Book Review: Dabawalas, Lessons for building lasting success based on values.
Author: Shrinivas Pandit
Here is a book that captures the essence of Management and Organized Team Work through an unconventional sustainable model- good enough to inspire Corporates and Organizations across the world. It is not only a food for the brain, but also a learning safari for the inquisitive mind.
The 105 pages primarily encapsulate the working model of the Mumbai Dabbawalas and peeks deeper into the set of core values & principles the organization abides by. In context to today’s dynamic market conditions, businesses go under sets of tosses and turns since there are no concrete and proven guidelines on how to sustain a business model and make it a profitable venture for a definite period of time. Even if a business has been able to remain successful and live up to the expectations of clients and owners alike, that has become possible only after adhering to strict organizational values, ethics and discipline. In contrast to success principles of these businesses, the story of the Dabbawalas never stops to fascinate readers with revelations about the unknown lists of unwritten rules they follow by default & not out of obligations to a corporate set-up.
Shrinivas Pandit has been able to present a, brighter and unexplored side of the 123 year old business enterprise. Written in the form dialogues between 4 characters, the book captures the attention of curious readers from the start to finish. The author digs deeper into secrets of the sustainability of the organization for over a century and its ability to deliver the best at least costs, without any compromise on time and quality. Equivalent to a medium sized logistics service company, the Dabbawalas of Mumbai have a reputation of working with a default rate of one in a million deliveries. The never-failing attitude of people behind the organization has made it a certified Six Sigma organization recently.
The book is well structured and Mr. Shrinivas highlights the key takeaways of each chapter at the end of it. The book gives us an opportunity to compare the current paradigm to that of the dabbawalas so that principles for building lasting success in any organization can be derived. This is an excellent documentation of management values and learning’s, which may be imbibed by today’s management leaders and students to attain supreme results.
Incidentally the President and General Secretary of Mumbai Dabbawallas were a part of Operational Excellence Conference 2013 (OPEX) at FIIB and shared their management mantras. Highlights of OPEX can be viewed through student blogs & our photo galleries.
Disclaimer: This Book Review has been written by a member of Corporate Communications Team at Fortune Institute of International Business.