Old Systems Anyone? (letters, employees, application, payments)
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I think back to the systems we used where I worked for 11 years. Worked for a life insurance company from 1984 to 1995.
When I started, we were using the CFO computer system. Nothing online, we had paper files. We filled out a status request sheet each day for our cases, sent it up to DP and got a printout the next day. It gave name, values, type of coverage, type of premium, etc. Plus local agent information. This covered most of our monthly, bank draft, quarterly, semiannual and annual premium policies. Paper files for these were manila folders, most documents 8.5 x 11, standard size. Larger documents would be carefully folded as needed. Held in with clips, used a 2 hole punch to insert. Basically good, though very slow. Had to order files with file request cards. Usually take a batch to Central Files and get them back next day.
Computer info for weekly premium policies would give a printout of all policies requested on 1 or 2 sheets; much simpler, more basic info. Paper files for these were pretty flimsy. Application was on a sturdy card, about 5x7, like a large index card. All other documents were folded and stapled to card. They got pretty fragile over the years from constant restapling. Requested files same way, filled out request cards. Usually 1 day turnaround.
Most any work that came in on either of these, we ordered status, ordered file and made a stack of the day's mail. Matched status and files to them when received & processed the work. Sort of OK for volume processing in daily cycles but no easy way to expedite 1 case. The filing system went back to the 1930's or earlier. Not sure when the computer system had come in, probably sometime in the 1970's.
We later got the LFCM system, mainframe and CRT terminals. Much faster and quicker info for most things, still had paper files though. Some files were on micro fiche, as well as various reports, etc. Fiche was usually OK to read in a viewer but good prints were impossible. Had to make a print and touch it up with a marker. Our field offices were on a system called Automated Field Accounting, AFA. Major issue was that our system took 2 cycles to pick up their information and theirs for ours. Lots of confusion. Angry calls that work I promised wasn't done, etc. Worse yet, some of the field offices didn't even have terminals to access our system, only theirs. Mass confusion.
Filing got updated with CARS, Computer Assisted Retrieval System. Only advantage with this was not having to go outside the department. Each department and some subunits, had a terminal and cabinet of microfilm reels. Key in a policy number and get a list of all document entries. Coded by type, such as 10 for new issue, 20 for changes, 30 for claims, etc. Something like that. Well, 1 policy might have 3 or 4 entries or may have 50. So, make a list and pull the reels, key up the codes shown. Spins the reel to the right spot and you copy your documents. Maybe, if the machine is working, stop and clear a jam here and there. This was worse than paper files for the most part. I was told that the company later went to an imaging system where you could pull up all documents at your desk. That sounded good if it had the power to not get sluggish or stall during the day.
Naturally, typewriters were a big part of us for much of that time. We had some terminals set up for Display Write 4. I hated that, it was not user friendly. We finally got PC's with word processing that greatly sped up our processes for any letters and endorsements.
We also had punch cards for some old records such as unclaimed payments. They were a trip.
Anyone here seen or used similar stuff? It was the pain of going from old to new by bits and pieces, during nonstop mergers and reorganizations.
Yes I remember the punch card era. Imagine the horror if you drop a box of cards and had to spend HOURS to make sure every card is in proper order of sequence
Those were the days where we have design draftsman sitting on an oversized table hunch over to draw every line carefully. If you look down the aisle, you see line of butts tilted toward the mid-air
But not anymore today. We not only have internet but we have intranet for everything inside the company firewall. We don't get up from our desk and walk over to the other person to discuss work anymore. Instead, we have text messaging on our computers. We've become more & more isolated in our own little world with less & less human contacts.
Pretty soon, we will just have AI (artificial intelligence) to replace human brain power. This way, management do not need to worry about employees motivation, productivity, sick leaves, vacations, and paying all the benefits.
Yes I remember the punch card era. Imagine the horror if you drop a box of cards and had to spend HOURS to make sure every card is in proper order of sequence
Those were the days where we have design draftsman sitting on an oversized table hunch over to draw every line carefully. If you look down the aisle, you see line of butts tilted toward the mid-air
But not anymore today. We not only have internet but we have intranet for everything inside the company firewall. We don't get up from our desk and walk over to the other person to discuss work anymore. Instead, we have text messaging on our computers. We've become more & more isolated in our own little world with less & less human contacts.
Pretty soon, we will just have AI (artificial intelligence) to replace human brain power. This way, management do not need to worry about employees motivation, productivity, sick leaves, vacations, and paying all the benefits.
True, and when they collectively do away with all the jobs they will wonder why they have no one to sell any products to.
True, and when they collectively do away with all the jobs they will wonder why they have no one to sell any products to.
In the future our world maybe what Andrew Yang predicted, the the government pays its citizens to do NOTHING. We may even buy one of Robots manufactured by the US Robotics as maid that does the house chores for us.
Another one I worked at had systems from the 1980's - no graphics, green screen. I was part of the project creating a new application for contemporary computers.
Another project I worked at dealt with 1980's banking software to be updated to contemporary systems.
Another one I worked at had systems from the 1980's - no graphics, green screen. I was part of the project creating a new application for contemporary computers.
Another project I worked at dealt with 1980's banking software to be updated to contemporary systems.
Did your CARS machines work OK? Ours were constantly breaking down. Film would break and jam a lot. The repair tech said we had the cheapest models of machine available and the cheapest film rolls. Not meant for high volume daily use by any means.
You mentioned banking. I could possibly see CARS as a good system for things like monthly bank statements.
Remember the old fax machines where yours had to be compatible with the other end and it took from four to six minutes to transmit and came on that awful rolled paper?
I recall communicating with our companies overseas by telex. Ah, fun!
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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I worked at a place with IBM card and data on microfiche, 1975-1984. Then I worked on the project team to build a new online system, in COBOL, with IBM 3270 terminals. It was real-time except for billing and payment, which were run at night, about 10,000/day. I programmed all of the reports using a "4th generation" language, called FOCUS, and it went online in 1986. I also had the "back door" access for correcting problems, called OLFU. That system amazingly, was only replaced with a web based solution 6 years ago, when they finally retired the old IBD 4341 Mainframe.
I worked at a place with IBM card and data on microfiche, 1975-1984. Then I worked on the project team to build a new online system, in COBOL, with IBM 3270 terminals. It was real-time except for billing and payment, which were run at night, about 10,000/day. I programmed all of the reports using a "4th generation" language, called FOCUS, and it went online in 1986. I also had the "back door" access for correcting problems, called OLFU. That system amazingly, was only replaced with a web based solution 6 years ago, when they finally retired the old IBD 4341 Mainframe.
Back in the late 80's I worked for a global pharma company that was attempting to implement the AS400. Only a hand-full of people were provided desktops hooked up to the system to test it out. I was one of them. What a joke! Took forever for them to get it off the ground.
This stuff is really going a ways back. I used a mainframe in school, but never in a job. I've only seen punch cards once. I'm over 50.
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