7610 782 2670_Records_Management_Handbook_Source_Data_Automation_1965 2670 Records Management Handbook Source Data Automation 1965

7610-782-2670_Records_Management_Handbook_Source_Data_Automation_1965 7610-782-2670_Records_Management_Handbook_Source_Data_Automation_1965

User Manual: 7610-782-2670_Records_Management_Handbook_Source_Data_Automation_1965

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FPMR 11.S

RECORDS MANAGEMENT HANDBOOK
Mechanizing Paperwork

SOURCE
DATA
AUTOMATION
1965

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS SERVICE
OFFICE OF RECORDS MANAGEMENT

Federal Stock Number

7610-782-2670

RECORDS MANAGEMENT HANDBOOKS are
developed by the National Archives and Records Service
as technical guides to reducing and simplifying paperwork.

RECORDS MANAGEMENT HANDBOOKS:
Managing correspondence: Plain Letters __________ _
Managing correspondence: Form Letters __________ _
Managing correspondence: Guide Letters __________ _
Managing forms: Forms Analysis _________________ _
Managing forms: Forms Design __________________ _
Managing mail: Agency Mail Operations _________ _
Managing current files: Protecting Vital Operating

1955 47 p.
1954 33 p.
1955 23 p.
1959 62 p.
1960 89 p.
1957 47 p.

Records _____________________________________ _ 1958
Managing current files: Files Operations __________ _ 1964
Managing noncurrent files: Applying Records
Schedules ___________________________________ _ 1956
Managing noncurrent files: Federal Records Centers_ 1954
Mechanizing paperwork: Source Data Automation_ 1965
Mechanizing paperwork: Source Data Automation
Systems _____________________________________ _ 1963
Mechanizing paperwork: Source Data Automation
Equipment Guide---------------------------- 1963
General: Bibliography For Records Managers ____ _ 1965

19 p.
76 p.
23 p.
25 p.
78 p.
150 p.
120 p.
58 p.

FOREWORD
Source data automation generally involves capturing data in punched
tape, edge-punched cards, or punched cards the first time it is transcribed, so its subsequent reproduction can be mechanical rather than
manual.
GSA's source data automation program is aimed at mechanizing
the thousands of small operations in the Federal Government, which
are currently decentralized. In addition to the clerical cost savings
SDA almost always makes possible, it brings several other advantages:
e SDA provides the fundamentals for appreciating paperwork
automation. This may eventually decrease the Government's
recurring shortage of knowledgeable computer specialists.
e SDA increases the speed and accuracy of clerical processing and,
as a result, improves service both internally and to the
taxpayer.
e SDA is, in some larger offices, the first step toward automated
data processing.
e The systems study which must be made as a prelude to SDA
results in better operating methods. And, of course, SDA is
not the goal-systems improvement is.
This handbook is designed as an introduction to the subject. The
reader will find, I am sure, that it does just that.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. INTRODUCTION
Short History _____________________ _
Definition of Terms_________________
The Languages of Source Data Automation__________________________
Information Capture __ - - - ___ - _ - - - - - Application of Source Data Automation_____________________________

Benefits of Source Data Automation__
II. HOLES AS THE NATIVE LANGUAGE
Tapes as Carriers _______ - _______ - - _ _
The Physical Characteristics of
Tape________________________
Number of Channels____________
Advantages of Wide Tape_______
Punched Cards as Carriers _______ - _ _ _
The Physical Characteristics of
Punched Cards_______________
Code Structure_________________
Tags as Carriers ___________________ _
The Physical Characteristics of
Tags________________________
Punched Code_________________
Processing Tags________________
Coupons as Carriers________________
The Physical Characteristics of
Coupons_____________________
Perforating Code_______________
Processing Coupons_____________
III. THE NATIVE LANGUAGES OF READING MACHINES
Dots as a Native Language__________
Bars as a Native Language__________
Code Structure_________________
Imprinting Code_______________
Processing Data________________
Selected Type Faces as a Native
Language________________________
Code Structure_________________
Processing Data________________
Magnetic Ink as a Native Language__
Code Structure_________________
Data Fields____________________
Processing Data________________

Page

1
2
3
4
4

5
5
8
9
9
10

12
13
13
13

17
18
18
19
20
21
21
22
24
24
24
24

IV. MODES OF CAPTURING DATA

Selected Typefaces______________
Magnetic Ink___________________

31
32

Dots-------------------------Bars__________________________
Selected Typefaces______________
Magnetic Ink_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

38
38
39
40

Correlating Statistics____________
Computing____________________
Communicating________________
Performing Functions with Punched
Cards--------------------------Interpreting ___________ --- _ -- _ _
Verifying_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Writing ___ - _ - - - _ - - ____ - _ - _ - - _ _
Duplicating ____ - _ - - - _ - ___ - _ - - _ _
Arranging_____________________
Selecting ____ - _ - - - - - - - _ - - - - - - _ _
Merging ___ - ___ - - - - ________ - _ _ _
Matching______________________
Correlating Statistics ______ - - - - _ _
Counting______________________
Computing ____ - _ - - __ - _____ - - _ _
Communicating_ - - - - _ - _ - --- - - _ _
VI. FINDING AND DEVELOPING APPLICATIONS
What is Systems Analysis _____ - - - _ _ _
Finding the Area to Study ___ - - - - - - - What to Look For ________ - _ - - _ _
Where to Look_ - _ - - - - __ - _ - - - - _ _
Conducting the Study _____ - - - - - - - - - A Total Systems Study__________
Data Analysis__________________
Reports Evaluation ___ - - - - - - - - - Developing the New System ___ - - - - _ _
Considering a Specialty Form____
Selecting the Medium ___ - _ - - - - - Selecting Specific Equipment_____
Do's and Don'ts of Automation __ - - - _

14
14
15

29
29
29
31
31
31
31

Page

Conversion Creation of a Native Language___________________________
V. MACHINEABLE FUNCTIONS
What Functions____________________
Performing Functions with Punched
Paper Tape______________________
Interpreting_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Verifying______________________
Writing_______________________
Duplicating____________________
Arranging_____________________
Selecting_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Merging_______________________
Matching______________________
Counting ______ - _ _ _ ___ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _

Deliberate Creation of a Native Language___________________________
Holes in Tapes_________________
Holes in Cards_________________
Holes in Tags__________________
Perforations in Coupons_________
Dots__________________________
Bars__________________________

Byproduct Creation of a Native Language___________________________
Holes in Tape__________________
Holes in Cards_________________
Holes in Tags__________________
Perforations in Coupons_________

32
32
35
36
38

40
45
46
46
46
47
48
48
48
49
49
49
49
50
51
52
52
52
54
55
57
57
59
59
59
59
60
62

63
63
63
67
69
71
71
72
73
74
76
76
77

I. INTRODUCTION

During the last 50 years the American economy
has become increasingly dependent upon paperwork. The ratio of clerical workers, in the
process, has gone from 1 in 40 of the total
work force at the beginning of the century to
1 in 6 at the present.
Paperwork processing in this country now
costs about $40 billion a year for clerical
salaries and for office tools-everything from
typists, punchcard operators, and bookkeepers
to pencils, paper, typewriters, adding machines,
duplicators, and items of electronic hardware.
Of this grand total, the annual Federal outlay
is nearing $5 billion.
Today about 20 percent of the paperwork
in the Federal Government has been automated in one way or another. An account
of this would tend to be divided into three
parts: (1) automated data processing, (2)
automated information storage and retrieval,
and (3) source data automation. This handbook is concerned with the last, and with the
other two only when a controlling interrelation
exists.

Source data automation has progressed
much more slowly than other technological
improvements. The reason was probably the
reluctance of executives to accept change. It
was difficult to sell the idea that a machine
could accurately produce, in 1 day's time,
four to five times more work than a clerk
could produce manually.
In 1912, John Wahl combined the adding
machine with the typewriter to produce the
first descriptive accounting machine. This
made it possible, for the first time, to type
item descriptions and to compute account
balances in a single operation, rather than two
separate operations.
The first front-carriage-feed accounting
machine was marketed in 1928. This machine
made it possible to produce, in one writing,
multiple forms of differing content. No longer
was it necessary to prepare statements, ledgers,
and journals in three independent steps.
By means of carbon paper, all coul
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Channel l
Channel 2
Feed Holes
Channel 3
Channel 4
Channel

Fig. 4

The five-channel code, the same basic
code developed by Jean Emile Baudot in 1870,
satisfied the communications industry-and
still satisfies it today. When an attempt was
made to apply the tape-producing typewriter

tuation, numerals, and special symbols. Another combination is reserved to signal the
machine to shift to "lowercase," which contains the alphabetic characters in all capitals.
Still other combinations are reserved for space,
line feed, and carriage return. The code
structure (combinations of holes) used by the
communications industry is illustrated in figure 3.
With the precedent punching technique,
the communications industry increased the
coding capacity of 5-channel tape to 52 possible
combinations for characters, numbers, and
punctuation marks-still leaving 6 code combinations to control certain machine functions.
The items marked FIGS and LETTERS in
figure 3 are the precedent punching codes for
numeric or alphabetic entries.
To send a message via the telecommunications code, the operator first punches the
desired precedent code. Then the operator
punches one or more carriage returns and line
advances to get blank paper in front of the
keys of the receiver and to position the carriage
at the beginning of a line. The operator then
proceeds to punchout the message. Figure 4
illustrates the address portion of a typical
message punched in tape. Figure 5 illustrates
how this address would appear when typed by
the receiver on a telecommunications circuit.

ADDRESS AS TYPED BY THE
TELECOMMUNICATIONS RECEIVER
FROM THE ABOVE TAPE

JOHN DOE
43 RYE STREET

NOTE: The numerals 4 and 3 are identical
in code structure to the alphabetical
characters R and E. They would have
been received as letters except that
they had been preceded by the precedent punch for FIGURES. Also, note
that all alphabetical characters are
capital letters.

Fig. 5

to other operations, however, it was discovered
that some things the typewriter can do could
not be done by the telegraph equipment.
The message was limited to capital letters,
for example.
Modern source data automation obviously
requires more than the 32 basic codes provided
by the 5-channel tape. Capital and lowercase alphabet, punctuation, special characters,
and machine control codes are needed. Tapes
with six, seven, and eight channels meet these
requirements. No standard arrangement for
the code designations exists. Figure 6 illustrates the most commonly used eight-channel
paper-tape code configurations.

• Relevant data, other than that to be
"machined," can be written on wide
tape.
• Wide tape can be filed "visually" in any
visible records system for quicker filing
and finding.

COMMON EIGHT CHANNEL PAPER TYPE
CODE CONFIGURATION
8 Channel

CARD

PUNCH

AUTOMATED

STANDARD CHANNEL NUMBERS

0 (ZERO_l

1
2

4
5
6
7
8
9

Short bits of information, used repetitively,
are hard to file and find in rolls of tape. Interpretation, that is translation, onto the tape of
the meaning of the holes in the tape is done by
very few machines-thus data are blind in
most tapes. Relevant data, other than that
to be processed by machine, cannot be made
part of the tape.
Wide tape overcomes most of these difficulties. Wide tapes were designed to store
coded information, with additional space allowed for written information. They are
easily filed in conventional card-filing equipment. Wide tapes may be of almost any size,
style, or shape-provided sufficient space is
available along the edge to contain the five-,
six-, seven-, or eight-channel code structure
to be used. Samples of wide tapes are shown
in figure 7.
Some of the advantages of wide tapes over
rolled or folded narrow tapes are:

2
2
3
3
3
3

7
7
7
7
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6
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SPACE

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5

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4
4

6
6
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6
6
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5
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4
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/-?
STOP

'"1:

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PUNCH ON
UPPER CASE
t

5
5

4
4
4

3
3
3
3

5
5

4
4

O]CH

1
1
1

TAB
CONTROL
PUNCH OFF
DATA SELECTOR' (AUX. 31
FORM FEED (AUX. LJ

2
BACK SPACE

2
1
1
1
1

3
3

;/;

2
2

Fig. 6

ADDRESS IDEN. (AUX
LOWER CASt

7
7

2
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8
EL

1
1

3
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3
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2
2

3
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6
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TYPEWRITER
£ERO_l0 - l
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• Small bits of data can be found more
readily.
• Small bits of data can be filed more
easily.
• Interpretation
(translation
of the
punched holes) can be printed.
• Identification of the contents by filing
or locating symbols can be included.
• Instructions for use, and other pertinent
handling information, can be placed
on wide tape.

5
5

A
B

&
SKIP
END CARD 1
END CARD 2
CCR. TAB
ERROR
Pl - 1
Pl - 2
Pl - 3
Pl - 4
Pl - 5
Pl - 6
Pl - 7
SP - 1
SP - 2
CR
TAPE FEED
END LINE

1
1

Advantages of Wide Tape

TAPE FEED
CAR. RET

REPRESENTATIVE WIDE TAPES

•
· · ·1· · r················ ······
Single Edge - Wide Tape

.............................

•

. . ·1· . l ..................... .
Double Edge - Wide Tape
Fig. 7

Today, punched cards are employed in a
multiplicity of operations of a numeric, alphabetic, or alphanumeric nature. New capabilities are constantly being added to already
existing machines, or completely new machines
are being marketed. Speeds have increased
over the course of time, and more prompt and
timely reporting is achievable.

Wide tapes of the conventional 3- by 7-inch
fanfold variety are supplied in boxes of 1,000
each. They may be torn apart into unit
records of one or more 7-inch lengths, to fit
the job requirements. They may be cut apart
by a precision cutter which removes one code
position at the beginning of each series of cards.
Wide tapes of almost any dimension, limited
in size only by use and filing requirements,
can also be obtained. These cut cards must
have the prepunched feed holes needed for
source data automation equipment.

The Physical Characteristics of Cards
Size. A set of the different cards used by the
various machines which operate from or produce
cards includes the following sizes:

PUNCHED CARDS AS CARRIERS

7% inches wide by 3X inches long-

The first punchcard equipment made its
appearance around 1890. At that time the
equipment was designed for the production of
numeric statistics only. Sensing a hole punched
in a card actuated dials or counters which
recorded selected statistical factors.
For the next 25 to 30 years improvements
were introduced and usage gradually widened.
Printing machines were produced to write
the statistical data. Alphabetic information
was added to the card and to the printouts.
Counters were added to permit limited mathematical operations.

