Christopher L. Adams is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience in operational leadership, quality management, and continuous improvement. Known for his exceptional ability to drive strategic change and foster collaborative work environments, Chris has delivered transformative results across industries such as manufacturing and healthcare by leveraging Lean Process Improvement methodologies, Six Sigma, Change Management, High-Performance Team Building, and organization-wide Operational Excellence deployment strategies.
Chris’s career reflects his passion for cultivating cultures grounded in the spirit of continuous improvement. He began as a Production Supervisor at Commercial Vehicle Group, where he developed the skills to lead experienced floor operators and transition them into high-performing teams through empowerment and the integration of Lean and Six Sigma principles. His leadership abilities soon earned him a promotion to Total Quality Production System (TQPS) Plant Coordinator, where he began his journey to becoming a well-versed Lean Process Improvement Professional.
A pivotal moment in Chris’s career came during his tenure as Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Business Unit Manager at Sullair Corporation, a subsidiary of United Technologies. There, he played an instrumental role in elevating the Unit/OEM Division’s ACE certification from Bronze to Silver. Over the years, Chris gained extensive experience in diverse manufacturing sectors, including heavy-duty trucking interior trim, rotary screw air compressors, pasteurized fruit preparation, commercial semi-trailers, and lead-acid battery power conversion and storage systems.
By mastering the practical application of a broad range of lean and continuous improvement tools and methodologies, including waste reduction, 5S, Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), setup reduction, standard work, root cause analysis, process failure mode effects analysis (PFMEA), value stream mapping, design of experiments (DOE), and more, Chris has been able to deliver exceptional results, such as:
- 42% reduction in setup time
- $1,000,000 inventory savings
- 32% throughput increase
- 90% reduction in serial number errors
- 95% reduction in wrong part installations
In senior leadership roles at companies like C&D Technologies and Wabash National, Chris achieved similar success. As Plant Quality Manager at C&D Technologies, his initiatives improved critical metrics, including a 15% increase in rolled throughput yield (RTY), a 28% improvement in first-pass yield (FPY), and a $1.2 million reduction in scrap costs. These achievements underscore his ability to align quality initiatives with bottom-line results.
In his current role as Senior Operational Excellence Leader at Indiana University Health, the largest healthcare network in Indiana, Chris has applied his expertise to enhance operational performance across the West Central Region. His accomplishments include:
- Designing one of Indiana’s first COVID-19 vaccination clinics.
- Reducing chemotherapy infusion appointment lag times from 16 days to 8 days.
- Developing a Power BI operations dashboard for infusion scheduling.
- Proposals for optimizing clinic space and room utilization for Ophthalmology and Women’s Health specialties.
- Implementing region-wide barcoded medication administration for patient safety and inventory control.
- Transitioning total knee replacement surgeries to outpatient care centers.
This transition required Chris to adapt his methods and communication to resonate with healthcare professionals, who often perceive Lean concepts as counterintuitive to patient-centric care. By employing change management tools tailored to healthcare, he successfully fostered engagement and adaptability, demonstrating resilience and versatility as a leader.
Driven by his passion for empowering others, Chris founded Absolute Value Online Solutions in late 2023. This online business is dedicated to making Lean Process Improvement accessible across various industries while empowering individuals to leverage their skills, talents and hobbies to build profitable online businesses. Through value-based social media marketing, digital products, and personalized coaching, Absolute Value Online Solutions equips businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs with the tools and support needed to achieve success.
Chris sees digital entrepreneurship as a means to help individuals and organizations adapt to digital era opportunities while creating financial and time freedom through revenue-generating digital assets.
Chris holds a Master of Science in Global Business with Blockchain Technology from the University of the Cumberlands and a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology from Ohio University. His commitment to staying at the forefront of emerging trends ensures he brings cutting-edge insights to every initiative.
Chris’s personal mission statement encapsulates his professional philosophy: “To cultivate a life of continuous improvement, one must approach objectives with process-oriented thinking, rely on data, become comfortable being uncomfortable, empathize with others, and embrace change before change becomes necessary. A growth mindset, combined with perseverance and effort, is the true path to excellence.”
Integrity and Perseverance
Chris exemplifies trustworthiness and determination, fostering collaborative and innovative environments.
Operational Expertise
With deep knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma, and Quality Management, Chris is a proven change leader across industries.
Strategic Vision
He aligns organizational goals with actionable strategies to achieve measurable success.
Effective Communication
Chris is skilled at articulating complex concepts, engaging teams, and inspiring collaboration.
