It’s no secret that the computer and modern telecommunications have revolutionized the way we do business. System capabilities grow daily, often outstripping our ability to use their burgeoning power. Unfortunately, with the amazing benefits of these systems come perplexing challenges. Perhaps most significant, is how to use their capacity to support our particular mission, to facilitate our work, rather than becoming a time consuming distraction to our primary focus.

In the engineering and architectural environment computing tools, such as CAD, are designed with specific needs in mind. However, when it comes to our project management needs it is difficult to find software that speaks our language. For this reason many engineers, architects, and project managers have built their own systems by “shopping around” for “off the shelf” software designed to meet a variety of information management needs.

Of course when we go out to find software to support our efforts, we soon discover that computer and telecommunications companies are competing aggressively for their market share and while competition fosters product improvement, it also results in systems that are incompatible.

Confronted by these realities, we took up the challenge of creating a Project Management system that would meet the need to capture all the data necessary to successfully manage design projects, and make it readily available to all project participants without having to leave their desks, return to the office from the construction site, or leave the contract negotiation.

After four years of research, development, and application in the demanding context of a busy design company, Acteo has become a reality and has proven to be an effective and flexible tool for managing projects. Important data is at the fingertips, paper communication and redundant communication is reduced, project activities are scheduled and coordinated, project hours are tracked, invoices are created and much more.