Used for the 80-column International
Business Machines Corp. card and
the 90-column cards of the Sperry
Rand Corp. (formerly Remington
Rand, Inc.).
Any width less than 7% by 3X inches long.
Used as a detachable coupon from
either the International Business
Machines or the Sperry Rand card.
Color. The most common color is white.
For distinguishing different decks of cards,

for identifying special-purpose cards, and for
visual spot checking, cards may be obtained
in almost any color; white, salmon, yellow,
green, blue, and red predominate. In addition,
striped cards can be procured which have a
narrow band or stripe of color across the top
edge of the card. Combining stripes and card
colors affords all needed color distinction.
Shape of Holes. The code structure used
by the International Business Machines Corp.
is punched into 80-column cards in rectangular
holes. Sperry Rand expresses code structure
in round holes. Because of differences in the
code structure and in the internal mechanisms of
the various machines, a card punched with
rectangular holes cannot normally be used in
a round hole machine, or the reverse.
Fields. In planning the use of any card, the
number of columns available in the card is
divided into fields. A field is a column or
group of columns reserved to record a certain
kind of alphabetic or numeric data. For
example, columns 1 through 23 could be reserved
for employee names; columns 24 through 30 for
employee number.

hole in the card. Thus, cards must be nonelectrical conducting and free of carbon spots.
In the mechanical process, metal pins pass
through the holes in a card and activate mechanical devices to perform a specified function;
the metal pins are stopped by the card when
there is no hole.
In the photoelectrical process, cards are
light sensed. Cards pass over a bank of photoelectric cells above which is positioned a bank
of lights. If a hole exists in the card, light is
passed and the machine is actuated.
Thickness of the card is critical in all
processes, as each machine must be able to
separate one card from the next card rapidly.
Thus all card stock is of a uniform thickness,
adequate to provide strength and durability.

Code Structure
The native languages of the 80- and 90-column
cards are different. Since the number of columns in the card is interrelated to the code
structure of these native languages, each card
column capacity must be discussed separately.
80-Column Card. From left to right, columns
of the card are numbered 1 through 80. Each
column contains 12 possible punching positions,
or locations for holes. The punching positions
are identified, starting from the bottom of the
card with 9 and proceeding back through 0 in
numerical regression. The 11th punching position, known to the trade as the 11 or X position,
is located above the 0 position. The 12th
punching position, known as the 12 or R position, is located above the 11th. Positions 1
through 9 are known as digit positions; X and
R as zone positions; and 0 as a digit or zone
position depending upon its use.
In the native language, a digit is represented by punching a single hole in the appropriate digit position in a column of the card.
The alphabet is represented by punching a hole
in a zone position and a digit position in a
single column of the card. Symbols are represented by combinations of zone and digit position punches in a single column of the card.
Figure 9 illustrates the code structure, the
native language of the 80-column card.
Zone punches (X and R positions), without
any accompanying digit position punch, are
also frequently used for card identification or
for control of certain machine functions.

Card Stock. The holes in the cards must be
sensed by the machines through which they
pass. This is accomplished• Electrically with cards containing rectangular holes.
• Mechanically with cards containing
round holes.
• Photoelectrically with cards containing
round holes.
In the electrical process, figure 8, the card
passes over a metal roller and under a series of
metal brushes. As a metal brush feels a hole,
contact is made with the roller, thus completing
an electrical circuit. Completing the circuit
sends a pulse to tell the machine what function
to perform. The pulse is identified in the
equipment by• Location of the brush; that is, the column
of the card.
• Timing of the pulse corresponding to the
position of the hole; that is, the 4
position.
Since the contact between the brush and
the roller is important to operate the machine,
a contact must not be made unless there is a

ELECTRICAL PUNCHED
CARD READING

NUMERIC INFORMATION

Odd-Numbered Digits and Zero-

Metal

A single hole in the position of the number
desired.

Brush

Even-Numbered DigitsA hole in the 9 position and a second hole
in the position one number lower than
the number desired. Hence holes in the
"9" and "1" positions give "2," and
holes in the "9" and "5" positions give

Metal

Fig. 8

"6."
90-Column Card. The card is first divided
into two halves horizontally. The upper half
contains columns 1 through 45, from left to
right. The lower half contains columns 46
through 90, from left to right.
Each column, in each half of the card, has
six possible punching positions-locations for
a hole. The punching positions are identified,
starting with the bottom of each column, as the
9, 7, 5, 3, 1, and 0 positions.
The code structure, native language, is
punched into the cards as follows:

ALPHABETIC INFORMATION

A combination of two or three holes in a
single column gives an alphabetic character. Ten characters use 2-hole combinations, and the remaining 16 use 3-hole
combinations.

Figure 10 illustrates the code structure,
the native language of the 90-column card.

CODE STRUCTURE FOR 80 COLUMN PUNCHED CARD

0123456769

I
I

12 Punch
11 or x Punch

Zone
Punches

Upper Right
Cornercut

ABCDEfGH I JKLMNOPQRSTUV\JXYZ

&'lt,$.-/tD/.liJX.

111111111

I
I I

I
I

000000010000001000000000 000000000000000000000001111111•000000001000101000000000
123451111uttuuu"unuua~ttnM

avan•~~~~~5~••~~uu~~•u••~~U~M••~•••PUaM••Q••~nnnunnnnna

11111111111111111111111111111111111111111III1111111111111111111111111111111111t1
22222221222222221222222222222221222222221222222212222222222222222222222222222222
33333331333333333133333 33333333l33333333l3333333l3333333333333llll3333333333333

44 4 4 4 441444 444 4 44 414 4 4 4 4 4 ~ 4,4 4 4 4414 4 4 4 4 4 4 414 4 44 44 414 44 4 44 4 4 4444 4 44 44411114 444 4 44
D1g1t Punches
5555555155555555555.555555555555551555555551555555515555555555555555555555555555

ca·
::;:
-0

::s
:r

:;·
IQ

&6&66&61&&666&&6666&1&&6&666666&6&61&&6666&6166666&&1&&66666666&&&&&&&6&&666&6i&

111 77 1111111111111 77 1111111111 77 1111I1 11 1 1 1 1 111111111111 77 11111111111111111.111. 11

BBBBBBBIBBBB888888BBBllBB8888888881BlllB88888BIB188881IBBIBIBBBllllBBllllBllBIBI
99999991999999999999999 99J99999999999l99999999l9999999l999999999999999999999999
123•s1111uttn»Mqdnuua~ttn

Column Numbers

The Digit
Punches

~avaa•~~n~~•P•••~ruu~•u••~~u~~~-~~••PRUM••P••nnnn~aannna

.__ _ _ The Alphabet--_.

Fig. 9

11
7'27-'9'9·5 0-65---R

Special
Characters

CODE STRUCTURE FOR 90 COLUMN PUNCHED CARD
The Alphabet

-- -_Wt•'.•
2 ~-~-!5- ~- ~ _s_ ~ -----------.A.Bf_i_••
F -~ ~- ~ -.J_ec_ •'-'·o_P -°-.R-.s_T_iJtli.y-~
12

34 34 34 34 34 34 • •

34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 • • 34

•

34 . . . . 34 34 34 . . . 34

34 •

34 • •

3' •

~%~~~~~~--~~~~~~~~~--~-~~·~···~··~~-~-~-~~~~
78

78 • • 78

78 •

•

78 . . . 78

78 . . . . . . 18 • • 18

:II

999999

99999

~~ 41

A I B 2 . 3 , 4 .5 F 6 G 7 H 8 I 9
Punches
1;-1;-i;-i;-1;12-12-12

:s..

34 34 34

34 34

:s..

12 ·1;12-;;....-• • 1z-;;-12

34 34 34 34

'2- ;;-12- . . i;-1 2-12-i2-1212-i2-1212-;;·;;12-;;-12 l2-i;-1212-i2-12

34 34 . . . . 34

34 34 3 4 . 3 4 . 3 4 34 34 34 34 34

34 34

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-~-~~~-~~·~··~~~-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
18

,fit

78 18

19 18

9. 9

18 •

18 18

9. 9

18 . . . . 18 18

9 •• 9

9-.

1 8 18 1 8 18 18

18 18
9
"

18 18

•

Fig. 10

TAGS AS CARRIERS
The newest method of source data automation
is the print-punch tag attached to many items
in modern department stores. The tag contains a series of small holes, the native language,
as well as printed information identifying the
user and the item to which the tag is attached.
The tag may be a single part (one stub) or
several parts (two or more detachable stubs),
depending upon the procedures developed for
the user. The holes in the tag represent
selected data which the user requires for automated operations.
Although most of the applications for
print-punch tags have been in the merchandising
of material from a store to a customer, applications are not limited to this field. Inventory
control, manufacturing records, production
control, material inspection, and piecework payroll have successfully utilized tags as the
medium of source data automation. Printpunch tags are particularly useful when small
size or ability to withstand heavy abuse are
important factors.

Dimensions of
tag (in inches)

Small ...... .
Medium .... .
Large ...... .

2.2 by 1 .... .
2.7 by 1 .... .
3.2 by 1 .... .

Number of
tags to a set

2 to 6.
1 to 10.
1to10.

Color. Most tags are produced in white.
Since most tags are printed with at least the
identification (name and adc;lress) of the user,
colored stripes of all varieties can be obtained
for color-coding purposes.
Tags
must
withstand
frequent
handlings by customers, store employees, or
production workers. They must frequently
be re-marked to reflect price adjustments.
Accordingly tags are produced on card stock
13 points in thickness (0.0013 inch thick).
Extra heavy tags of 15 points thickness can
be procured to meet abnormal conditions.
Tag stock can be coated with or impregnated
with various waxes or chemicals. Such coating
permits the tags to be attached to items of
manufacture, for production control, while
these items are being processed through the
assembly and production lines.
Stock.

The Physical Characteristics of Tags
Size. A set of the different tags used by the
various machines which operate from or produce
tags would include-

Capacity. Capacity of a tag is measured in
two areas-printing and punching. Maximum

Processing Tags

capacities are as follows:

DiAits of inform.ation
PunchinA

PrintinA

20
25
31

Small tag ..... .
Medium tag .. .
Large tag .... .

47
59

If tags are to be converted to cards or
tape, and data are to be added which is not
punched into the tag, the first space from the
left of the tag must be reserved as a control
column.
Printing is accomplished by setting dials
on equipment developed to print and encode
the tags simultaneously. Items which are
encoded in the punched holes of the tag may be
printed or not printed, as determined by needs
of the user. If the user is willing to forego
using 10 digits of printed information on the
tag, provision can be made to substitute
logotype printing (slugs of type containing
fixed descriptions) of such things as fiber content
and fiber name.
Figure 11 is an illustration of upper and
lower line printing on the large tag. The
amount of data that can be included on a tag
by well-planned coding is noteworthy.

Within the maximum capacity of the tag, all
identifying data known about a unit of merchandise can be punched in five-channel code.
This recording is done to permit picking up
these data after the item has been sold. At
present, no known equipment will directly
process from print-punch tags. Conversion to
another of the native languages, punched
cards, paper tape, or magnetic tape, is necessary.
Data encoded in the print-punch tag may be
processed by• Conversion to punched card, paper tape,
or magnetic tape by an off-line converter.
• Conversion to paper tape or magnetic
tape at the time of sale by using a
point-of-sale recorder.
Supplementary data, such as salesperson, date,
or price, known only at the time of
sale may be added to the tape simultaneously.
Since the print-punch tag may be multipart, several conversions may be necessary in
a paperwork cycle, each conversion serving a
specific purpose in the overall procedure.
Figure 12 illustrates a multipart tag which
could require two conversion operations.

COUPONS AS CARRIERS
The average American homeowner, car owner,
or installment buyer is aware of the perforated
coupon as a method of source data automation.
The amounts, dates, and payment numbers,
which are perforated in the coupon, are readable.
The perforated coupon has been in use
for a long time. It has been common in banks,
finance companies, mortgage companies, and
department stores for many years. Recent
improvements have expanded the potential of
coupons as a means of source data automation.
These improvements now deserve attention in
a number of areas of Government paperwork.
Perforations, it must be remembered, are
in the native language of the human eye,
since they form readable characters and figures.
Today machines are designed to read and
translate these data into a native machine
language for processing the coupon.

LARGE PRINT-PUNCH TAG
WITH UPPER & LOWER LINE PRINTING

••~56~1.i3l£56~:'!~

•.·:llVENT-ORY

• PLA TEHOLDER

e AK324

TICKET

Fig. 11

Punched Code
The code structure, native language, for
recording selected data in the tag is similar to
the five-channel code structure used in the
communications industry (described under the
discussion of tape). Five small holes, in a
vertical line, represent a single digit of data.
Punching is numeric only.

MULTI-PART TAG
FOR MANUFACTURING CONTROL OF APPLIANCES

,.....

• .....
•
•
•
•
•

.. ... .......

COMPANY NAME

•
• ••
•••• •••• ••• •••••• ••
••
•
• • •
• ••
•
845 32 • 1255
8
SERIAL NO.
DATE
MODEL

This stub remains on appliance after
shipping and serves as customer
reference information .

t--- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - SHIPPING

••••• • •• • ••• • • • ••••••
•••• •••• •• ••• • • •••••••
• • •
• ••
•
845 32 • 1255
8
SERIAL NO.

DATE

This stub detached when appliance
is shipped and is used as record of
shipment.

MODEL

~--------------~

PRODUCTION

• • • ••••••
•••••
•• •• ••••••• • ••••
•• • •••••• ••
••
• ••
• • •
•
845 32

SERIAL NO.

•

1255
DATE

This stub detached at completion of
production operation and is used as
record of production .

MODEL -

Fig. 12

The Physical Characteristics
of Coupons

cations industry can be included in the coupon.
In the financial world, for example, the fivechannel code can contain selected data of
interest to the financier but not readable by
the borrower. Figure 14 illustrates some inline five -channel coding as contained in a
coupon.
To permit the machines to read numeric
information- information perforated for the

Size. A representative set of the different
coupons used would show wide divergence in
size. Any size paper adequate to contain
perforations read by the human eye can be
processed through coupon-reading machines.
Figure 13 shows a typical coupon.
Methods also have been developed for
including selected data, not readable to the
human eye, in the coupon in a native machine
language. Capacity of the coupon to store
data has been increased.

