Abstract: A system for the automatic supervision of a multiplicity of machines in a manufacturing plant includes a set of transducer units individual to the respective machines for converting their operating speeds into binary data which are successively read out, under the control of a scanner sequentially activating respective couplers, to a tape puncher together with data identifying the machines and their operators. The punched tape is then fed to a computer which interprets the received data and passes out the results on another tape scanned by a reader for purposes of visual display and transmission to an instrument panel.