Working as a software developer in a company that specializes in industrial automation means that the code you write often ends up controlling something very real, machines, conveyors, shuttles, or even robots. Every warehouse has its own rules, layouts, and business logic, which means that no two projects are ever quite the same.
Unlike most programming domains, this one requires us to occasionally leave our desks and go onsite, right where the system is used, to make sure that what we’ve built works in real life. These onsite visits are more than just part of the job. They’re opportunities to see the impact of software on people and operations.
In this article, I want to share some of my first onsite experiences, moments that shaped not just my technical skills, but my understanding of teamwork, responsibility, and how complex systems come alive when software meets the physical world.
The first leap in The Netherlands, January 2018
Before my first onsite experience, I had already visited warehouses operated by our long-term partner and customer, INTHER Group. Those earlier visits were purely observational, like walking through the aisles, watching the conveyors move, seeing the shuttle carts glide with precision. It was fascinating to see our systems in action.
This time, things were different. I wasn’t just a visitor anymore. I was part of the team responsible for delivering the new part of the system. It was my first ever onsite project, a warehouse in the Netherlands, where we had to deliver new inbound goods sorting functionality within an existing warehouse management system.
Standing there, I finally saw how a single line of code could influence something so complex. With just a small logic adjustment or configuration tweak, the flow of an entire operation could change. Seeing that immediate connection between digital and physical was a defining moment. It made the work tangible, almost alive.
Everything felt new: the customer, the pace, the direct responsibility. Suddenly, every line of code mattered in a visible way. When the system worked, boxes moved. When it didn’t, operations paused. That’s when I learned what “go-live” truly means, not just deploying, but standing beside people whose daily work depends on what you’ve built.
The experience was intense: long days, unexpected challenges, and plenty of moments that tested our resilience. But we learned to stay composed, to listen, and to act fast. One key lesson I’ll never forget came during a testing session when an unexpected incident occurred. My first instinct was to say, “I don’t know what’s happening.” That’s when a senior colleague calmly advised me: “Never tell the customer you don’t know. Tell them: We’re on it. We’ll investigate and come back with an answer shortly.’”
It’s a small shift in words, but it changes everything; it builds trust, confidence, and a sense of calm in moments that could easily turn stressful.
The go-live itself didn’t happen while we were there. Instead, it was scheduled a few weeks later, during the night, when warehouse operations paused. I still remember waiting for updates that night, knowing that everything we’d prepared was being put to the ultimate test. It went smoothly, with only minor adjustments needed afterward. For a first onsite experience, it couldn’t have ended better.
That trip taught me more than any documentation or sprint ever could. I left the Netherlands not just with new technical experience, but with a deeper sense of responsibility and a feeling of belonging to something much bigger than a single project.
Into the cold of Finland, May 2018
A few months later, I got the chance to join another onsite project, this time in Finland, near the small town of Kokkola. The customer’s business was food production and distribution for supermarkets across Finland and Sweden. The warehouse was connected to a meat processing facility, which meant that every product stored there had to stay within strict temperature limits.
As a result, the entire logistics process operates in a refrigerated environment. We were literally working in a giant fridge. It was a unique and challenging experience. Every hour, we had to step out and take short breaks to warm up in the main office. The temperature difference between the warehouse and the office felt like stepping between two worlds, the frozen and the normal one.
This project was different from the first one. The system was already live, and operations were continuous, running in three shifts over 24 hours without a real pause. Our work had to happen in parallel with what the operators were doing. Testing, troubleshooting, and deploying fixes had to be done on the fly. Every incident had to be analyzed and resolved quickly, often while standing on the warehouse floor, surrounded by moving boxes and forklifts.
Some nights, we stayed late to monitor the system between shifts, making sure that even the smallest change wouldn’t disrupt the workflow. There was no room for delays. If a problem appeared, the team needed to react immediately, find the root cause, and restore normal operation before the next wave of orders started.
That constant rhythm of quick thinking, testing under pressure, and balancing between development and live operations was both exhausting and energizing. It taught me the value of staying pragmatic, focused, and communicative, especially when multiple teams, ours and the customer’s, depended on each other minute by minute.
Despite the tough conditions, there was warmth in another sense – the people. It was my first real experience of Finnish hospitality. The customer representatives were kind, patient, and truly collaborative. Even in the coldest working environment, there was a sense of shared purpose and respect that made everything easier.
Returning to familiar faces, Finland, September 2019
About a year later, I returned to the same customer site for a planned OS server upgrade. This time, I felt much more confident. The environment, the people, even the rhythm, all felt familiar. The goal was to make sure the upgrade would go smoothly without disrupting warehouse operations.
There was still tension, of course, as with any major infrastructure change, but it was also a moment of reflection. Standing there again, surrounded by the same friendly faces and humming conveyors, I realized how much had changed since my previous two onsite visits. I wasn’t just reacting to issues anymore; I was anticipating them, communicating more clearly, and understanding the bigger picture.
That trip felt less like an assignment and more like a reunion, with both the people and the experience itself. It was proof that onsite work isn’t just about systems; it’s about relationships, trust, and growth.
The Human Side of Engineering
Looking back at these early onsite experiences, I see them as milestones, not only in my technical journey, but in my understanding of what real collaboration means. Working onsite removes the distance that screens and emails create. You see how your code affects real processes, real people, and real products.
You also learn that success isn’t just about deploying something that works; it’s about how you work with others when it doesn’t.
Those lessons have stayed with me and continue to shape how I approach every project. Each onsite visit, from my first nervous steps in the Netherlands to the freezing shifts in Finland, helped me connect code to reality and teamwork to purpose.
Onsite experience is an example of stepping out of your comfort zone and facing the other side of the code you’ve written. In the end, engineering is as much about people as it is about systems, and the onsite work is where that becomes truly clear.
