David Caminer, world’s first corporate electronic systems analyst died June 19 in London. He was 92. He carried out the systems analysis and charting for the world’s first routine business computer job.
He was an employee of a legendary chain of British tea shops found the earliest ways to use a computer for business purposes, including standardizing flavorful, cost-effective cups of tea.
Born David Treisman in the East End of London, his father was killed in action during the First World War.
He worked generally in the area of operations management and cost accounting. He helped to design, along with John Pinkerton, the LEO (Lyons Electronic Office), which has been certified by the Guinness World Records as the worlds first business computer.
The computer was used to automate stock control and payroll functions initially and was so successful that it was also outsourced to companies such as Ford for similar functions.
The 500Khz computer cut the average time to calculate a worker’s salary from eight minutes to 1.5 seconds and enabled the company to analyze sales in order to maximize profitability.
He designed the first flow charts to show how software should be written and the punchcard operated system was soon running a variety of applications.
Caminer joined Lyons & Co. as a management trainee in 1936 and became Manager of the Lyons Systems Research Office before concentrating on the computer innovation. He became Director of LEO Computers Ltd in 1959 and was subsequently General Sales Manager of English Electric LEO Marconi, while retaining his responsibility for consultancy and systems implementation.
He chose to complete his formal career in the field as Project Director for the implementation of the computer and communications network for the European Economic Community, where he developed a computer system for the European Common Market, for which he was appointed, in 1980, to the Order of the British Empire.
His death was announced by the Leo Computers Society, whose purpose is to keep alive the memory of LEO.
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