Many assurance offices are in the early stages of changing to a computer for the mechanization of their business. Each office has its own problems which frequently arise from its historical record of amalgamations, changes in management policy, etc.

2. Probably the biggest problem for the office is the standardization of its data into a form which can be read by the computer. When this has been accomplished the small-size computer can readily take over practically all the work which has already been mechanized, usually giving a better product in a shorter time and with reduction in manual work. There is also a simplification of diverse mechanical systems into a single medium.

In an earlier paper the author traced the development to 1949 of public service superannuation schemes (other than for the Armed Forces) which are provided wholly or partly out of Exchequer or rate funds, i.e. for the benefit of civil servants, teachers, national health and local government employees, police and firemen. It was shown that those schemes, other than for (principally) police and firemen, tended to follow a common pattern although not all had reached the same stage of development and there were numerous variations of detail.