According to a survey by The Wireless Association (www.ctia.org), more than 208 million Americans subscribed to a cell phone service as of December 2005. This number is up from just 682,000 15 years ago. Compare the current statistic against the nearly 300 million people who live in the United States and at least two out of every three people—including children—have a cell phone. With the advent of e-mail, cell phones, PDAs, Blackberries, etc., it’s not hard to stay in touch. And, if technological advances continue at the current rate, that percentage will inevitably increase.

This “keep in touch” trend takes center stage in this month’s issue of Construction Project Controls. Columnist Larry True attended the Construction Financial Managers Association’s annual convention in Las Vegas and took home a plethora of information about the latest ways to stay in touch both in the field and at the office. John Jurewicz analyzed the differences between Oce and Adobe when it comes to file sharing.

One of the most important people programmed into your e-mail, cell, palm, Blackberry or whatever device you favor should be your project owner. Warner vice president Mark Anderson offers a comprehensive look at the ins and outs of recovery schedules and what to do when the owner requests one. Gordon Aronson delves into project delays in this month’s article in which he discusses time impact analyses. This month’s guest columnist, Michael Lingerfelt, wraps up this issue with a convincing argument for incorporating more technology into the design phase of any project.

By Larry True
Larry True offers a commentary on new digital tools to add to the cost controller’s toolbox in his review of the Construction Financial Managers Association’s annual conference and exhibition.

By John Jurewicz of ASPTIP.COM
When two giants compete in the world of exporting CAD files to the imaging market it is instructive as a user to sit back and watch. So begins John Jurewicz’s comparison between Océ and Adobe.

By Mark I. Anderson
As part of a continuing series of articles regarding critical path method (CPM) scheduling, Mark Anderson, Executive Vice President for Warner Construction Consultants, reviews various facets of schedule management when an owner requests a recovery schedule.

By Gordon H. Aronson
By the time an event negatively impacts workflow, it’s too late to start collecting documents for a reliable and accurate time impact analysis. Gordon Aronson explains when and how to begin the process.

By Michael Lingerfelt
Michael Lingerfelt offers a compelling argument for greater implementation of virtual design and construction. This article is reprinted with permission from the American Institute of Architects.