A TYPICAL COUPON
(about 1I4 actual size)

Coupon Stock. Almost any weight of paper,
suited to the purpose, can be used as a coupon.
It is well to remember, however, that books
containing multiple coupons are all perforated
simultaneously. Thus, a heavier weight paper
may reduce the number of coupons produced
in one perforating operation. The average perforator can generate 20 coupons in 1 operation.

Perforating Code
The in-line code of the five-channel variety
similar to the native language of the communi-

Fig. 13

PERFORATED IN-LINE CODING
FIVE CHANNEL

I: •:•., --- HUMAN
Five Channel
in-line coding

••••••

• • • • •

•

EYE PERFORATIONS

·~---- SPROCKET HOLE

Fig. 14

human eye- the five-channel in-line code pattern is spread into three adjoining columns
instead of a single vertical column. Figure 15
illustrates the method of accomplishing this
spread into three columns. The complete
digital pattern for three-column coding- the
native language of the perforated coupon- is
illustrated in figure 16. For visual reading,
seven channels are perforated. However, for
mechanical reading, only five of the channels
are utilized.
Comparing the digit reading pattern (threecolumn code) with the in-line reading pattern
(five-channel code) indicates that very little
difference exists. As a result, coupon-reading
equipment can perform dual reading tasks,
switching from one reading pattern to the
other upon receipt of a switching symbol. This
symbol serves in the same manner as the

precedent symbol for the tape machines.
Figure 17 illustrates a technique for combining into one set of perforations the code
for both the three-column reading and the
five-channel reading.

Processing Coupons
Sorters are avai.lable to place randomly received coupons in account number order for
processing. Readers are available to sense
the native language of the coupon and emit
the pulse for translation of the holes into the
native language of paper tape, punched card,
or magnetic tape. During processing, some
additional data may be encoded in-line, five channel code, onto the coupon by some model
readers. Beyond the sorting and reading,
all other processing is done after conversion
~o another native language.

READING PATTERN COMPARISON BETWEEN 5 CHANNEL
PUNCHED TAPE AND PERFORATED CHARACTERS

l
I
I
I

••
••
•

I
)
I

+.
+.

+ + +
+

+e+
• + +
(

)

5 Channel Tape
Code with all
Channels punched

+
+ + +

•

Perforated Punch
Pattern with all
Channels
punched

••
•
•

)
(

(

5 Channel Code
with Numeral 7

Fig . 15

I
I

•

•
•
•

Perforated
Numeral 7
as 3 Column
Reader reads it

••••
•
••

• •

Perforated
Numeral 7
as Human Eye
reads it

PERFORATED CHARACTER CODES
(3 COLUMN READER)

OeO
eeo
o@o
oeo
o•o

oeo
eo@
OO•
o•o
eOO

•••
•••
l® 2®

eoo ••
•••
eOO
oo@ eoo •

o@o eoe
OO• @••
•o@ oo®
oeo OOe

3®

o•• ••• o•o
eoo oo@ •o@
eOO
o@o o@o
•@o
OOe @o• @oo @o•
•o@ eo@ eoo •o@
o•o o•o eoo o•o
6@

7®

oeo oeo 000
•o@ •o@ 000
eoe •o• o@o
oee @o• ®••
oo@ •o@ oeo
eeo oeo 000
90

o®

Fig. 16
NOTE: Only the circled black dots are read by the three column reading mechanism

DUAL READING TECHNIQUE
(COMBINING 3 COLUMN READING WITH INLINE READING)

DIGIT
PATIERN

IN-LINE
PATIERN

000

OO(j)-1
O(j)O -2
(j)O 0 -3

COMBINATION OF
IN-LINE & DIGIT CODE
FOR PHOTOELECTRIC
READING

000

(j) - 1

OO(j)-1

0 (j)(j) -2

0 0 (j) -4

•
•
•

0 0

0
•

0 --

- 5

Check Hole
Sprocket Hole

•

-2
-3
-4

(f)oe-3
0

O(j)-4

000

-5

(f)-5

0 -

0
Fig. 17

Sprocket Hole

III. THE NATIVE LANGUAGES
OF READING MACHINES
Native languages are not limited to holes.
There are machines that read text, or read
characters (as those in magnetic ink on bank
checks), or read dots and dashes (bars) placed
on documents by credit card imprinters.
They read the print and convert it into the
native language of the machines involved so
that the machines can talk to each other.
Many people believe that these machine
reading methods open up an entirely new
vista of opportunity for source data automation.
Collectively they are often referred to as
scanning methods, or optical character recognition.
For a native language, one of the following
types of objects will be read:

e
e
e
e

filling in the small circles under the appropriate
columns on the special form, figure 18.
After the recording of data on the special
forms was completed, they were microfilmed.
The negative microfilm was processed through
FOSDIC, whose electronic circuitry translated
little dots of light (negative appearance of a
filled-in circle) into a pulse for recording directly
onto magnetic tape.
The pulse was created at the rate of 1,000
spots per second for translation to the native
language of the computer. Data recorded by
the enumerator at the source were used to feed
a computer.
The black rectangles on the form, figure 18,
serve one or more of the following purposes:

Tilt Marks-To permit FOSDIC to determine how the microfilm image is alined
in relation to its scanner mechanism.

DOTS
BARS
SELECTED TYPE FACES
MAGNETIC INK

Size Checks-To permit FOSDIC to adjust for slight variation in microfilm
reduction ratios.

DOTS AS A NATIVE LANGUAGE

Index Checks-To permit FOSDIC to
position its scanning beam on a field of
data.

At this time, two machines use dots as a native
language. One is known to the trade as
FOSDIC, Film Optical Sensing Device for
Input to Computers, and is owned and operated
by the Department of Commerce, Bureau of
the Census. The other is known as DocuTran and is owned and operated by Science
Research Associates, Inc.
FOSDIC was used in the 1960 Census of
Population and Housing, one of the world's
largest statistical operations. The individual
census enumerator obtained information concerning a person, a family, and housing facilities.
He received the information (data) orally from
the householder or in a written form on documents which had been previously mailed to the
householder. The data were recorded by checking boxes or by writing dates or other facts on
a conventional form.
In the quiet of his home, the enumerator
transcribed data from the conventional form
on which it was recorded to a form specially
designed to capture the native language of
FOSDIC. Transcription was accomplished by

Special form techniques had to be developed to record certain data in the native
language of FOSDIC. Section P6 of figure 18
indicates how birth date had to be recorded,
in lieu of writing six Arabic digits as normally
used.
The DocuTran System of Science Research
Associates, Inc., varies principally from
FOSDIC in the direct use of the paper documents as input, instead of microfilm images.
Forms, used as input to DocuTran, may
be a minimum size of 5 by 3 inches; a maximum
of 8% by 11 inches. Each position for recording
data is indicated by a tiny printed circle. Data
are recorded by filling in a circle with a common
pencil. On a maximum size form there are
5,320 possible positions (called response positions) for recording data. Several positions
may be dedicated to a multiple-choice answer
and as such are called a field. Figures 19
through 21 illustrate several of the techniques
used to record various types of data.

FORM USED FOR FOSDIC RECORDING THE NATIVE LANGUAGE IN DOTS
CONFIDENTIAL

.--

"
·~
I!

'f>''rMo

•

I ll..4£B.

from°'/:::::: I

• ....

2 ,_
No.

DEPARTMENT Df COMMERCE BUllAU OF THE CENSUS

1960 CE'"SUS OF POPULATION AND HOUSING

•

SECON ial treat•
reulatlon.
~v"!.": relatto1111/up in P3 Before hsttng "other FOURTH-.1£na.A!JL check0 hsll::fi 1~
Sec.B,1
out 1f they have separate quorters I•
Y
• '
~ask·
Is there anyone staying here now wha
~ .!!~·
lie. name of Iha haad ol lhh haUHhal

[Q 3~ 1 -a- 5

c:v

0
0
0
0

•0
0
0

1-6_

l 0
Fig. 19

••

BIRTHDATE
Month
JAN

FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT

Year
@

@
@

•

51-column card-20 columns of read or
preset information.

n..

A sample of the data read from bar code
and punched into the same card is shown in
figure 25.
With special machines designed for barcode reading, the following additional functions
can also be performed:

Fig. 25

Number-Assign a consecutive number
(six-digit maximum) to each detail card
for reconciliation or batch control.

Accumulate-Add imprinted amount on
detail cards, and punch a summary card.

Balance-Compare a stored total from an
accumulator to a predetermined total
on a batch control card.

List-List data, from each detail card, for
a transaction register or batch control.

SELECTED TYPEFACES AS A
NATIVE LANGUAGE

The machine -reading results are always best if
the print is of a consistent and reliable quality.

Another widespread method of machine reading
involves the reading of selected typefaces.
Credit cards often have numbers embossed on
the card to represent the account number.
The digits may be accompanied by the bars
previously described or may appear by themselves on the card. The numbers sometimes
have a rather odd, highly stylized appearance.
Figure 26 illustrates a typical card with a
stylized typeface, a native language. Some of
the st ylized type fonts are designed specifically
for a particular method of machine reading.
For other methods of reading, a stylized typeface may be helpful, but not necessary. The
embossed numbers are often stylized to improve
the print quality and machine recognition.

Code Structure
Existing machines read one of three codes.
These code structures are• Numeric data only.
• Numeric and Qpper case alphabetic data.
• Numeric and upper and lower case
alphabetic data.
Each alphabetic character or numeric
digit has been designed as a distinctive shape
that cannot be read as another character or
digit regardless of the quality of the image.
For example, the numeral "6" cannot be read
by the machine as the numeral "8" because of
a poor impression or carbon.

A CREDIT CARD
WITH STYLIZED TYPE FACE
~1,IJBr.Qtl~

ANOTHER MODEL OF
AN IMPRINTING DEVICE

CH).1111 ;;;;;~;;, ;;EDIT CARD
CHEVRON S T ATIONS
We i1pprM1 aff'

ha¥ 1ni w- rved

yo u $• ne e

123 IJ5b 18'1

MR MODERN TRAVELER
GOOD T"H R OUG H

Fig. 26

Figure 27 is illustrative of another selected
type font containing numerals, and also upper
and lower case alphabetic data for a specific
model machine. Though the typeface looks
only slightly different from the printed word
we read daily, it is in reality a native language
for a particular machine.

Processing Data
Machines which read type faces and process
the data vary widely. The data generated by
reading machines are frequently used in conjunction with other data-processing equipment,
such as punched card or computer equipment.
Thus, the output of reading machines is often
the native language of the paper tape, punched
card, or magnetic tape machines. Many reading machines can also be connected to electronic
computers as a direct on-line input device.
Machines are not only restricted to reading
one of the three possible code structures, but
are also restricted to reading this structure on a
certain medium. Machines may be categorized
as Document Readers, Page Readers, and Selfpunch Readers. The capabilities of each kind
of reader are briefly described in the following
paragraphs.
Document Reader. The document reader is
a machine, similar to the one in figure 28, that
has the capability of reading one or two lines
of data at a time, from paper or card stock
documents ranging in size from 2 % inches by
2% inches up to 8~ inches by 6 inches. It will

accept data printed by many conventional
machines, such as typewriters, adding machines,
and high-speed printers. Pencil or ink marks
in preprinted mark guides may be used to
produce specific codes in the output. Location
of lines to be read may vary from one application to another within the specified margin
requirements of the reader.
Some of the features which may be added
to the document reader are as follows:
Batch header-Allows data read from
the first document, a header document,
to be recorded in the output for all
subsequent documents.
Ac cum u 1a tor-Accumulates variable
amounts from documents it has read
and transfers totals to output. Device
will print on a lister, if desired, as well as
add, subtract, and read signs (plus and
minus).
List printer-Prints on a continuous
tape the data received from the reader
or accumulator.
Serial numberer-Generates an ascending serial number for each document
read, and includes that number in
output.

Page Reader. The page reader is a machine,
similar to the one in fig. 29, that has the capability of reading all of the information contained on pages ranging in size up to 83~ inches
by 13~ inches. Information contained on a

A TYPE FONT FOR A READING MACHINE
This electronic wonder perforrr.s the same funct,ion you are
p e r_. f or mi n g now ; . i t r ea d s t h i s t y p e s t y I e , u p p e r an d I owe r
case alphabetic characters, common punctuation marks, and
numeric characters, 0123'+5b78q. Model IPSP has abi Ii ty
either to read ful I Rages of typewritten information,
single or double-spa~ed, or to scan entire pages in
search of particular information, further translating it
into a punched paper tape code. Whether the 5-level or
the b-level code is used, the page reader scans and punches
2'+0 characters per second, ·automatically feeding from page
t o pa g e • Amo n,g t h e man y po t en t i a I u s es , · t h e I P s p o ff e rs
automated systems in such areas as communications transmission, typesetting, data reducti~n, scientific literature
abstraction, catalog-indexing and language translation.
Fig. 27

A DOCUMENT READER

Fig. 28

page is read a line at a time from documeiits
printed with the type font selected for that
machine. It will accept data printed by
many conventional machines, such as typewriters, adding machines, and high-speed printers. The page reader is normally equipped
with locators which enable the machine to
find the vertical position of the first line to
be read and to ignore all printing above that
first line.
Some of the features which may be added
to the page reader are as follows:

Selfpunch Reader. The selfpunch reader is a
machine, like the one in figure 30, that has the
capability of reading data imprinted on a
card and punching the data into the same card.
A single line of data on each punched card is
read and punched. Data to be read are most
frequently imprinted from metal or plastic
cards containing the appropriate typeface
embossed thereon. Punching into the card
is machine verified to assure accuracy.
Some of the features which may be added
to a selfpunch reader are as follows:

Counters-Count the lines read and the
punched cards produced by the reader.
Serial num.berer-Generates an ascending serial number for each page read and
includes that number in output.
Shift registers-Position variably right
registered fields, such as money amounts,
in the correct columns of a field of data on
a punched card.

Preprogram.er-Permits adding constant
data to each record read.
variable
Ace um. ula tor-Accumulates
amounts from documents it has read
and transfers totals to output.
Serial num.berer-Generates an ascending serial number for each document
read and includes that number m
output.

A PAGE READER

Fig. 29

Tabulator-Prints out and totals a proof
journal of all punched data.
List printer-Lists on a continuous form
the data received during the reading
cycle or received from an auxiliary
punched-card input.

This native language and its associated
equipment unlocked the door to source data
automating the largest non-government paperwork-handling application made to date.

