Learn a Technique Used in Auto Racing to Help Change Dirty Diapers Faster!

Mar 2018

In today’s advice column, you will learn about a technique used in auto racing that you can use in many areas of your life, including changing dirty diapers!

Professional auto races are so competitive that after 500 miles cars may be separated by only 50 feet. As all cars need to make “pit stops” to change tires and refuel, performing quick changeovers can be a real competitive advantage to a team and mean the difference between first place and tenth place.

It takes most people 15 minutes to change one tire, while a NASCAR pit crew can change a tire in less than 15 seconds! Why?

It’s because they are using ‘quick changeover’ principles. As you will see in the story below, you will be able to use these principles in many areas of everyday life such as changing dirty diapers aka “poop stops” quicker.

From: Sean <Sean6969@aol.com>
Sent: Friday, February 11, 2018 7:19 PM
To: Rick Melnyck <rmelnyck@hotmail.com>
Subject: Question

Hey Rick,

I’m babysitting my 8-month-old nephew this weekend. Why my sister and her husband thought that me and my girlfriend Melissa could handle it was at the same time both flattering and frightening.

Anyways, we have run into a bit of a crappy problem, literally – yup changing diapers, it is taking way longer than it should.

We have had him for 3 hours and we have already had to change his diaper twice. The little bugger is a little pooping and peeing machine… his engine just does not stop!

Do you have any advice on how we can make this process go faster? It’s going to be a long weekend bro.

Thanks,
Sean

From: Rick Melnyck <rmelnyck@hotmail.com>
Sent: Friday, February 11, 2018 7:59 PM
To: Sean <Sean6969@aol.com>
Subject: RE: Question

Hey Sean,

Sorry to hear you are down in the ‘dumps’! LOL! Sounds like you are in a ‘load’ of trouble.

Alright, alright, enough of the poop jokes!

I do have a suggestion to minimize the time it takes you to change your nephew. It is a technique called ‘Quick Changeovers’ and it is based on a few principles that you can implement pretty easily to changing diapers. I will explain the principles using an auto racing example for changing tires and servicing the car during a pit stop:

First Principle: Perform as many steps as possible before the pit stop happens:

Having all the tools and parts ready for when the car stops, redesigning the wheel so that all nuts are attached to the tire except one, necessitating only tightening of the nuts.

Second Principle: Using a coordinated team to perform multiple steps in parallel

Having a team working on changing the tires while a separate team works on refueling.

Third Principle: Creating a highly optimized and standardized process with roles and responsibilities to execute while the car is stopped as well as before and after it is stopped and practice to ensure everyone can execute their responsibility.

See if you can use the same principles to make your “poop stops” with your nephew go quicker.

Hope this helps, let me know how you make out,
Rick

From: Sean <Sean6969@aol.com>
Sent: Saturday, February 12, 2018 9:38 PM
To: Rick Melnyck <rmelnyck@hotmail.com>
Subject: RE: RE: Question

Hey Rick,

Dude, you are a lifesaver, I owe you big time. We were able to go from it taking 15 minutes to perform the “poop stop” to doing it in 3 minutes. Quick changeovers are a god-send! This is what we did:

(1) Perform as many steps as possible before the “poop stop” happens:

So here we set everything up as much as possible to minimize what we did during the “poop stop” itself, we:

Put the trash can right beside the changing table for easy poopy diaper disposal

Laid out the baby wipes, butt cream and baby powder on the table where we could easily reach them when needed.

Placed the clean diaper on the table so it was ready to go.

Had new bottoms available in case the ones he’s wearing are soiled.

Put a pacifier within reach to distract the poopy little protestor.

(2) Using a coordinated team to perform multiple steps in parallel

After doing it a couple times, Melissa and I worked like a well-oiled engine:

I would put him down.

She would grab the dirty diaper and dispose of it while I cleaned him with the wipes

At this point she would pass me the cream then powder which I would apply

I would pick him up and she would slide the clean diaper under him. Then I would fasten it and secure the sides

Then while I was dressing him back up, she was laying out the new diaper and making sure everything was ready for next time

(3) After doing it a few times and getting the hang of it we wrote down the steps on a piece of paper and put it on the wall, just so we wouldn’t forget. We also had to come up with a process for if there was only one of us doing it, which was a bit more challenging but made much easier by using quick changeovers. As with anything, there is a learning and improving component to it, so we will probably refine ours even more next time we babysit.

Use It or Lose It!

To use quick changeovers:

List out the necessary steps in the process

Figure out what you can do before and what must be done during, move as many elements as possible to before

Make sure the area is laid out properly to minimize unnecessary movement and make sure everything you need is in an accessible place.

See if there are any steps in the during process that can be done at the same time (in parallel)

Document and do the same process every time

When to Use Quick Changeovers

When you have a process that requires setup such as:

Cooking – Think about what you can set up before (setting the table, setting stuff up, preheating ovens and pans, cutting vegetables), what you can do while you are cooking (perhaps start washing dishes, putting stuff away, putting stuff where it needs to go for next time etc.) to minimize the time the whole process takes, figure out what items you need.

Making drinks at a party.

Giving your kids a bath, getting them ready in the morning, etc.

What Do You Think?

Can you think of any other examples where you can use quick changeovers? Let us know in the comments section below!

Thanks for reading and until next time, remember…PYMFP!
Rick

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Learn a Technique Used in Auto Racing to Help Change Dirty Diapers Faster!

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