
Article
Abstract
The “Dabbawalla” or tiffin carrier system that operates in Mumbai (formerly Bombay) is unique and incredible in the complexity and enormity of its task, simplicity of its operation, and surprisingly low error rates for a system of its size. It is a daily service in which thousands of men carry and deliver over 200,000 lunches every day, within three hour block of time, across the city’s 70-kilometre stretch, with each lunch box (known as tiffin or dabba) changing hands at least four times. Yet, for all its complexity and size, it is run and managed by a group of largely illiterate rural workers using nothing more than a handful of symbols crudely painted on the lunchboxes that, and their own remarkable intuition, teamwork, and values. This paper presents the background of the dabbawalla operations, provides an organisational and logistical perspective of this food supply chain system, and draws some conclusions from the case study findings.
Recommended Citation
Kumar, Ashok; Margulis, Stephen T; and Motwani, Jaideep
(2001)
"An efficient real-world food delivery system : The Dabbawallas of Mumbai,"
IIMB Management Review: Vol. 13:
Iss.
4, Article 11.
Available at:
https://research.iimb.ac.in/imr/vol13/iss4/11
Publication Date
12-1-2001
First Page
7
Last Page
13
Included in
Operations and Supply Chain Management Commons, Transportation and Mobility Management Commons