Who We Are
ClayLean was created to help manufacturers and service organizations cut through complexity and build operations that actually work — not on paper, but in the real world. We blend practical Lean principles, leadership alignment, and high-caliber execution to deliver clarity, flow, and sustainable performance.
Our Mission
To elevate operational performance by delivering simple, sustainable systems that empower teams, strengthen leadership alignment, and drive meaningful business results.
Our Philosophy
Improvement should feel calm, clear, and achievable. The best systems are the ones people actually use. ClayLean focuses on practical solutions that remove waste, reduce friction, and create a culture where problems are solved quickly and confidently.
Meet the Founder – Adam Clay
Adam Clay is an operations and continuous improvement leader with 12+ years of experience across pharmaceutical, food manufacturing, industrial equipment, and field service organizations. Known for blending calm leadership with strong execution, Adam has helped build teams, improve uptime, streamline flow, and create systems that support real business growth.
Before launching ClayLean, Adam held key leadership and CI roles at Thermo Fisher Scientific, Unilever, and an electrical/mechanical contracting firm — supporting operations from the plant floor to multi-site executive teams.
His work includes:
• Delivering $7M in annual savings through sitewide Lean initiatives
• Increasing UPH from 550 → 950 within 3 months
• Leading RPA integration that eliminated 85% of waste in field service workflows
• Serving as EEM Coordinator for a $150M, 13-line plant expansion
• Facilitating Lean training for 650+ employees
• Supporting post-merger integration across 17 merged companies
Today, Adam partners with organizations that want real change — not theoretical Lean, but practical systems that leaders trust and teams can sustain.
What Makes ClayLean Different
ClayLean isn’t a big consulting firm, and that’s intentional. You get direct partnership, calm leadership, and transparent execution. No slide decks for the sake of slide decks. No recycled playbooks.
Just clear, practical systems that work.
- Practical Lean, not academic Lean
- Leadership alignment built into every engagement
- Premium, calm consulting experience
- Faster results without overwhelming teams
- Deep multi-industry experience (Pharma, Food, Industrial Mfg, Field Service)
- Focus on clarity, flow, and sustainable adoption
- Hands-on, collaborative improvement approach
Who We Work With
ClayLean partners with small, mid-sized, and large manufacturers — typically 50 to 2,000 employees — who want to reduce firefighting, improve quality, and build a more aligned, confident organization.
If you’re overwhelmed, understaffed, or stuck in reaction mode, you’re exactly who we help.
How We Work
Every engagement begins with clarity — understanding your unique challenges, goals, and constraints. From there, we build a roadmap that balances fast wins with long-term sustainability.
ClayLean engagements typically include:
• Leadership alignment
• Waste identification
• Flow improvement
• KPI & visual system design
• Coaching & capability building
• Simple, repeatable processes
• Governance & accountability
The goal: a system your people trust, and results your leadership can feel.
Explore Real Client Wins
The best way to understand ClayLean’s approach is to see the outcomes. Here are some real examples of the impact created across multiple industries.
Ready to Strengthen Your Operations?
The easiest next step is a short conversation to understand where you’re at and what you’re trying to achieve.