In April 2024, Nigel Neckebroeck joined Solita as an Integration Specialist in what was then the Integrations team (now known as the Cloud and Connectivity Department). With nearly a decade of experience under his belt, he quickly made his mark through a mix of technical know-how, collaborative spirit, and a healthy dose of curiosity.
A project to be proud of
When reflecting on the past year, Nigel pointed to a standout experience: a project with a media and advertising company in Belgium. As part of a small, multidisciplinary team, Nigel took on the role of Project Lead for a monitoring solution that would cover all the digital advertisement signs across the country. But this wasn’t a simple plug-and-play job.
“There were multiple hardware providers, a software provider, a content provider for the transit data, and then the company’s own internal advertising system,” Nigel explained.
Each part of the setup needed to be monitored. One particularly tricky challenge was the lack of an existing monitoring solution for the real-time passenger information content. The proposed solution from an external developer involved installing light sensors and would have cost tens of thousands of euros (plus ongoing license fees).
Instead, Nigel developed a clever, cost-effective alternative: a fully software-based script that analysed screenshots of the displays. It could detect display issues such as missing text, black screens, or formatting problems. Not only did it save the client a significant amount of money in the first year, it also eliminated the need for expensive hardware and annual fees.
What he learned along the way
For Nigel, that project was also a great learning experience.
“I picked up a lot around image processing; especially working with OCR libraries,” he said.
The script he built could detect color patterns, text cutoffs, and other visual glitches, using these libraries to analyse screen content in a reliable, scalable way. And that wasn’t all. At his current project with a retail customer, he’s diving into infrastructure and Linux server configuratiog; gaining deeper knowledge about networking and proxies.
A culture that stands out
Looking back over the year, Nigel highlighted one very memorable moment—albeit not a typical work story: “I actually broke my nose during my first week on a client project,” he laughed.
But beyond that unexpected incident, what left a lasting impression was the supportive and down-to-earth culture at Solita.
“I knew Solita was known for its strong culture; that’s one of the reasons I applied. But experiencing it firsthand has been even better than I expected,” he shared.
Whether it was taking time off when his baby was born or just needing help on a project, Nigel always felt supported.
“People here genuinely care. They understand that life happens, and they’re flexible when you need it.”
His advice for new joiners
With many new colleagues joining Solita in September, Nigel offered this simple yet powerful advice:
“Don’t be afraid to ask questions. There’s so much knowledge here, and people are genuinely happy to share it. Whether it’s a presentation, a debug session, or just answering your Slack message; use all the resources, especially the people around you. Don’t try to figure everything out alone.”