How can the TIFFIN WALLAHS of Mumbai claim they exceed Six Sigma quality?

[Blogiston]

It is claimed by The Nutan Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Trust that they have a delivery error of less than 3.4 defects per million.
I contend this is impossible because of the lack of a formal system to collect metrics which are then measured, analyzed, improved and controlled.
In other words, the quality assessment is purely anecdotal, and biased.
Where is the published proof of the certification as carried out by Forbes magazine?
Why is this an issue? Well, the claim has achieved mythical status, and is quoted in most Six Sigma training courses at some point.
Most western commercial organisations strive to achieve 99.99966% quality systems in their businesses, yet they have highly educated employees and modern information control systems, as well as highly evolved manufacturing or supply chain management systems.
Meantime, they are haunted/taunted by the 'fact' that they are being out-performed by the dabbawallahs delivering their delicious meals on bicycles, trains and bare feet.

[Aepervius]

I dunno what sort of box they supply, but one of the firm I was, was supplying back in the 90s "small" metal pots. If they had 1 pot or two defectuous over the month it would be a bad month. For a very simple production mass production items (box, pens, whatnot) I would not be surprised if 5, 6 sigma was not a problem to reach.

For uptime it is also equivalent : there are 31557600 seconds ina year. If through redundency you can limit your total down time under 30 seconds or lower, you are done. We have a few system like that. Though most system allow 15 minutes downtime per month, about 3 hours per year. So much lower.

[ReverendClog]

I was once in Mumbai, just before the war you know. I was tripping the light fantastic with a little char-wallah, who I had the misfortune to throttle during an auto-erotic bondage session.
Thank the lord I was in cahoots with the local chief of police, who let me off with a mild spanking.
I hope this answers a few of your lovely questions regarding the old six sigma business, we ourselves used to spend many a happy hour down at the ex-pats club on yankeewhore street.

P.s. I never did find out who took the emperors cat, although that is a different story.

[paiute]

It is claimed by The Nutan Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Trust that they have a delivery error of less than 3.4 defects per million.

Why is this an issue? Well, the claim has achieved mythical status, and is quoted in most Six Sigma training courses at some point.


Anytime the word six is followed by the word sigma, you can be sure that what follows is consultant-driven balderdash.

[The Don]

It is claimed by The Nutan Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Trust that they have a delivery error of less than 3.4 defects per million.
I contend this is impossible because of the lack of a formal system to collect metrics which are then measured, analyzed, improved and controlled.
In other words, the quality assessment is purely anecdotal, and biased.
Where is the published proof of the certification as carried out by Forbes magazine?
Why is this an issue? Well, the claim has achieved mythical status, and is quoted in most Six Sigma training courses at some point.
Most western commercial organisations strive to achieve 99.99966% quality systems in their businesses, yet they have highly educated employees and modern information control systems, as well as highly evolved manufacturing or supply chain management systems.
Meantime, they are haunted/taunted by the 'fact' that they are being out-performed by the dabbawallahs delivering their delicious meals on bicycles, trains and bare feet.

Contact Forbes magazine ask for a copy of their 2002 article.

Is your problem that you can't believe brown people can organise and perform so well ?

[Blogiston]

Contact Forbes magazine ask for a copy of their 2002 article.

Is your problem that you can't believe brown people can organise and perform so well ?

No, but yours may well be.

[Susheel]

The Dabbawallahs generally pickup the lunch prepared at homes in various parts of Mumbai and deliver them to the respective recipients at their offices and places of work at other parts of Mumbai. They are picked up sorted, transferred in lots taken by various modes of transport ranging from local trains, hand drawn carts even through physical labour (50-60 in a frame carried on the heads of the delivery men) on time every time (atleast that's what I have heard). And there has been no instance where the food from the wrong house has gone to the wrong person. I guess the Forbes article mentioned earlier covers the details of this.

[Blogiston]

They are picked up sorted, transferred in lots taken by various modes of transport ranging from local trains, hand drawn carts even through physical labour (50-60 in a frame carried on the heads of the delivery men) on time every time (atleast that's what I have heard). And there has been no instance where the food from the wrong house has gone to the wrong person.
Aye, that's the very bit I am questioning and as asking to be validated by proof -since it is easy to say, "Oh, we never lose a delivery!". But they have no formal method to make that claim stick in the Six Sigma system - so the claim is therefore, invalid.

[The Central Scrutinizer]

It is claimed by The Nutan Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Trust that they have a delivery error of less than 3.4 defects per million.
I contend this is impossible because of the lack of a formal system to collect metrics which are then measured, analyzed, improved and controlled.
In other words, the quality assessment is purely anecdotal, and biased.
Where is the published proof of the certification as carried out by Forbes magazine?
Why is this an issue? Well, the claim has achieved mythical status, and is quoted in most Six Sigma training courses at some point.
Most western commercial organisations strive to achieve 99.99966% quality systems in their businesses, yet they have highly educated employees and modern information control systems, as well as highly evolved manufacturing or supply chain management systems.
Meantime, they are haunted/taunted by the 'fact' that they are being out-performed by the dabbawallahs delivering their delicious meals on bicycles, trains and bare feet.

This has concerned me for quite some time, and I would look into it further if I didn't have to organize my sock drawer today.

[Susheel]

I don't think they or any one else have ever made the claim to possess Six Sigma certification. Forbes in its article suggests that the efficiency of the system is comparable to a Six Sigma standard. I gather that the Tiffinwallahs do have a system of tracking and confirming deliveries if for nothing else but to bill their customers. Forbes must have done some indepth study to come to this conclusion.

[soylent]

Wow, thank you for the exciting news. I've been trying to convince my friends of this article for some time.

Did I pass the reverse turing test?

[Blogiston]

Wow, thank you for the exciting news. I've been trying to convince my friends of this article for some time.

Did I pass the reverse turing test?

'Puter: I'm not sure, what do you think?