Code Structure
The MICR language consists of 10 digits,
zero through 9, and 4 special sym bots, figure 31,
printed in a stylized typeface with an ink
containing particles of iron oxide.
The digits can be read by the human eye,
with a little imagination on the part of the
reader. They resemble the shapes of the digits
we are familiar with.

MAGNETIC INK AS A NATIVE
LANGUAGE
In April 1959, the American Bankers Association published the specifications for a native
language to be used in the banking industry,
Magnetic Ink Character Recognition, familiarly called MICR.

A SELFPUNCH READER

fig. 30

Data Fields

Specific areas within the universal 6-inch
area are designated to contain specific types of
data common to all banking operations. All
data fields, as illustrated in figure 32, are measured from the right edge of the check.
All data, except the amount, can be printed
before the bank issues the check to the user.
The amount is encoded by the first bank
receiving the check for processing.

To make MICR usable as a native language, it
was necessary to define what magnetic printing
was essential and where it should appear on a
check.
The bottom five-eighths inch is reserved for
encoding in MICR. A space of 6 inches, measured from the right edge of the check, is specified
as the universal imprinting area. On large
checks data can be recorded outside the 6-inch
universal area, which will not be processed by
other banks handling the check during clearance.

Processing Data
The particles of iron oxide in the MICR ink are
magnetized by the machines which process the

MAGNETIC INK CHARACTER RECOGNITION TYPE FONT

Fig. 31

DATA FIELD LOCATION FOR MICR

Fig. 32

magnetic ink may control the actual posting
to the proper accounts, the preparation of
statements, and the preparation of reports for
the bank and for the Federal Reserve System.
For convenience and economy of printing,
magnetic ink is permissible on any part of the
check. The MICR machines read only characters in the areas on the document specified
by the American Bankers Association. Regular
ink appearing anywhere on the form, even over
data imprinted in magnetic ink in the specified
location, will have no effect on the processing
of the selected data, since it does not have the
ability to receive and maintain magnetic charge.
MICR can be converted to punched holes
in tapes or cards, or magnetic tape, or fed
directly to a computer.

documents and the magnetized fields are detected by magnetic reading heads, very similar
to those in home tape recorders.
When MICR characters are magnetized in
the processing equipment, they send out pulse
patterns illustrated beside each digit and symbol
in figure 31. These pulse patterns are distinguished in the circuitry of the processing
machines to actuate other circuitry to perform
automated functions.
Sorting of checks by Federal Reserve bank
symbol, by American Bankers Association transit number, and individual bank account number is the current practice. This sorting alone
saves much labor and speeds up getting the
check to the bank on which it is drawn.
Further mechanizatipn can be accomplished
with specific models of MICR equipment. The

27
7127-995 0-65----5

IV. MODES OF CAPTURING DATA
With today's modern source data autornation
equipment there are available three major
modes of capturing selected data in the native
language of machines: .

models of equipment, production of the tape is
accompanied by simultaneous production of a
ribbon (hard) copy of the data on paper or
forms.
Another deliberate tape-generating mechanism, without the production of hard copy, is
a data recorder similar to the one shown in
figure 34. Variable data are manually set in
the keyboard of this device and all keyed
data are punched at one time into a five-channel tape. Fixed data, in limited amounts, can
be punched from code bars built into the machine at the time of manufacture. Mechanical
interlocks make the keyboard accept only certain digits in selected fields, when a control bar
is depressed. For example, if "Style Bar" in
the machine in figure 34 is depressed, selected
columns will be limited to certain predetermined numbers, thus reducing the possibility of
human error. Data can also be captured from
print-punch tags inserted in the recorder at the
time of operation.

e DELIBERATE CREATION
e BYPRODUCT CREATION
e CONVERSION CREATION
The machines used in source data automation
may be capable of performing in more than one
mode. For example, a machine which punches
a tape as a primary function may also be capable
of producing a byproduct tape in the same
native language.

DELIBERATE CREATION OF A
NATIVE LANGUAGE
The techniques of source data automation
require the manual depression of a key to
record a native language on a carrier. This is
the oldest method of deliberately creating a
native language. Key punching of cards, an
example of this mode, is still the widest used
manual method of data capture.
The following pages describe machines
which deliberately produce native language
carriers. Evaluation of each machine in the
framework of source data automation must be
based on the needs of the individual application.

DELIBERATE CREATION OF A
PUNCHED PAPER TAPE WITHOUT
A HARD COPY

Holes in Tapes
When tape is to be generated, it is possible to
create the native language deliberately by
depressing the keys of a punching device, similar to that shown in figure 33. On most

DELIBERATE CREATION OF A
PUNCHED PAPER TAPE WITH A
TYPEWRITER

Fig. 34

Holes in Cards
When punched cards are to be generated, it is
possible to create the native language deliberately by using-

Fig. 33

A keyboard-actuated punch, figure 35, to
produce an 80- or 90-column card .

.DELIBERATE CREATION OF A
PUNCHED CARD WITH A KEY
PUNCH MACHINE

Fig. 37

DE LIBERATE CREATION OF A
PUNCHED CARD USING
PORTABLE DATA RECORDER

Fig. 35
••

A stylus and a prescored card, figure 36, to
record a maximum of 40 columns in an
80-column card.

~
D AT A
PUNCH
•

DELIBERATE CREATION OF A
PUNCHED CARD USING PRESCORED
CARD AND STYLUS

•• v

•

Fig. 38

A portable nonelectric, lever set punch,
figure 39, to record information in a
standard or special plastic punched card.

Fig. 36

A conductor's punch and a card with
prepunched pilot holes, figure 3 7, to
record up to 90 columns in a round-hole
card.
A portable data recorder, figure 38, to
punch up to 80 columns of information,
6 columns at a time in an 80-column card.

Fig. 39

A special electrographic pencil and a
specially printed card, figure 40, to
record up to 2 7 columns of information
on an 80-column card.

containing the necessary data may be made
automatically without resetting the dials.

Perforations in Coupons
When coupons are used, it is possible to create
the native language deliberately, only by
setting dials, inserting pins, or depressing the
keys of a perforator, figures 42 and 43. Once
set, the machine will perforate many coupons
simultaneously.

Dots
When dots are to be scanned as the input, it
is possible to create the native language only
by blacking-in a circle with a pencil . on a
specially designed form.

Bars
When bars are to be scanned as the input for
selected data, it is possible to create the native
language deliberately by obtaining an impression
of the code from a metal or plastic plate, using
a device similar to that in figure 23.
Fig. 40

Selected Typefaces

Holes in Tags

When selected typefaces are to be read, it is
possible to create the native language deliberately with a data recorder similar to that in
figure 23. The native language can also be

When tags are used, it is possible to create
the native language deliberately, only by
setting the dials of a print-punch recorder,
figure 41. Once the dials are set, many tags

DELIBERATE CREATION OF A
COUPON USING A HAND
OPERA TED DEVICE

Fig. 41

Fig. 42

Methods of creating byproducts vary.
The following pages describe machines which
capture native languages as the byproduct of an
essential operation.

DELIBERATE CREATION OF A
COUPON USING AN
ELECTRICALLY OPERATED
PREFORATOR

Holes in Tape
Most models of equipment using tape as the
carrier of the native language produced the
tape and a ribbon copy simultaneously. Often
it is essential to type data, at its inception,
on some form or document. If at this time a
tape is produced for other steps in the paperwork cycle, the tape may be considered as the
byproduct of a necessary operation.
Most models of equipment which basically
operate from or produce paper tape permit
the simultaneous creation of one or two byproducts in native languages.
Figure 44 is an illustration of a procurement system existing in many places today.
Byproduct tapes can be produced by the
punching device which is an integral part of
the typewriter, by a cable connected auxiliary
tape punch, or by both punches. The byproduct tape being used in the second typewriter (6), figure 44, is producing still another
byproduct tape for further source data automation.
When a keypunch machine, 80 or 90
columns, is connected by cable to the tapeactuated typewriter (fig. 45), punched cards
are produced in their native language, as the
byproduct of a necessary typing operation.
It is worth noting that the tape-actuated
typewriter in this instance is reading punched
cards as its input, rather than conventional
tape. Typing from the punched card is controlled by the program tape in the equipment called the selective secondary input (2).
The punching devices, either those that
are integral parts of the typewriter or those
cable connected to the typewriter, may be
capturing in a native language all of the data,
selected bits of data, or a combination of all
and selected bits.
It is frequently possible to produce a
byproduct 5-, 6-, 7-, or 8-channel tape or
punched cards of the 80- or 90-column variety
without the use of a tape or punched card
device as the basic input. If a typewritten
document is not needed at the source of the

Fig. 43

created by typing or printing with the proper
typeface.

Magnetic Ink
When magnetic ink 1s used as the native
language for source data automation, it is
possible to create the language in an iron-oxidebearing ink, by use of standard duplicating or
printing equipment. Another way of creating
the language involves imprinting with a device
similar to that in figure 23, equipped with a
special ribbon bearing iron oxide ink.

BYPRODUCT CREATION OF A
NATIVE LANGUAGE
The byproduct capture of data in the native
machine language is not new, though it sometimes has not been recognized as such. For
many years it has been possible to list detailed
transactions from unit records in punched cards
and simultaneously create, through a cable
connected pie~e of · auxiliary equipment, a
summary card indicating total transactions on
a class of items.

PURCHASE ORDER AND CHECK WRITING SYSTEM USING BY PRODUCT DATA CAPTURE

Item Wide Tape

Vendor
Wide Tape

Auxiliary Tape Punch

®
-

...

---

-- .....

Selected
Data
Tape
Check and Voucher

Tape Actuated
Typewriter

File
Copy

Byproduct Tape

Tape-ToCard- Punch

Byproduct Tape
For Automatic

Writing of
Daily Check
Register and
Tape-to-Card
Conversion.

Fig. 44

Tape Actuated
Typewriter

SALES ORDER SYSTEM USING PUNCHED CARDS AND TAPE ACTUATED TYPEWRITER
Customer & Item
Punched Cards

CD
Sales Order

Unit to Control Operation
of Key Punch Machine

....

\
Byproduct Tape
for Automatic
Invoice Writing

Tape Actuated Typewriter

-----

with Punched Card Reader .~

•
Manual Data
Selector
Card Punch

Secondary Selective
Input Device and
Punched Card
Writing Control Unit

[G:-\~-1~1

Punched Cards
for Sales
- -- - - - Analyses and
Commission Computation.

Program Tape

Fig. 45

data, a paper tape or a punched card can be
created from the following conventional pieces
of office equipment:
Adding machines, figure 46, which perform all the regular functions of such
a machine and produce a punched
paper tape.
Accounting machines, figure 47, which
produce either paper tape or punched
cards as a byproduct of normal descriptive accounting procedures.
Bookkeeping machines, figure 48, which
produce either paper tape or punched
cards as a byproduct of normal nondescriptive accounting procedures.
Cash registers, figure 49, often called
point-of-sale recorders, which produce
either paper tape or punched cards as
a byproduct of on-the-spot sale recordings.

machine (commonly called a tabulator, which
trade term is used hereafter to avoid any
confusion with other types of accounting
machines). Figure 50 illustrates t:v.pical equipment. The tabulator could be producing a
summary listing or a detail unit record listing
of the cards it is reading, at the same time
it is producing the punched summary card.
Another byproduct of a punched card is
the result of card duplicating. The keypunch
machine, figure 51, used to create deliberately
the native language of the punched card, has
the ability to duplicate selected data from the
last card it punched into the card it is now
punching. Thus, the card duplicating feature
permits creation of a byproduct unit record·
from its previously punched unit record.
Byproduct punched cards are also possible
as the result of time and attendance recording.
A timeclock, figure 52, used to record time-in,
time-out, or other time factors, can print the
time on the card and simultaneously punch an
80-column card.
Metal or plastic identification cards, similar
to gasoline company credit cards, can contain
embossed data for repetitive writing in the
lower portion of the card and an in-line fivechannel code in punched holes in the upper
portion-another native language similar to the
five-channel telecommunications code. A card
of this nature is illustrated as figure 53. When
this card is used in a device similar to that

BY PRODUCT CAPTURE OF A
TAPE WITH AN ADDING
MACHINE

Fig. 46

Holes in cards
Many of the machines described in the previous
paragraphs, that are capable of producing tape
as a byproduct, can also produce punched
cards as a byproduct.
Perhaps the best known byproduct of
punched cards is the summary card. This
card is produced by cable connecting a device
known as a summary punch or document
originating machine to the electric accounting
7'2.7 -995 0-65----<6

Fig. 47

Fig. 48

shown in figure 54, the holes in the upper portion
of the card actuate a punching mechanism to
punch selected data, such as account number,
directly into a punched card. Variable information may be lever set or key set to be punched
into the same card. Thus, the punched-card
native language is being produced as a byproduct of a writing (imprinting) operation.

recorder, similar to that shown in figure 49.
Variable data can be keyed in with the cash
register, and fixed data can be obtained from
the tag attached to the merchandise. Thus, a
byproduct tape can be produced every time a
sale is rung up, in a native language acceptable
for further source data automation.
Tags can be used to inventory merchandise
on the shelves. A portable unit for reading
tags attached to merchandise produces a
byproduct tape containing data from the tag
and variable data which has been entered from
a keyboard or dials. Figure 55 illustrates such
a reader for print-punch tags, while figure 56
illustrates usch a reader for plastic or metal
card. With these devices, a byproduct of

Holes in Tags
At the present there is no known method of
creating the native language of the print-punch
tag as the byproduct of another operation.
Tags can be used to produce a byproduct five-,
six-, seven-, or eight-channel tape with an
auxiliary reader attached to a point-of-sale

BY PRODUCT CAPTURE OF A TAPE USING A CASH REGISTER OR
POINT-OF-SALE RECORDER

Fig. 49

BY PRODUCT CAPTURE OF A PUNCHED CARD
BY SUMMARY PUNCHING
Report

Detail Cards

Summary Card
I

(Punched Totals)
I

A PUNCHED SUMMARY
CARD FOR EACH GROUP
OF UNIT RECORDS

ACCOUNTING
MACHINE

DOCUMENT-ORIGINATING
MACHINE
Fig. 50

BY PRODUCT CAPTURE OF A PUNCHED CARD THRU THE KEY PUNCH MACHINE
(DUPLICATING>

Master Card

Detail Card

CARD PUNCH

Fig. 51

inventorying materials is a tape in the required
native language for further source data automation.

