Welcome to Intelligent Insights from Aptitude

March 8, 2023
Sam Holt

Sam Holt

Managing Director

In the four short years since our team was formed to solve for the industry’s growing technology integration needs, we’ve grown to a staff of 48, with a presence in every JE Dunn market, and 59 active projects. First called Smart Building Solutions and later branded Aptitude: Intelligent Integration™ in 2021, we fill in the gaps that occur on projects when low-voltage technology partners either work in siloes or don’t coordinate effectively. We’ve been able to solve for numerous complex challenges, save clients millions, differentiate JE Dunn by adding a valuable expertise and scope of work, and add to the bottom-line time and again. There is a lot of work on the horizon, and we’re truly just getting started.

That said, I’m excited to be rolling out the first edition of Intelligent Insights from Aptitude. With so much to share, we’ll be publishing a quarterly newsletter that highlights our work, our team, and offers industry insight. In this issue, we’ll kick off the year with an overview of technology trends, offer an update on the massive and technology system rich Neuhoff project, and share more about our growing team.

I’d be remiss if I did not mention that this week, we are celebrating Women in Construction Week 2023. Keep an eye on Aptitude’s social feeds to hear from the women on our team about their experiences working in construction. I appreciate their contributions and perspectives. Women currently make up 10.9 percent of the construction workforce. I hope that by offering a supportive work environment where diverse professionals can find rewarding careers, we will see this number grow.

I often share what I’m currently reading with the Aptitude team and thought it would be nice to share with readers here, too. Here are a few articles and a book that have piqued my interest lately:

  • Technology related reading:
    1. Revisiting IT/OT convergence trends from a few years ago
    2. Digital twins
    3. Edge computing
  • Book: That Will Never Work by Marc Randolph. This is an inside look at how Netflix started and ultimately became what it is today. It’s not only an amazing story but also a great example of how an idea becomes a reality.
  • Harvard Business Review, May/June 2022: Every now and then there is an edition of HBR that is full of valuable insights and makes you want to keep reading; this is one of those editions for me. The spotlight on ‘The Digitally Literate Organization’ speaks to how we can help our clients, partners, and employees achieve intelligent integration. It also speaks to designing better client experiences through more collaboration and acting like a scientist, and to designing work that employees love and leveraging peer support groups in the workplace.

Let me know if you read any of these. In the meantime, thanks for your support growing Aptitude, and reach out if our team can partner or consult on any current or future projects.

Sam Holt