Customer Success Story: Ecksand | BD Outlier

By Miguelángel on Jan 19, 2025

Overview

Ecksand scaled variant production without adding headcount by standardizing and automating 3D design workflows with Outlier3D.

Ecksand is one of Canada’s leading luxury jewelers, known for ethical sourcing and meticulous craftsmanship. As the brand grew, so did the number of 3D models required per launch, often hundreds of near-identical variants across sizes, stone layouts, and metal options.

The challenge was not creativity. It was capacity. The team needed a way to increase output and consistency without expanding headcount or sacrificing precision.

With BD Outlier and Outlier3D, Ecksand replaced repetitive manual modeling with a standardized, parametric workflow that generates production-ready variants in seconds, so designers can spend more time on custom and high-detail work.

The Problem

Variant growth was creating a production bottleneck and pushing the team toward hiring just to keep up.

Ecksand’s designers are exceptional at crafting fine jewelry. But the day-to-day workload increasingly became production maintenance, rebuilding the same base designs across a growing matrix of variations.

They spent hours on tasks like:

• Swapping gemstone shapes and carat weights
• Swapping gemstone shapes or carat sizes
• Adjusting prongs or shank proportions
• Recreating best-sellers for new sizes or stones

None of this work could be skipped. But it was limiting launch velocity, consuming senior design time, and making it harder to take on custom requests and more detailed orders.

Ecksand needed a solution that would standardize outputs, reduce manual steps, and scale throughput without compromising the precision their brand is known for.

The Solution

A standardized parametric pipeline that automated repeatable work while keeping designers in control.

BD Outlier partnered with Ecksand to identify where the repetition and rework were coming from. Together, we built a custom parametric pipeline inside Outlier3D that generates variations automatically based on a small set of approved inputs and rules.

Instead of rebuilding geometry manually, Ecksand’s designers now:

• Choose size, stone layout, or setting style
• Click generate
• Receive a production-ready model instantly

The system handles repeatable geometry and consistency in the background, creating a workflow that is faster, more predictable, and easier to scale, while designers remain in control of the final design intent.

The Result

More throughput, consistent models, and the ability to scale launches without increasing headcount.

After adopting Outlier3D, Ecksand experienced a clear transformation:

• Routine production modeling is now automated
• Launch capacity scales without adding headcount
• Each output maintains perfect dimensional consistency
• Design time shifts to higher-value work, including custom and more detailed orders
• Workflows are standardized, making production more reliable and repeatable

With automation handling repeatable geometry and a standardized pipeline governing variation rules, Ecksand improved both speed and consistency without losing the craftsmanship their brand demands.