BY PRODUCT CAPTURE OF A
PUNCHED CARD USING TIME
AND A TIEN DANCE RECORDER

Perforations in Coupons
Only one known means of creating the native
language of the coupon as the byproduct of
another operation now exists. The batch
number and amount can by perforated into
coupons, with a combined adding machine and
perforator, while the adding machine produces
a printed adding machine tape. Figure 57
illustrates such a device.

Dots
There is no known method, at this time, of
producing dots as the byproduct of another
operation.

Bars
Bars as a native language are always a byproduct of an imprinting operation. Each time
the imprinter produces an image on a paper
document, the necessary numerical data in the
native language of the bar-reading devices
is also produced.

Fig. 52

BY PRODUCT CAPTURE OF A PUNCHED
CARD USING AN EMBOSSED CREDIT CARD

DASHEW

• •• •
•
• • •

INTERNATIONAL.

C'RE D I T

BY PRODUCT USE OF PRINT PUNCH TAG
FOR INVENTORYING MERCHANDISE

• • • Q})••
•

C A RO

•

ANNUAL
CARO

906 793 4
Q PUBLIC

123" ANYWHERE Sl
ANYPLACE CALIF
Fig. 53

BY PRODUCT CAPTURE
OF A PUNCHED CARD
READER FOR EMBOSSED CARDS

Fig. 55

Identification cards can have "human"
readable language as _well as the bar code for
numerical data. Similar competitive devices
can produce the five-channel in-line punched
hole code in plastic cards, in lieu of the bar
code.

Selected Typefaces
The use of selected typefaces as a native
language for reading is predicated on the production of selected data in the required native
language as the byproduct of a necessary writing
operation.
In plastic or metal identification cards,
stylized typefaces have all of the same attributes
as the bar code. Imprinting from the plates
produces the necessary native language as a
byproduct. Plates can be produced through
an embossing machine, figure 58, as the byproduct of another necessary operation.

Fig. 54

Name, address, and account number,
already captured in the native language of tape
or punched cards, can be used to produce
metal or plastic identification cards. Figure
58 illustrates an embossing machine used to
produce metal or plastic identification cards
from tape or punched cards which may have
been captured as the byproduct of another
necessary operation.

BY PRODUCT USE OF METAL OR PLASTIC
EMBOSSED CARD FOR INVENTORYING

BY PRODUCT PRODUCTION OF
EMBOSSED PLATES fROM TAPE
01 PUNCHED CARDS

Fig . 56

Fig . 58

BY PRODUCT COUPON PERFORATION
WITH AN ADDING MACHINE

language as a byproduct to that writing operation.

Magnetic Ink
In the banking industry, most of the data are
deliberately created by printing or imprinting
in an iron oxide ink. Plastic cards, embossed
with E13- B typeface, can be used to imprint
account numbers on deposit slips carbonized
with special iron oxide carbon paper. These
---...
slips are scanned by a machine similar to the
one in figure 59. Still missing from the papers,
however, is the amount of money for which the
check or other financial instrument is drawn.
The missing data can be placed on the document
in magnetic ink, as a byproduct of an adding or
bankproof machine operation.
Fig. 57

CONVERSION CREATION OF A
NATIVE LANGUAGE

Typing or printing on a necessary form or
document, in the selected typeface, makes that
form or document acceptable as input to the
reader in use. Thus, each form of document
prepared as a necessary typing or printing
operation automatically produces the native

Until recently each manufacturer made only
equipment that operated from the carriers he
had selected and that operated only from the
native language he wanted. The preceding
discussion of the byproduct creation of a native

SCANNING MAGNETIC INK CHARACTERS PRODUCED FROM
EMBOSSED PLATES

Fig. 59

language has given some indication of how this
picture has changed in recent years. The discussion has covered the byproduct capture of
a native language: on punched cards from tapeactuated machines, on tape from punched-cardactuated typewriters, and on punched cards or
tape from machines not normally associated
with source data automation, such as accounting, bookkeeping, and adding machines.
However, using a single native language for
a complex paperwork system hampers mechanization to its full potential. Manufacturers of
data-processing equipment recognize that one
organization may justify a tape-actuated system
while another requires a punched-card system.
Perhaps even a computer may be required for a
still larger organization. The data flowing between these three different organizations would
not have been compatible. The native language of each set of equipment was not uniform
or interchangeable. Although the data had
once been put in a native language, that language was valueless to the other organizations

without their resorting to manual key depressions. With this condition becoming more and
more prevalent, manufacturers brought forth
a new type of equipment-thus was born the
line of equipment called converters.
It is safe to say that any native language
used to source-data-automate any paperwork
system can, if the need exists, be converted to
any other native language by the use of the
proper converter. If a new native language is
developed by a manufacturer, a converter to
change that new language to any other native
language will soon appear on the market.
Some of the representative converters now
available are described in the table, figure 60.
Another device for conversion is called an
intercoupler. Intercouplers are electromechanical units which interconnect two machines,
thereby making the operation of one or both
machines automatic. The intercoupler may be
used to feed data, in a native language, to a
conventional office machine; to operate another

67, depicts an intercoupler attached to a conventional accounting machine to permit the
machine to accept a native language as input.

conventional office machine; or to produce a
byproduct in a native language from a conventional office machine. The illustration, figure

REPRESENTATIVE CONVERTERS
INPUT

SEE
FIGURE

OUTPUT

REMARKS

PAPER TAPE

Any 5-, 6-, 7-, or 8-channel
tape.

Any 5-, 6-, 7-, or 8-channel
wide tape.

Any other 5-, 6-, 7-, or 8-channel
tape.
Any magnetic tape ............. .
80- or 90-column punched cards ... .
Embossed metal or plastic cards .. .

Any 8-channel narrow tape... . . . . .

62
63
58

Output may be conventional type
fonts, selected type fonts for
reading, in-line punching in upper
part of a plastic card, combinations of foregoing.

MAGNETIC TAPE

Any magnetic tape..... . . . . Any 5-, 6-, 7-, or 8-channel paper
tape.
80-or 90-column punched cards ....

PUNCHED CARD

Any 80- or 90-column card..

Any 5-, 6-, 7-, or 8-channel paper
tape.
Any magnetic tape ............. .
Embossed metal or plastic cards ... .

Output may be conventional type
fonts, selected type fonts for
reading, in-line punching in upper
part of a plastic card, combinations of foregoing.

Conversion is a necessity. No
equipment is available for direct
processing. Dials in converter
permit addition of constant information during conversion.

Conversion is a necessity. Except
for sorting coupons, no equipment
is available for direct processing.

PRINT-PUNCH TAG

Any size print-punch tag. . . . Any 5-, 6-, 7-, or 8-channel paper
tape.
80- or 90-column punched cards ...

COUPON

Any size perforated coupon..

Any 5-, 6-, 7-, or 8-channel paper
tape.

BAR CODE

Bar code impressed on an
80- or 90-column card.

Punched holes in the same card. . . .

Figure 60

CONVERTER - WIDE PAPER TAPE TO
NARROW PAPER TAPE

CONVERTER-PAPER TAPE TO
PAPER TAPE

Fig. 61

CONVERTER-PAPER TAPE TO
MAGNETIC TAPE

Fig. 64

Fig. 62

CONVERTER-PAPER TAPE TO
PUNCHED CARD

Fig. 65

Fig. 63

CONVERTER-COUPON TO PAPER TAPE OR PUNCHED CARD

Fig. 66

CONVERTER-INTERCOUPLER BEING ATTACHED TO
A CONVENTIONAL BOOKEEPING MACHINE

Fig. 67

V. MACHINABLE FUNCTIONS
No simple and straightforward answer is
possible to the question, "Which machine or
machines are best adapted to a specific paperwork system or office function?" Since there
are many variables, each proposed application
must be weighed on its own merits.
One of the principal variables influencing
selection of equipment is the function, or combination of functions, to be performed in the
complete paperwork cycle. A particular function in a system may be best performed with
tape, while another function i.n the same system
can best be carried out with punched cards.
Selection of tape equipment, card equipment,
or combinations of both, must be determined by
the overall advantages to the total system.
Since the function to be performed strongly
influences selection of equipment, the capabilities of certain machines for performing
office functious should be compared. At this
point only tapes and cards as the carriers of the
native language are discussed, since-

is in use. Hourly costs vary, depending on anticipated volume of traffic.
Leased-Paid for at a flat rate. Available
at all hours.
Owned privately-Built and operated at
will by individual owners.
Communications networks are required
whether the distance involved is across the
room to another piece of equipment or across
the country to another office. Cable connecting two pieces of adjoining source data automation machinery is really the equivalent of a
communications network. The manufacturer,
however, frequently furnishes the necessary
wires and contacts as integral parts of his
machines.
Depending upon the type and model of
equipment in use, communications equipment
may allow sending and receiving only one message at a time from each end of a circuit, or as
many as four sending and four receiving machines operating simultaneously at each end.
Thus, it may be possible to send only one message in one direction at a time, as many as four
messages in one direction at a time, or four
messages in both directions simultaneously.
The speed of transmission of data varies
according to the type and model of equipment
at each end of the circuit. Speeds of most
standard equipment vary from 60 words (300
letters, spaces, or symbols) per minute to
approximately 2,500 characters per minute.
In general, the higher the transmission speed,
the greater the cost of the equipment required
at each end of the network.
Accuracy of transmission depends upon
the quality of the communications network.
Like static, which destroys enjoyment of a
radio program, noise on a communications
network destroys the accuracy of data transmission. The accuracy of a network and its
costs are in direct ratio. Higher transmission
speeds also require networks with a greater
degree of accuracy. If data transmission is a
vital part of a paperwork system, it is suggested
that a communications specialist be consulted.

• Processing with tags is accomplished
after conversion to tapes, cards, or
magnetic tapes.
e Processing with coupons is accomplished after conversion to tapes,
cards, or magnetic tapes, except for
sorting the coupons.
• Processing with bars, dots, and selected
type faces is accomplished principally
after conversion to tapes, cards, or
magnetic tapes.
• Processing with magnetic ink is at
present limited to the banking industry, although some office applications
may be developed at a later date.
At this point, a subject not mentioned before
is introduced-the transmission of data. Data
can be transmitted in two basic ways: over a
wire, as by telephone, or over the air, as by
radio. Regardless of the method elected, the
means of transmission is called a communications network. Networks may be:

Rented on a toll basis-Paid for by the
time the circuit is actually tied up.
Rented on an hourly basis-Paid for at
an hourly rate, by the hours the circuit

WHAT FUNCTIONS?
After repetitive data have been captured in a
native language, many routine office functions

can be performed by machine. A specific
function, such as arranging, may best be performed with punched cards, while another
function, such as completing a form, may best
be performed with paper tape.
Some of the functions which can be
performed by machines are defined as follows:

COMPUTING RECORDED DATA

Computing recorded data from unit records
involves not only performing of arithmetical
operations and updating recorded facts involving arithmetic, but also distributing and
proofing of financial data or other statistics.
COMMUNICATING (COMMUNICATIONS)

INTERPRETING ONTO CARRIERS (INTERPRETATION)

Communicating, as a machine function, is
transmitting all or portions of data from one
machine in one location to another machine
in another location, near or far.

Interpretation, as used here, is printing
on the source data automation carrier the
translation of the holes contained in the carrier,
thus making the native machine language
readable to the human eye.

PERFORMING FUNCTIONS· WITH
PUNCHED PAPER TAPE
Interpreting

VERIFYING THE ACCURACY (VERIFICATION)

Verifying is checking the accuracy of the
punching of the native language-making sure
that data recorded in holes have been recorded
without error.

Most common paper tape equipment produces
the equivalent of a blind code in narrow tape.
Translation or interpretation onto these common tapes cannot be accomplished.
Wide tapes lend themselves to content
identification. The interpretation is usually
in the form of a pressure-sensitive label affixed to
the card. The production of this label should
be the automatic byproduct of a step in the
system and not a separate manually typed
opera tion or function.
Several of the five-channel tape-producing
machines used in the telecommunications industry can produce a tape with a visual translation of the holes. This is accomplished by
not punching the holes completely through the
tape. Tape of this type is called "chadless"
tape.
Figure 68 illustrates a punched tape with
interpretation and compares it with the conventional blind code punched tape.

WRITING (PRINTING)

Writing, as a mechanical function, means
converting the native language into an alphabetic and numeric language that can be read.
DUPLICATING

Duplication, in the automation sense, is the
production of copies of complete or selected
data in a native machine language, for additional
machine operations.
ARRANGING (SORTING)

Arranging is placing cards or tapes into
specified sequence according to a factor contained in the cards or tapes.
SELECTING

Selecting cards or tapes means segregating
from a mass of unit records, certain records that
require attention or further machine handling.
MERGING (COLLATING)

Merging involves combining two sets of
unit records into one set in a given sequence.

Verifying

MATCHING

A paper tape is ordinarily verified visually by
reading the hard copy which is produced
simultaneously with the tape. A surer way is
by readi11:g the hard copy produced by the tape
and comparing it with the original. Tapes
which have been interpreted (fig. 6~) can be
proofread against the document from which
data were extracted.
Mechanically duplicated tapes, or tapes
produced as a byproduct, are automatically
verified by machine circuitry which assures that
the hole punched in the tape agrees with the
signal or pulse sent by the originating machine.

Matching recorded facts is checking for
agreement between two sets of unit recordsmaking sure that each set contains the same
records.
COUNTING

Counting pertains to tallying the number
of cards or tapes by the type of data recorded
in each unit record.
CORRELATING STATISTICAL DATA

Correlating statistical data is assembling
information, by machine, from more than one
source, into related analyzed statistical reports.

INTERPRETED AND UNINTERPRETED
PAPER TAPE

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AUXILIARY TAPE READER

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21 21 23 24 15 16 27 28 29

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Interpreted Above Punched Columns

Interpreted Re-Arranged

Fig. 79

agrees with the code punched into the card, the
machine releases to the next column. If a
disagreement occurs, the machine locks. In
this event, the operator repeats the operation
to be absolutely certain an error really exists.
If an error exists it is indicated by a mark in
the appropriate column. A correct card is
indicated by a notch punched into the edge of
the card, figure 80.
Cards of 90 columns are verified with the
same procedure as 80-column cards except
that the keypunches are combination machines.
Pushing a slide on the keypunch converts it
into a verifying punch. Actual punching
takes place in the verifying operation. The
normal round hole is elongated and the operator
visually inspects the card through a mirror
arrangement when it is ejected. Round holes
indicate an error. In addition, a separate
automatic verifying machine is available.
Verified punched cards are passed through this
machine which detects errors. A differentcolored card is inserted mechanically behind
the card containing an error, to call it to the
operator's attention.

