In 1957 started the first computer department for business data processing for Dow.

As chairman of the SHARE Data Processing Committee, that launched the SHARE 9PAC project for the IBM 709 computer in 1958. The tape-oriented File Maintenance and Report Generation system created was an early version of what is now called a 4GL with a "WYSIWYG" user interface. At the same time, Bachman pioneered the introduction of probability into the CPM/PERT scheduling that was used for Dow new plant construction.

The MIACS system contained the first version of the Integrated Data Store (IDS) database management system which was the basis for General Electrics IDS and IDS II, Cullinet's IDMS and a host of other DBMS based on Bachman's Network Data Model. IDS was the first disk-based database management system used in production. It seized a number of new opportunities available at that time and created a unique product. It was built upon a "virtual memory" system that was being applied to the storage and retrieval of dynamic and permanent data. It provided a page-turning buffer management system that provided almost instantaneous access to the data most recently accessed. It provided for the declaration and processing data organized in application specific network structures. It fully integrated its, record-at-a-time, STORE, RETRIEVE, MODIFY and DELETE language statements into the GE GECOM programming language. IDS created a new paradigm for the application programmers. It changed their I/O vantage point from data fowing "IN and OUT of the program" to the program moving "IN and OUT of the database." Once a record was stored, it remained available in the database, forever, unless it was explicitly deleted. IDS was characterized as a "network model" database management system, because it provided for the direct construction and navigation of the semantic graphs that underlie most business applications systems.

The MIACS system also contained a transaction-oriented operating system that accepted the input of new "problem control cards," with their associated data cards, and stored them until they could be dispatched. It dispatched each such problem in priority sequence, following the completion of the prior problem. It loaded the required program blocks into the buffer area, allocated all unneeded buffer blocks to the IDS page-turning system, and then dispatched the computer to the program. The solving of one problem might engender the creation of one or more new problem statements with their associated data records. The storage and retrieval of problem statements and their associated data was handled by the IDS database management system, along with all of the application requirements.

Bachman developed data structure diagrams (ER diagrams), commonly known as Bachman diagrams, as a graphical representation of semantic structures within the data.

In 1964, Bachman transferred to GE's Computer Department in Phoenix, Arizona with assignment to convert the GE 225 version of IDS to a commercial product for GE's 400 and 600 computer lines. At the same time, Bachman worked with the ANSI SPARC Study Group on DBMS, in creating their report of Network Databases. This task group was responsible for creating the specification for the integration of IDS into the COBOL programming language. This report formed the basis for GE's IDS II and many other DBMS based on the specification.

Later Bachman started the GE-Weyerhaeuser project team that created first "non stop" operating system (WEYCOS) for the GE 600 computer. This team also created the first multiprogramming version of IDS, which allowed many programs to access to a common database with transparent locking, deadlock (interference) detection, recovery and restart.

Bachman developed a database-oriented version (dataBASIC) of the BASIC programming language. Its integrated database facility was based on the "universal relation" concept (before the concept was formerly described). The product was shipped for both the GE 400 and 600 product lines. The City of Tulsa, OK, used dataBASIC to construct their public safety and police system.

Later, Bachman managed the software section for GE's Advanced Computer Division.

Honeywell Information Systems, Inc. acquired the General Electric's Computer Division. Bachman's first assignment was to manage a group to specify and implement a version of IDS for Honeywell's advanced product line, to be built by the newly merged company.

1973 Transferred to Honeywell's Advanced System Project as Chief Staff Engineer.

Given the Association of Computer Machinery's Alan M. Turing Award in 1973 for pioneering work in database management systems. The Turing Award is the software industry's equivalent of the Nobel Prize. The 1973 Turing Lecture by Bachman was entitled "The Programmer as Navigator."

Published the "extended network" data model.

Served as Vice Chairman with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) SPARC's Study Group on DBMS, to explore the possible standardization database management languages. Group report spelled out the first architectural statement about the various interfaces and protocols required to support the data independence concept and established what is now broadly known as the "three schema approach."

Elected a "Distinguished Fellow" of the British Computer Society in 1978 for database research. Only 22 people have been so honored todate.

Published the "role" data model.

Began work in 1976 as leader of Honeywell's Distributed System Architecture project. This work served as the prototype of the later ANSI SPARC Study Group - Distributed System Architecture and the International Standard Organization's (ISO) Open System Interconnection project. Became chairman of the ANSI Study Group in 1978 and chairman of the ISO Open Systems Interconnection subcommittee in 1979.

In 1980 began working on concepts more recently called Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE).

Awarded 16 U.S. patents while at Honeywell for database inventions and 1 British patent for pioneering work on model driven development (executable functional specifications).

Cullinane (Cullinet) Database Systems. Joined Cullinet as Vice President of Product Management, while retaining responsibility as Chairman for the ISO Open Systems Interconnection subcommittee. He also continued work on prototype CASE systems. Cullinet's IDMS system is a direct copy of Bachman's original IDS DBMS. During the two years with Cullinet, the Role Data model, which had been developed at Honeywell, was enhanced to facilitate its integration with the existing Cullinet IDMS software. The result was the "Partnership" Data Model which was published in 1983 and which was awarded a software patent in the U.S.

Bachman Information Systems, Inc. was created on April 1, 1983 to productize the CASE concepts, which had been developed while at Honeywell and Cullinet. Key concepts use included the establishment of a clear separation between the specification of the business level (logical) rules characterized as the business model and the specification of the physical level rules characterized by existing database languages, communication languages and programming languages.

This distinction between logical and physical levels became very important as the implementation rules from existing COBOL, PL/I, IDMS, IMS and Relational DBMS could be "reverse engineered" into an enhanced data model based on the Partnership Data Model, extended with some object oriented concepts.

Bachman Information Systems received it first round of venture capital funding in 1986, and after several additional rounds went public in 1990. Bachman Information Systems did business on a worldwide basis and was highly respected for its products supporting data modeling and database administrator professionals.

In this period, a number of patents were awarded to Bachman Information Systems dealing with aspects of the CASE products. Mr. Bachman was a co-inventor on six of these.

Bachman Information Systems, Inc. of Boston, MA and Cadre Technology, Inc. of Providence, RI merged to form a new company, named Cayenne Software, Inc. Bachman and Cadre developed and marketed similar products, i.e. CAD/CAM products to help the software professionals in carrying out their tasks. The largest difference in the two former companies is that Bachman marketed its products to the commercial market and Cadre marketed theirs to the engineering/scientific market.

In June 1996, Charlie was given a Life Achievement Award by the Massachusetts Software Council. In August, 1996, he and his wife, Connie, moved to Tucson, Arizona.

In the fall of 1997, Charlie was showcased as one of the "wizards" in the Association of Computer Machinery and The Computer Museums exhibition, "The Wizards and Their Wonders." This was a photographic exhibit and its contents were published in a book of the same name. That same fall, Mr. Bachman retired as an employee and the Chairman of the Board of Cayenne Software (formerly Bachman Information Systems) after fourteen years service.

Mr. Bachman lives with his wife of 52 years, Connie Hadley, and continues his consulting work. He has worked on meta modeling and software engineering projects with Constellar Corp. and The Webvan Group.

He is currently working on the story of the development of IDS.