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Although Martins is the first bank to use a computer to
handle branch accounting, the rollout of equipment and the conversion of
accounts by the allocation of account numbers is very slow. Experiments take place at several branches up
and down the land to measure the impact of computer accounting on the
workload of branches, but sadly Martins never reaches the stage of full
conversion to computer operation before the merger with Barclays. Computer centres are established at Liverpool
Head Office and in London, with Liverpool Heywoods, and London South Audley
street Branches processing their day’s work directly onto computer using
punched paper tape. In 1966 Martins opens what is for that time a state of
the art COMPUTER CENTRE at Bucklersbury House in Wallbrook, London. The process of
computerisation still requires a number of time consuming clerical stages to
complete: |
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This is the busy machine
accounting room at Liverpool Heywoods
Branch in 1963. |
·
Account numbers must be allocated to
every account of every customer. ·
The numbers must be recorded on every
voucher that passes through every account. ·
The account number and transaction
details have to be punched onto paper tape which is then read by the
computer. ·
Transactions are added on to or taken
away from the running balance of the customer’s account. ·
The computer also records statistical
information that will help staff with the calculation of bank charges and
interest. |
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1962:
The Friden “Flexowriter” at Liverpool Computer centre, with (inset) a
statement ready to print for Heywoods Branch. Images
© Ron Hindle Estate 1962
to date |
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This is a very
early example of a Heywoods cheque encoded with an account number. Later, the branch sorting code number, and
a cheque number will also be encoded along the bottom edge of the cheque, as
in the example below. In 1968 customers
of 68 Lombard St Branch receive letters explaining that they are next for
automation… |
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So,
the age of ‘error free banking’ has finally arrived - Thanks to READER/SORTER technology,
machines can now read the information printed on cheques. This ensures (in theory) that YOUR account
and nobody else’s will be debited. But
how does it work? The process of
developing special characters that can be read by machines and humans alike
was long and labourious, but finally Banks in Britain and America have settled upon a common ‘code’ that is used
to represent customers’ information in the form of the magnetic E13B typeface. For an
in-depth look at how these numbers work, click HERE |
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©
gut informiert 2007 to date |
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