Mechanically duplicated cards, or cards
prepared as a byproduct, are not manually
verified. They are automatically verified by
machine circuitry which assures that the
punched hole agrees with the pulse sent out
by the originating machine.

Writing
Writing data recorded in cards are most
frequently accomplished with a tabulator.
The tabulator will write recorded facts as-

Detail Listings.

Printing a line of information from each card produces a
detail listing. During the listing operation the machine may add, subtract,
cross-add, or cross-subtract to print
out many different machine-generated
totals. Figure 81 illustrates a detail
listing and the typical associated equipment for producing such a listing.

Group Listings. Group listing is printing
on a single line the constant information
concerning a group of unit records, such
as stock description; and the summary

VERIFYING PUNCHED CARDS
Notch Indicating Card Was Verified

LEE-KLED, Inc.
Index, N.Y.
INVOICE

I
I
To ••

Ranlnn File Co.
Seq_uence, ohio

5 gr.

Express Ppd,
?!fo 10 ])ays Net 30

#2 Wood Handles
equipped with
Brass Ferrules

10 doz,

Punched

Information
Read

CARD VERIFIER

Fig. 80

Brass Washers

4,29

21 ,45

DETAIL WRITING WITH PUNCHED CARD

I I
I

I
I
I

Each Unit Record

ACCOUNTING MACHINE

Fig. 81

of the transactions concerning that
group, such as issues, receipts, and
new balance on hand. During this
operation, information from each card
is stored in counter units. At th.e end
of each group of unit records, totals
are read out of the counters and printed.
During the operation, the machine
may add; subtract, cross-add, or crosssubtract to produce the machinegenerated totals. Figure 82 illustrates
a group listing and the typical associated
equipment for producing such a listing.
ListinAs and Punched Cards. While
printing either a detail listing or group
listing, the machine can produce a punched
card containing constant information
and summarized numeric data. This
requires that a summary punch or
document originating machine be cable
connected to the tabulator. Figure
50 illustrates a printed report and card
operation and the typical associated
equipment used for such an operation.

plished by a few changes in the control panel
of the tabulator. The same thing is true for
the summary card produced during report and
card operations. Information may be rearranged in punched-card formats by changing
the control panel of the summary punch.

Duplicating
A limited amount of duplicating can be accomplished with the keypunch. Data punched
into one card can be duplicated, one column at
a time, into the same column of the card or
cards that follow. (See fig. 51.) Date of
transaction, for example, once punched correctly
can be duplicated until a new date is necessary.
Another technique of duplicating is known
to the trade as reproducing. In this process,
punched cards are fed into two hoppers of a
single machine; one hopper containing cards
with recorded data and the other containing
blank cards. The cards are fed synchronously
from both hoppers. Data (punched holes) are
duplicated card for card. The data in the
reproduced deck may be selected data (omitting
some facts contained in the already punched
deck) or all of the data. The data in the
reproduced deck may be rearranged through
the control panel of the reproducer. Figure 83
is typical of a reproducing operation with the
associated machinery.
Still another method of duplicating is
known as "gang punching." In this operation

When the tabulator is writing recorded
facts, the sequence of data on detail or group
listings need not conform to the sequence of
data as contained in the card. For example,
data punched in columns 75-80 in the card
may be more meaningful, useful, and desirable
to management if printed in columns 1-6 of the
listing. This shift in position can be accom-

GROUP LISTING WITH PUNCHED CARDS

IBM Card
I

I I

I
I

A Single Line for Each
Group of Unit Records
ACCOUNTING MACHINE

Fig. 82

REPRODUCING PUNCHED CARDS

••

II
I

File A

A New Card
for Each
Old One

ACCUMULATING
REPRODUCER

REPRODUCING PUNCH
DOCUMENT-ORIGINATING
MACHINE

Fig. 83

Selecting

a master card (card containing data to be
duplicated) is placed in front of the number of
blank cards into which the data are to be
punched. The assembly, master card and
blank cards, is then placed into a single hopper
of the machine for copying. Data from the
master card are automatically duplicated into
all blank cards that follow. Duplicating will
stop when the machine senses a new master
card. Figure 84 illustrates a typical gangpunching operation with its associated
machinery.

Cards are selected either by a sorter or a
collator. Determination of which machine to
use is based on the number of cards from which
selection must be made and the presence or
absence of specific codes upon which the selection is to be made.
Typical selections are• Cards punched with a specific digit or
character.

e Certain types of cards for a specific date.
e Cards higher or lower than a specific

Arranging

number.

Punched cards are arranged by a machine
called a sorter. Figure 85 illustrates a typical
sorting operation and associated machines.
Cards are sorted into numerical sequence,
one column at a time. An 11-digit stock
number requires 11 passes through the sorter
to be in complete numerical sequence.
Since alphabetical information is punched
with two or more holes in the same column,
sorting requires two or more separate passes
through the sorter for each column to achieve
strict alphabetic sequence.

e Cards between two specific numbers or
dates.

e First or last card of a group of item
records.

e Unmatched cards {when matching one
deck against another deck).

e Cards out of sequence, either numerical
or alphabetical.
Figure 86 illustrates a typical selection
operation and the associated equipment.

GANG PUNCHING CARDS
Detail
Master
Detail
111

II
111

-11m11-----y

As Many Duplicates
as Required

Master
ACCUMULATING
REPRODUCER

SUMMARY PUNCH~
DOCUMENT-ORIGINATING
MACHINE

, Fig. 84

ARRANGING PUNCHED CARDS
ELECTRONIC STATISTICAL MACHINE .

18
18
15

SORTER

Group

Fig. 85

SELECTING PUNCHED CARDS
ELECTRONIC STATISTICAL MACHINE

4 Master
SORTER

3 Master
I

2 Master

(

I
I
IL ___________ II
Fig. 86

COLLATOR

Merging

merged with a matching card in the other deck;
at the same time cards which are not matched
by a like card are selected from the deck.
Figure 88 illustrates a typical matching and
selecting operation.

Merging punched cards is accomplished with
the collator. Two separate decks of cards, each
in the same sequence, are placed into two input
hoppers. The machine advances cards from
each deck independently, tests each card to
determine which is of the higher numeric or
alphabetic order, and passes the card of the
lower order. The machine feeds another card
Irom the hopper which has just passed a card
and performs the same checking operation
again, checking against the card which was
held from the first check. Thus, the two decks
of cards are merged into a single sequence in
the receiving hopper.
A typical merging operation with associated
equipment is shown in figure 87.

Correlating Statistics
Discussion of data collection systems equipment
is contained in the section "Performing Functions With Punched Paper Tape." Machines
can use either punched cards or punched tape
as input.

Counting
Counting can be accomplished with the sorter.
Each sorter pocket can be equipped with a
counting device to record the number of cards
in that pocket. The feed hopper can also be
equipped with a counter to record the number
of cards that have passed through the machine.
Thus, the totals of the cards in each pocket can
be summed up to equal the number that have
passed through the machine.
Another piece of equipment, commonly
used for counting recorded facts, is known as

Matching
Groups of cards in one deck are matched or
compared with similar groups in a second deck
by means of a collator. Unmatched cards in
either deck may be separated.
Matching is frequently performed in conjunction with merging. Cards in one deck are

MERGING PUNCHED CARDS
Primary File

COLLATOR
'

Two Files
Merged into
One File

Fig. 87

the statistical sorting machine. This machine
consists of a sorter and a stripped-down tabulator capable of performing limited mathematical operations and limited printing. Among
its functions the machine sorts, counts, checks
for consistency, adds, and produces printed
summaries. When not is use to perform statistical work, this machine can be used as a
conventional sorter. Figure 89 shows such
machine.

• SUBTOTAL any field punched in a
series of cards until a signal is received
from the machine that an intermediate
class break has occurred (e.g., a change
in a group of stock numbers).

Computing

e GRAND TOTAL any field punched in a
series of cards until all of the cards in
that particular job have been completed (e.g., the dollar value of all
stock items issued today).

e TOTAL any field punched in a series of
cards until a signal is received from the
machine that a major class break has
occurred (e.g., a change in a class of
stock numbers).

The type of computation required determines
the type and models of punched card computing
machines used.
A tabulator, such as that illustrated in
figure 81, will, for example-

• SUBTRACT any field punched in a
series of cards to affect the addition,
subtotal, total, and/or grand total of
that field. A signal (hole punched
somewhere in the card) must indicate
that the quantity is to be subtracted.

• ADD any field punched in a series of
cards until a signal is received from
the machine that a minor class break
has occurred (e.g., a change in stock
number).

MATCHING PUNCHED CARDS

File "'A"

File "B"

Unmatched
Cards
Selected

12
10

COLLATOR

Fig. 88

COUNTING AND STATISTICS WITH PUNCHED CARDS

Report

Statistical Data

1
I

I
I

ELECTRONICS STATISTICAL MACHINE

Fig. 89

• CROSS-FOOT add or subtract across a
single line entry to arrive at an
updated total for that line (e.g.,
opening balance-shipments +receipts
=new balance for an item of stock).

• Emitted by devices within the machine.
• Developed by the accumulation of a
series of results of calculations.
With the calculating punch, as its name
signifies, the final result or intermediate results
a{e p'unched into a card for processing by other
punched-card machines and are not printed directly to a report.
Cable connecting the tabulator, the calculating punch, and a storage unit produces an·
assembly of punched-card equipment known as
a card-programed-calculator. When this is
used, the tabulator reads from the punched
cards the factors for calculation and the instruction codes. The factors and instructions are
than introduced into the several cable-connected machines. Calculations are performed
in accordance with the instructions. The
storage unit makes possible the holding of figures
until they are needed in the calculations. Upon
completion of the calculations, results may be
printed on a report by the tabulator, punched
into a card by the calculating punch, or both.

Any totals can be printed on the report
being prepared by the tabulator or can be
punched in a summary card. Both products
can be obtained simultaneously when a summary punch is connected to the tabulator.
(See fig. 50.)
The printed result of mathematical operations may be located immediately below a
column of figures, as on an adding machine tape;
or may be located on another part of the line
to make the result outstanding, as on a bookkeeping ledger.
With the addition of another pie.ce of
punched card equipment, the calculating punch,
multiplication and division can also be
performed.
Factors to be calculated may be• Read from a single card.

e Read from a series of cards.

Figure 90 illustrates a card-actuated typing
calculator. Functions performed by this machine are similar to those described for the
tape-actuated computing typewriter.

A PUNCHED CARD ACTUATED
WRITING-.COMPUTING MACHINE

Comm uni ca ting
Data on punched cards may be sent over a
communications network and recorded at the
other end on punched cards. If volume transmission is required, machines called transceivers are used to serve both transmitting
and receiving functions. Figure 91 is typical
of a transceiver.
If a small number of cards is involved in
transmission, Bell Telephone Co. 's Data phone
may be used. This operates in the same
manner as previously described for transmission of data from tapes .

Fig. 90

TRANSMISSION OF PUNCHED CARDS
~

. -..

DATA TRANSCEIVER

VI. FINDING AND DEVELOPING
APPLICATIONS
peak workloads requ1rmg excessive overtime,
inability of a step in the paperwork cycle to
keep pace with the other related operations,
high error rates, inaccurate information, and
so on. Within these broad clues to potential
improvements, however, there are specific
clues that lead to source data automation as a
potential solution to problems.

Finding and developing a source data automation application is not different, to any
great degree, from any other paperwork systems project. A systems analysis is required.
Certain portions of that analysis and study,
however, take on added significance when the
potential of mechanization is included.

WHAT IS SYSTEMS ANALYSIS?

What To Look For

Systems analysis is the examination, in detail,
of the functions, routines, procedures, and
methods, which go to make up a system, and
the organization which fathers the system.
The analysis includes defining a problem area,
describing existing ways of performing work,
exposing the deficiencies of those ways, determining what the real needs are, systematizing present operations, and developing new
means to accomplish program objectives.
Frequently a systems analysis is undertaken to apply the techniques of source data
automation. It must be remembered, however, that a paperwork study should have as
its objective systems improvement, not necessarily automation. No one advocates mechanization for the glamour of owning automated
equipment. The systems study undertaken to
consider the possibilities of mechanization
offers an opportunity to eliminate inefficiencies in existing methods and procedures, even
when the final conclusion does not support
mechanization. The time spent on systems
analysis is not wasted when mechanization is
not the final result-other systems improvements will usually pay for the effort.
This chapter will not be full-scale instruction on how to conduct a systems analysis.
That is a subject entirely too broad for treatment here. Rather,. the chapter briefly reviews the major systems areas which merit
greater study when source data automation
becomes involved in the solution of a problem.

The four clues to potential source data automation applications are• Repetition.
•Volume.
• Urgency.
• Errors.
The first two of these clues will always be
present in potential source data automation
situations-they are by far the most important
considerations. Someone has said: "Repetition is the key to source data automation, and
volume the justification for the change and the
procurement of necessary equipment."
The last two of these clues may or may not
be found, but if they are found they usually
add to the justification for automation. Occasionally, they may even outweigh volume as a
justification, though volume is usually also
present.

Repetition
What is meant by repetition? The typist
in a stenographic pool prepares letters all day
long. Her work may look to her like repetition,
one letter after another all day long. Her
work, though incessant, is not suited to automation. The kind of repetition that offers
possibilities for source data automation is
repetition of data, not repetitive tasks. The
typist may have repetitive data, if pattern
paragraphs can be used to answer a substantial
portion of the correspondence, but not if each
letter is different and must be individually
composed to fit each case.
Examples of the types of repetitive data
found in potential source data automation
applications are the same name, address, date

FINDING THE AREA TO STUDY
Clues to the need for paperwork systems studies
include, among other things, difficulty in
obtaining needed documents or information,

An employee first reporting for duty is
confronted with form-to-form repetition. He
repeats his name, address, age, social security
number, marital status, and sex several t imes
over as he fills in form after form. The
items are not always in the same location on
each form, nor in the same sequence on each
form. Only part of the information is needed
on some of the forms. But the answers are
the same each time-repetitive data.
Other common paperwork cycles which
contain highly repetitive data include procure ment, project progress reporting, work m easurement, accounting, and disbursement. Most
of these systems require the same data on
many different forms serving many different
purposes.

of birth, sex, and nearest of kin; the same
stock number, stock description, shipping
point, and destination of shipped material;
or the same project number, project description,
expenditure account number, and project status.
This repetitive data may be written two, three,
four , or eyen a thousand times during a paperwork cycle.

