NATIONAL DATA CORP
SC 13G/A, 2000-02-11
BUSINESS SERVICES, NEC
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<PAGE>

                                 UNITED STATES
                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            Washington, D.C. 20549


                                 SCHEDULE 13G


                   Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                            (Amendment No.   3   )*
                                          -------

                           NATIONAL DATA CORPORATION
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                               (Name of Issuer)

                                 Common Stock
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                        (Title of Class of Securities)


                                   635621105
                 ---------------------------------------------
                                (CUSIP Number)

* The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person's
initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and
for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter the
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed
to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act
but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the
Notes).


Schedule is filed pursuant to Rule 13d-1(b).

                               Page 1 of 8 Pages
<PAGE>

CUSIP No. 635621105                    13G                   Page 2 of 8 Pages
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      NAMES OF REPORTING PERSONS.
 1    S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON

      Wanger Asset Management, L.P. 36-3820584

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
 2                                                              (a) [_]
      Not Applicable                                            (b) [_]

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      SEC USE ONLY
 3


- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
 4
      Delaware

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                          SOLE VOTING POWER
                     5
     NUMBER OF            None

      SHARES       -----------------------------------------------------------
                          SHARED VOTING POWER
   BENEFICIALLY      6
                          3,139,500
     OWNED BY
                   -----------------------------------------------------------
       EACH               SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
                     7
    REPORTING             None

      PERSON       -----------------------------------------------------------
                          SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
       WITH          8
                          3,139,500
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
 9
      3,139,500
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*
10
                                                                    [_]
      Not Applicable
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9
11
      9.5%
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
12
      IA
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     * SEE INSTRUCTION BEFORE FILLING OUT!
<PAGE>

  CUSIP NO. 635621105                 13G                    Page 3 of 8 Pages
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      NAMES OF REPORTING PERSON
 1    S.S. or I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON

         Wanger Asset Management, Ltd.

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
 2                                                              (a) [_]
         Not Applicable                                         (b) [_]

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      SEC USE ONLY
 3


- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
 4
         Delaware

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                          SOLE VOTING POWER
                     5
     NUMBER OF               None

      SHARES       -----------------------------------------------------------
                          SHARED VOTING POWER
   BENEFICIALLY      6
                             3,139,500
     OWNED BY
                   -----------------------------------------------------------
       EACH               SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
                     7
    REPORTING                None

      PERSON       -----------------------------------------------------------
                          SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
       WITH          8
                             3,139,500
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
 9
         3,139,500
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*
10
                                                                    [_]
         Not Applicable
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9
11
         9.5%

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
12
         CO

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     *SEE INSTRUCTION BEFORE FILLING OUT!

<PAGE>

CUSIP No. 635621105                    13G                   Page 4 of 8 Pages
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      NAMES OF REPORTING PERSON
 1    S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON

      Acorn Investment Trust

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
 2                                                              (a) [_]
      Not Applicable                                            (b) [_]

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      SEC USE ONLY
 3


- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
 4
      Massachusetts

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                          SOLE VOTING POWER
                     5
     NUMBER OF            None

      SHARES       -----------------------------------------------------------
                          SHARED VOTING POWER
   BENEFICIALLY      6
                          2,244,300
     OWNED BY
                   -----------------------------------------------------------
       EACH               SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
                     7
    REPORTING             None

      PERSON       -----------------------------------------------------------
                          SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
       WITH          8
                          2,244,300
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
 9
      2,244,300
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*
10
                                                                    [_]
      Not Applicable
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9
11
      6.8%
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
12
      IV
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     * SEE INSTRUCTION BEFORE FILLING OUT!

<PAGE>

Item 1(a)        Name of Issuer:

                     National Data Corporation

Item 1(b)        Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices:

                     National Data Plaza
                     Atlanta, GA 30329-2010

Item 2(a)        Name of Person Filing:

                     Wanger Asset Management, L.P. ("WAM")
                     Wanger Asset Management Ltd., the general partner of WAM
                      ("WAM LTD.")
                     Acorn Investment Trust ("Acorn")

Item 2(b)        Address of Principal Business Office:

                     WAM, WAM LTD. and Acorn are all located at:

                     227 West Monroe Street, Suite 3000
                     Chicago, Illinois 60606

Item 2(c)        Citizenship:

                     WAM is a Delaware limited partnership; WAM LTD. is a
                     Delaware corporation; and Acorn is a Massachusetts business
                     trust.

Item 2(d)        Title of Class of Securities:

                     Common Stock

Item 2(e)        CUSIP Number:

                     635621105

Item 3           Type of Person:

                     (d)    Acorn is an Investment Company under section 8 of
                            the Investment Company Act.

                     (e)    WAM is an Investment Adviser registered under
                            section 203 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940;
                            WAM LTD. is the General Partner of the Investment
                            Adviser.

                               Page 5 of 8 Pages
<PAGE>

Item 4           Ownership (at December 31, 1999):

                     (a)    Amount owned "beneficially" within the meaning of
                            rule 13d-3:

                            3,139,500

                     (b)    Percent of class:

                            9.5%

                     (c)    Number of shares as to which such person has:

                               (i)    sole power to vote or to direct the vote:
                                      none
                              (ii)    shared power to vote or to direct the
                                      vote: 3,139,500
                             (iii)    sole power to dispose or to direct the
                                      disposition of: none
                              (iv)    shared power to dispose or to direct
                                      disposition of: 3,139,500

Item 5           Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class:

                     Not Applicable

Item 6           Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another
                 Person:

                     The shares reported herein have been acquired on behalf of
                     discretionary clients of WAM, including Acorn. Persons
                     other than WAM and WAM LTD. are entitled to receive all
                     dividends from, and proceeds from the sale of, those
                     shares. Acorn is the only such person known to be entitled
                     to all dividends from, and all proceeds from the sale of,
                     shares reported herein to the extent of more than 5% of the
                     class.

Item 7           Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which
                 Acquired the Security Being Reported on by the Parent Holding
                 Company:

                     Not Applicable

Item 8           Identification and Classification of Members of the Group:

                     Not Applicable


Item 9           Notice of Dissolution of Group:

                     Not Applicable

                               Page 6 of 8 Pages
<PAGE>

Item 10          Certification:

                     By signing below I certify that, to the best of my
                 knowledge and belief, the securities referred to above were
                 acquired and are held in the ordinary course of business and
                 were not acquired and are not held for the purpose of or with
                 the effect of changing or influencing the control of the issuer
                 of the securities and were not acquired and are not held in
                 connection with or as a participant in any transaction having
                 that purpose or effect.

                               Page 7 of 8 Pages
<PAGE>

                                   Signature
                                   ---------

       After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I
certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and
correct.


Date:  February 11, 2000


              The undersigned corporation, on the date above written, agrees and
              consents to the joint filing on its behalf of this Schedule 13G in
              connection with its beneficial ownership of the security reported
              herein.


                                       WANGER ASSET MANAGEMENT, LTD.
                                         for itself and as general partner of
                                         WANGER ASSET MANAGEMENT, L.P.



                                       By: /s/ Bruce H. Lauer
                                           -------------------------------------
                                               Bruce H. Lauer
                                               Vice President


              The undersigned, on the date above written, agrees and consents to
              the joint filing on its behalf of this Schedule 13G in connection
              with its beneficial ownership of the security reported herein.


                                       ACORN INVESTMENT TRUST



                                       By: /s/ Bruce H. Lauer
                                           -------------------------------------
                                               Bruce H. Lauer
                                               Vice President and Treasurer

                               Page 8 of 8 Pages


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