LOQX tor ~PefillON
REPETITIVE USE OF DATA

?(c51'

REPETITIVE TASKS

Recurrent Repetition Recurrent repetition,
as used here, means use of repetitive data
over and over on the same form in a paperwork
system. Each time the form is used it may
contain data different from that appearing the
preceding time. However, an analysis of
many of the forms might show the same data
appearing occasionally or at regular intervals.
Perhaps the best example of this t ype of
recurrent repetition is an invoice. T he customer identification remains the same even
though a sale is not made to him every day.
It remains constant regardless of the items of
merchandise sold him on a particular day.
The item description of the merchandise
remains the same regardless of the customer to
whom sold. These are examples of recurrent
data. The quantity, the price, the extension

Fig . 92

There are several different categories of
repetition, including:

Form-To -Form Repetition

The transfer of
repetitive data from one form in a paperwork
system to another form in the same system
is a common type of repetition. The repetitive data may be placed in another location
on the second form, additional data may be
added, or only part of the repetitive data may
be used.

JIJ..l ](, t'J:!C
'>7<1 111113

63217

Fig. 94

Fig. 93

ASPll!IN 2 CART. $1.20

S240

and the discount may vary from sale to sale,
from customer to customer.
Other paperwork cycles which contain
recurrent repetitive data include purchaseorder writing, personnel promotion and reassignment, contract preparation, shipment and
back-order writing, and correspondence answerable by pattern paragraphs.

Statistical Repetition Here is a more illusive
type of repetition than those types discussed
before. It is the repetition of numbers, which
may lose their identity in summaries at different
levels of agency organization.
Perhaps the best example of statistical
· repetition is that usually found in reporting
progress on some project. The production figures of the employees at the bottom of a
reporting ladder become lost as they are absorbed in the cumulative figures sent forward.
Even though the original figures appear to
have been lost, they are actually still involved.
Hence, repetitive data is still present.
Other paperwork cycles which contain statistical repetition include work measurement,
fiscal accounting, performance recording, and
stock-class accounting.

Fig. 96

Repetition of data is the key to a potential
source data automation application, and volume
of repetitive data is the principal justification.
There are several different categories of volume:

Gross Volume Gross volume includes use of
repetitive data from form to form, recurrent repetition, or both. The number of times that
repetitive data are used in a complete paperwork
cycle is the key to potential automation.
The best examples of gross volume are the
previously discussed operations of the personnel
records and the invoicing operation. Perhaps
only a small portion of the complete data is
repetitive, but the number of forms used per
day, or the number of different forms on which
the data appear, soon builds up sufficient gross
volume of repetitive data to justify source data
automation.

Fig. 95

Volume
What is volume? How much volume is adequate to justify source data automation? The
clerk in one office has a high stack of papers on
his desk. Is this the kind of volume adapted
to automation? Probably not. The kind of
volume that lends itself to automation is the
volume of repetitive data, not total workload.

Fig. 97

realistic deadlines. Automation can be particularly useful where periodic peakloads are
involved. Frequently, for example, project
progress reports from field offices to a central
office reflect conditions at the close of a month.
These statistics must be keypunched for
machine analysis before the fifth day of the
next month, if the report is to be timely and
useful to management. Certainly this kind of
operation has the sought-for repetitive data,
repetitive volume, and urgency. Perhaps, the
data could be source data automated in the
field offices, eliminating the urgent keypunching
operation in the central office.

Dispersed Volume Many of the typists in
a personnel typing pool have a pile of varied
forms and letters to type each day. Part
of the daily volume for each girl is a number of
Standard Form SO's to be prepared. Any
one desk does not have sufficient volume of
these forms to justify source data automation.
However, repetitive data are present in volume;
it is simply dispersed among the individual
typists. Concentration of the form SO's at
one desk of the typing pool may produce
sufficient volume to justify source data automation.
Repetition in dispersed volume is often
d ifficult to recognize. It may be beyon d the
confines of one room. It may cross section,
bureau, division, branch, or agency a~ganiza
tional lines . It may even be dispersed between
industry and the Government or between
Federal agencies and t he people t hey serve.
Examples of dispersed volume include
reporting of earnings to social security, checking
on old age and survivors benefit eligibility,
billing insurance premiums, and purchasing of
stock items.

Fig. 99

At times the work of several employees is
checked for accuracy by a single reviewer ;
then it flows to several more employees for t he
next step in the operation. That review may
be creating a bottleneck, no matter how
important the task. Perhaps automating the
work of the employees can eliminate the
check and break the bottleneck.
A wage earner is retired from his job.
He applies for his pension. He awaits patiently
the check due him on the first of the month.
In fact he may be desperately in need of the
money for the essentials of life. Source data
automation may make it easier for the office to
meet this deadline.
Urgency is usually not in itself sufficient
justification for source data automation. Often
however, urgency stimulates inspection of the
paperwork cycle, which in turn reveals sufficient
volume of repetitive data to justify automation.

Fig. 98

Urgency
The typist in an office has a desk full of typing
that must get out before the close of business
today. Is this the kind of urgency looked for?
Certainly this job appears to have urgency and
volume, but not necessarily enough volume of
repetitive data.
When other conditions have been met,
source data automation can help offices to meet

Areas which warrant further exploration
for errors are the typing of stock numbers,
phone numbers, social security identification,
employee number, project numbers, and so on.

APPROVED

YOUR $ 4 , 000 , 000 CONTRACT IS

APPROVED

YOUR $4,000,000 CONTRACT

Fig. 100

Errors
An invoicing clerk typed the form shown in
figure 101. That error cost $135. A mathematical error, to be sure, but one which a
machine would not have made.
A stenographer was told to type the
bottom line, shown in figure 102 . She wrote
the top one instead; once in t he mail, the document became a binding letter of intent, a
costly error.
Correction of errors of this nature is not
sufficient reason for source data automation,
unless thay involve repetitive data. Human
errors occur in the handling of volume repetitive data-errors of transcription, transposition, or mathematical computation. These
are errors that a machine, properly operated
from a native language, will not make.

PRICE

AMOUNT

$.05

$15.00

T QUANTITY

PRICE

3,000

$ . 05

T AMOUNT
$150 . 00

QUANT I_'.]?}'."

Fig. 102

Where To Look
The question of what to look for inevitably
raises the question of where to look. Where
are repetition, volume, urgency, and error to
be found?
Potential applications of source data automation can turn up anywhere. Several places,

SOURCE SPOT OF AUTOMATION
It has become more and more apparent
that with the planning and installation of
grandi ose electronic data processing equipment, too little attention has been devoted
to the concepts and techniques of source
data automation .
This inattention to capturing and processing data in machine language at the source
has led to serious problems and increased
costs in some of our Navy EDP systems
The time to apply source data automation
to our integrated information systems is
Jong overdue. Why not realize the benefits
of source data automation by (J) recording
information at the point of origin in order
to utilize the full potential of our electronic
data processing machines, and (2) record
and process data at the source in order to
capitalize on the advantages of automation
at the operating level?

Fig. 101

Figure 103

however, are almost certain to be hiding
possibilities, waiting to be found.
No doubt, most of the existing source
data automation applications were found -in
one or more of the following places:

e Where native languages are deliberately
produced.
e Where information is recorded aboutPersons.
Places.
Things.
• Where two or more machines are used
in a paperwork chain.
• Where more than one form 1s used 1n
a system.
• Where statistical reports originate.

Fig. 104

Personnel offices, both civilian and military,
have found it advantageous to capture personnel
identification in a native machine language.

Deliberately Producing Native Languages
Papers flowing into a machine processing room,
tabulating section, data-processing center,
punched-card room, or similar area are coming
there for one purpose: translation into a native
language, such as punched card, punched tape,
or magnetic tape, for further machine processing. The Department of the Navy, in figure
103 published in the Navy Management Review
of August 1958, recognized this fact.
It is reasonably certain that any job being
performed in a machine-processing section has
repetitive data in sufficient volume to justify
source data automation. Someone found these
clues in the past, in order to get the job into
the machine-processing operation. Now the
problem is moving the automation, the capturing of data, closer to the source. Perhaps the
data could be captured as a byproduct of a
necessary operation, or even placed into a
native machine language by the originator.
The slowest, most tedious, and most costly
operation in a machine-processing section is the
manual depression of the keys of a machine to
translate data into a native machine language.
The accuracy of all future results depends upon
the accuracy of keypunching and key verifying.
If the personnel who have a vital interest in the
data can create a native language, as the byproduct of a necessary operation, the accuracy
of machine results will be increased.

Transportation offices have discovered applications involving shipping data, consignee data,
and carrier routing, which have reduced their
operating costs. Supply and contract offices
have found automation helpful in requisitioning,
receipting, and managing inventories.

Two or More Machines in a Paperwork
Chain. Whenever two or more machines are
involved in the same paperwork chain, it is
almost certain that data are being written a
second, third, or fourth time. It is repetitive
data that could be source data automated.
The first person in the systems cycle, figure
105, may use a typewriter to create a document;
the second may use a calculator to compute

Recording Data About Persons, Places, or
Things. Many of the source data automation
systems operating today involve the use
of data concerning persons, places, and things.

Fig. 105

statistics or extensions on the document; and
the third may retype part of the document with
summary totals. The cycle is then repeated
from office to office.
Application of the technique of source data
automation can often permit bypassing the
second or third machine; or byproducts produced in a native machine language at the
.first operation can operate the second or third
machine.

More Than One Form in a System. One
of the first types of repetition discussed in this
chapter is the "form-to-form repetition" of
data. Thus it follows that a logical place to
look for source data automation potential is
where two or more forms are used in a paperwork chain.

Fig. 107

In almost all statistical reporting, data are
consolidated at every echelon of organization,
for passing up the line. Much of the data is
repeated over and over. All that changed was
the summarization of several individual reports
into one report. An effective technique involves passing the data directly from the
originator to a point as far up the line as possible. Data are then digested at this point, and
summary data transmitted to the echelons that
were bypassed. More accurate reports are
thus obtained at each level, and more timely
reports are available for the higher levels of
management.

CONDUCTING THE STUDY
Fig. 106

It is almost a certainty that, if more than
one form is used in a paperwork cycle, data
will be repeated from form to form. All or
part of the data recorded on the first form will
be transcribed to the second; the data, all or
in part, from the second to the third; the data
from the third to the fourth and so on.
Source data automation can often mechanically produce the repetitive data onto the
second or third form involved. The chances
are that in any form handled daily there is a
potential application.

Originating Statistical Reports. Administrators, whether of sections, branches, divisions,
or agencies, need reports to run their organizations effectively. These reports to management
start a tremendous paperwork operation.

Supervisors have a tendency to omit or overlook
some vital factor in a paperwork chain when
they develop revised methods. For prevention
of loss of some vital data or factor of the paperwork cycle, the facts obtained by a systems
study should be in writing. Frequently an
overlooked item gives rise to much additional
work, causes a procedure modification, or even
- destroys the validity of the whole effort.
Figure 108 summarizes the many facets of a
systems study. Factors are also reflected in
the chart which must be taken into account if
the application is designed to capture data for
ultimate use in a computer.
The importance of obtaining facts about
the job directly from the working level cannot
be over emphasised. Interviews with officials
and working-level personnel can succeed in
gaining their support of methods improvements.

FACETS OF A SYSTEMS STUDY

DEVELOP
DETAILED
FLOW-CHART

MANUALS &
OTHER
GOVERNING
PROCEDURES

ORGANIZATION AND
FUNCTtONS

PREVIOUS
CASE
HISTORIES

SUBJECT
MATTER
LITERATURE

DO
THIS

J------------~

GATHER
THE
FACTS

INTERVIEW
PEOPLE

OBSERVE
WORK FLOW
&
PROCESSES

COLLECT
FORMS, RPTS.
RECORDS

ORGANIZE & GROUP
THE FACTS ACCORD
ING TO OBJECTIVES OF SYSTEM

ANALYZE FACTS
&

LOOK FOR:
REPETITION OF DATA
VOLUME

INPUTOUTPUT
FORMATS

ANALYZE NEED FOR:
DATA-CURRENT OR ADDITIONAL
REPORTS-NEW OR EXISTING

PUNCHED
CARDS

REPORTS

FORMS

DATA

PREPARE CHART
FOR CLARITY

SIMPLIFY EXISTING SYSTEM BY:
ELIMINATIONS
COMBINATIONS
RE-ARRANGEMENTS

BY PRODUCT
FORMATS

TO BE PRODUCED FROM
INPUT-OUTPUT FORMATS

STANDARD
OPERATING
PROCEDURES

VERIFY ACCURACY
OF CHART

MANUALS
ORG. CHARTS
DIRECTIVES
AND RELATED
DOCUMENTS

PREPARE REVISED SYSTEM
FLOW CHART IN OUTLINE
METHODS
MACHINES
SYSTEMS

GET DATA
ON VOLUME,
FREQUENCY,
COST

GET COMMENTS,
SUGGESTIONS
FROM WORK
GROUPS

DISCUSS REVISIONS WITH
WORK GROUPS

Fig. 108

RE-CHECK
SYSTEM

CONSULT WORK GROUPS, LOOK FOR:
OMISSIONS
EXCEPTIONS TO ROUTINE

A T~tal Systems Study

e Elimination of the operation or elimina-

Frequently source data automation applications cross section, branch, division, office, or
even agency organizational lines. Thus, one
of the fi rst considerations is the need for a study
of a total system.
A systems study would prove ineffective if,
in a utomating one step of a paperwork cycle,
it complicated another step in the cycle. If it
d stroyed, unwittingly, the existing mechanization of a step of the system, it could be costly.
It is imperative therefore that every detail of the
entire paperwork cycle be fully understood;
that the effect of the system on related paperwork, reports, operations, and organizational
structures be clearly foreseen.
A t otal systems study of the paperwork
cycle m ay result in-

tion of steps in the complete paperwork
cycle.
e Reorganization to bring together adequate volume to justify mechanization.
e Drastic change in the basic approach to
the entire paperwork system.

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Data Analysis
Another element of a systems study to take
on added significance is that of data analysis.
Frequently bits of data have been collected
because someone thought they would be nice
to have; that someday someone might ask for
them. Data collected in an automated system
must serve some useful and productive purpose,
if the effort expended for its collection is to be
justified. On the other hand, all data essential

REQUISITION-SDA 1
REQUISITION DATE

262
TO

1 5 April 1 962

REQUISITION NO.

39101-108

SHIP TO

United States Automation
Washington 25, D.C.

Ag&~~y

F. 0. 8.

Shipping Point
ROUTIN6

QUOTATION APPROVED BY

Air Express

J ohn Smith
PRICE

265-9847.
Films (SDA Workshop)

SDA I

Fig. 109

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

REQUEST FOR QUOTATION-SDA2

( Various Vendors )
F. O.B.

Shipping Point
QUOTATION APPROVED BY

Net

E. A. J one s
PRICE

~6~9841.

Films (SDA Workshop)

SDA 2

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Fig. 110

to the end products of a paperwork cycle must
be available. It must be recorded in a native
language to take full advantage of the automatic
equipment selected for the job.
One of the best ways to determine the data
that are repetitive is to assemble a complete
set of all of the forms currently used in the
paperwork system-filled in for every item of
information. Areas on the forms which contain
data that are repeated from form to form are
colored in. Care should be exercised to get
the repetitive data, not necessarily the repetitive item identifications. Varying title
or item identifications may be used to record
repetitive data in the various st.e ps of a paperwork cycle. Although the identification used
on a different form may vary, the filled-in
data are identical. On the four forms shown
as figures 109, 110, 111, and 112, various
captions are used to identify the same filled-in
data.

In the analysis, all data from all forms
involved in the paperwork system are recorded
on a "Recurring Data Analysis Chart" (Optional Form 18). Figure 113 is a chart of
this nature, filled in for the four forms previously mentioned.
Coloring-in the areas containing identical
data establishes the data which is repetitive
and which lends itself to being recorded in a
native machine language. Recording the data
on a "Recurring Data Analysis Chart" identifies the number of times each item is repeated.
It also establishes the point of first writing for
each item of repetitive data, the point where
the data are best recorded in a native machine
language.

Reports Evaluation
The fact that a report is presently prepared in
a specified manner, with certain information,
does not necessarily justify its continuance.

insertion of a constant by the machine.
Management of the organizations affected
is consulted to determine whether essential
reports are missing, were not prepared because
they took too much time, or were too expensive.
Frequently reports of this nature are achievable
with mechanized equipment. If new reports
are furnished, do they supersede any presently
prepared reports?

The fact that a report does not presently exist
is no indication that management does not need
a report of that nature and with that information. In developing a paperwork system,
it is frequently necessary to start with the
information needed by management, in the
form of reports, and to work backwards to
the data needed to assemble or construct such
reports.
First, a set of reports prepared during the
paperwork cycle is assembled. The data in
the reports are analyzed in the same manner
as the data in the for ms used in the total
system. The next step is a preparation of
"Recurring Data Analysis Chart," which keys
the items of data in the reports to their source
in the forms. It should now be determined
how data appearing in reports but not in forms
are developed-whether by mathematical operations, by data manipulation such as file
updating, or by procedural controls such as

•
•
•
•
•
•

PURCHASE

DEVELOPING THE NEW SYSTEM
Unfortunately, few general principles of systems development are available. Perhaps the
greatest ingredient of the development of any
paperwork system is imagination-the ability
to visualize the capabilities of various machines,
to picture the use of a selected machine to
handle a specific problem, and to determine
the feasibility of a new approach.
Not all persons are endowed with the same
degree of imagination. Where one can imagine

ORDER~SDA3

•

•
•
•
•

•

·•
•
•

•
•
•

•

SDA 3
Fig. 111

•
•
•
•
e

•
•
•
•
•

•
•
•

RECEIVING REPORT-SDA4

SHIP TO

(The low bidder from among
the various vendors)
MARK FOR

United States Automation Agency
Washington 25, D.C.
ORGANIZATION

Training Department
ROUTING

DATE REQUIRED

15 May 1962
fTEI

QUANTITY

Air Express

Records

F. 0.8.

~t.

TERMS

Shtpping Point
VENDOR'S HO.

30 Days Net

NOMENCLATURE ANO OESCRtpTfON

PO - 1808 - 502
QUANTITY
ACCEPTED

265-9847.
Films (SDA Workshop)

SDA 4

QUANT ITY
REJECTED

•

•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Fig. 112

the possibility of solving his problem by a
mechanical means, from origin of data to its
ultimate uses in a computer, another with the
same facts may be able only to visualize a
streamlined conventional manual method.
Where one can imagine a completely new approach to a paperwork problem, eliminating
many steps of a paperwork cycle and many
reports, another may be able to make only
minor procedural improvements in the old and
tried system.
The possibilities of source data automation
are limited only by the imagination of those
who conduct systems studies needed. · It may
be profitable, however, to point out here some
areas of systems development on which greater
emphasis must be placed when source data
automation is considered.

"Is equipment really needed?" Perhaps a
specialty form will provide a desirable solution
without new or automated equipment.
Specialty forms often permit the writing
of all data at one time onto many different
forms fastened together into a single set.
Separating the form-set into smaller parts
(smaller form-sets) often permits adding data
during further processing in the paperwork
cycle. Factors affecting the construction of
specialty forms includeEliminating Data From Some Forms in the Set
by• Varying the length or width of some of
the parts of the set.
e Varying the length or width of some of
the carbon papers in the set.
e Devising carbon blockouts.
e Using strip carbons or spot carbons.
e Sensitizing parts of the set in selected
spots by carbon backing.

Considering a Specialty Form
Perhaps the first question to be answered in
the development of a new system . would be,

RECURRING DATA ANALYSIS CHART

RECURRING DATA
ANALYSIS CHART

>. . .

PAGE

PAGES

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t-S-UB_J_rc-T-0-F-.N-AL_Y_Sl_S_O_R-.C-T-1V-1-TY-------li-.:::-=-.. ,: .. :

.;{~,\/
STUDY OF
PURCHASING - RECEIVING
CYCLE

ANALYZED BY

DATE

J. J.. SMITH

16 Apr 62
TOTAL

NO.
NO.
NO.
NO.
NO.
NO.
NO.
NO.
l'fO.
NO.
NO.
NgDA rg-oA ~DA ~DA NO.
r.--~~~~~~~~~~---l,,___i-=2'--1~3--l---'4--l~--+~--+~--+~-+~-+~-+~-+~-+~-+~-+-~-+-~-+-~---1
1
•
Appropriation Chargeable

, TEM

Requisition - Quotation Purchase Order Number
Ship To

•

4
'

x
x

..x

_X_

Mark For

s.
6

Requisition Date

•

Organization

•

F. 0. B.

Date Required

Routing

•

10
•

Terms

•

Requisitioned By

Item

Quantity

_X_

4
4

4
REPETITIVE DATA

~WITH

DIFFERING FORM

4
4

IDENTIFICATION
x

_x_

x
112

··~ Nomenclature and Description
[Ts.

Price

4
4

_x
16
'

Quotation Data
x

17,

18,

19,

20,

21,

To - Received From
Quotation Approved By

..x

P.O. Date
_X_

_X_

Vendor's No.
Quantity Accepted

x
122,

Quantity Rejected

123,

GSA CIRCULAR NO• 224

5018-101

Fig. 113

GPO

t9600-57Z73Z-63

0~1~~ite'ERF~'ll'1o18

Separating the Form Into• Individual copies.

ANALYSIS OF VARIOUS MEDIA FOR A
PARTICULAR SYSTEM

• Smaller sets for further processing of
each (small set) independently.

PAPER
TAPES

FACTORS

Getting a Sufficient Number of Copies by-

WIDE
TAPES
(EDGE
PUNCHED
CARDS)

• Using carbonless paper to reduce the
bulk of the form set.

Sorting .............

e Using an offset master, hectograph mas-

Random Access .....

ter, or die impressed stencil to-

Capacity ...........

Produce both form and variable
data simultaneously onto blank
paper.
Print into specific locations on
preprinted paper forms by the
manner of positioning different
forms in the duplicating machine.
Eliminate certain data from some
forms either by the manner of
positioning the forms in the duplicator or by blocking out certain
areas on the master.

Visual Reading ......
Recording Speed ....

Selecting the Medium
The next consideration in systems development
is the selection of the medium to carry the
native language. The medium is the basic
starting point for devising the new system and
for selecting the specific models of equipment
needed.
Each medium, tapes, cards, tags, and
so on, has advantages that are valid only when
considered in the light of a specific source
data automation application. Chapters III
through VI of this handbook outline the
advantages of each medium and the specific
functions that are machinable with such
medium. The advantages of each medium
must be carefully considered in comparison with
the specific needs of a paperwork system.
Figure 114 shows how some of the analysis of
the medium might be reduced to writing.

x
x

0
0

Writing Speed ......
Equipment Expense.

Byproduct of forms
writing at the
source ............

Portability .........

Computation .......

Key: X-best.
0-next best.

e Generating a new offset master for
further processing with some data
added at a later date.
Like the whole area of systems development, the design of specialty forms to meet the
requirements of specific paperwork systems is
limited only by the imagination of the designer.

PUNCHED
CARDS

Figure 114

Selecting Specific Equipment
The final consideration in systems development
is the determination of the specific make and
model of equipment to meet the desired systems
improvement. Descriptions of available makes
and models are contained in "Source Data
Automation Equipment Guide,'' a companion
publication of this handbook.
Selection of equipment is frequently influenced by the equipment already owned or
operated by the agency. Compatibility of
equipment is likely to save money in the long
run. Operators are already familiar with the
operating principles and techniques of the
existing equipment. Additional training on
the new models may be required, but it is seldom necessary to conduct a complete training
program. Compatibility eliminates much conversion from one native language to another or
from one medium to another.
Equipment selected for the paperwork
system must have adequate capacity and
sufficient gadgets to perform all of the necessary
operations without over- or under-mechanization. Each basic model of equipment has
the ability to perform specified functions.

agency's paperwork problem. Such demonstrations may be performed in the showroom of
the manufacturer or in the office of a customer.
Demonstration frequently brings to light an
essential operation overlooked in preliminary
selection of equipment. During a demonstration every detail of the job is again questioned,
as it is performed by the machine. Particular
emphasis, during a demonstration, should be
placed on how the equipment handles exceptions
to the routine.

Additional functions can often be performed
by cable connecting an auxiliary device or
by building in some additional gadget. Procurement of these additional devices is uneconomical unless a real need for them is
present in the requirements of the system.
On the other hand, many of the additional
devices require factory installation. Omitting
the device at time of purchase can be costly
in the long run.
In the selection of equipment give careful
consideration to capturing information as the
byproduct of a basic processing step. Effort
should be made to eliminate the need for human
intervention in an automated system. Full
advantage should be taken of the automated
features of the various makes and models of
equipment.
Costs of the present (manual or semimechanized) system should be compared with
those of the prospective system and with
alternate prospective systems using other machines or media. It is necessary to consider the
cost of rental, purchase, and lease-purchase
arrangements for the equipment. The procurement plan that is economically sound for
the particular paperwork system studied should
be selected. Usually the purchase or rental
of equipment should be amortized within 3
years by savings in personnel, time, or other
operational costs. If the equipment does
not amortize in this period of time, probably
only a portion of the paperwork system was
studied, not a total system. It is also
possible that other potential source data
automation applications in the same organization can share the cost of equipment procurement or rental.
Need for employee training influences
selection of the make and model of equipment.
The availability of training should be checked,
if any is required. Will it be conducted by the
equipment manufacturer with a standard
training program or will it be necessary for the
agency to develop in-house training programs?
The amount of training necessary depends on
the complexity of the equipment selected for
the paperwork system, as well as on the amount
of procedural change made in the system.
After a tentative equipment selection has
been made, it is desirable to see a demonstration
of that equipment actually performing the

DO'S AND DON'TS OF
AUTOMATION
Perhaps, what has been said in this chapter is
best summarized by listing some of the Do's
and Don'ts of source data automation.
DO• Look for repetition, volume, urgency,
and error as clues to potential source
data automation applications.

• Study the system in depth. Automation
requires prec1s1on. Machines are less
flexible than people. Every detail of
the system must be worked out in
advance. Machines bind you to the
system.

e Study the system from birth (source)
of data to its final resting place.

• Consider another approach besides automated equipment.
• Remember that systems improvement
is the objective, not necessarily automation.
• Analyze the need for the data being
collected. Collect only data which
will serve a purpose.

e Remember that each field of data must
be completely disciplined from one
record to another, from one medium
to another.
• Consider necessary controls. A suitable
source data automation system must
contain: (1) a selected number of controls to assure accuracy of results;
(2) a number of checkpoints to which
we can return when an error is detected, without having to return all
the way to the beginning of the paperwork system.

e Consider standardized coding of infor-

• Try to do the job without putting the
facts about the present system and
your proposal in writing.

mation. Codes must be developed for
uniform application and each term
must be defined to prevent miscoding
of information.

• Try to do the job alone. Instead get
the cooperation of the people involved
in the operation.

e Take advantage of byproduct production
of native language media-byproduct
to a necessary basic step in the paperwork system.

• Over- or undermechanize, or mechanize
for the glamour of automation.
• Install an agencywide system overnight. Try a pilot installation first,
installing others on a scheduled basis.

e Consider training.

Either develop inhouse, on-the-job programs or arrange
to have training conducted by the
equipment manufacturers.

• Look at a single step of a paperwork
system. Instead study the whole
system.

• Conduct a trial run to debug your proposal. It is better to discover an error
or overlooked item early in the game.

• Try to carry on operations with the
present forms. Probably all forms
involved in the paperwork cycle will
require revision.

• Make doubly sure that the preparation
of input or conversion of already existing data involves-

• Ignore the problems of converting existing data to the native language
you have chosen.

Proper recording and validation of
raw data.
Proper coding of data.
Verification of accuracy of data
transcription.
Periodic machine testing to detect
malfunctions.

• Blindly prepare the same reports used
in the present system.
• Ignore comments and, suggestions from
the operating personnel.
'',

• Buy a "pig-in-the-poke". Instead get
demonstration of the equipment performing the routine paperwork cycle
and all the exceptions to the routine.

• Use your Imagination.

• Select a medium for the native language
without analysis of the advantages
in relation to the specific paperwork
system.

DON'T
• Buy equipment first and then attempt
to determine what to do with it.

78
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1965

0-727-995

Washington: 1965

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