A monitoring and controlling system for product holding arrangements, food bars and the like includes functional stations holding products at different locations and a station serving unit with a server and in communication by a local network with the functional product stations that have digital displays. The station serving unit communicates with a portable unit with a display and a scanner for scanning product label codes with product information via a wireless local network, and holds information about all products held in the stations and their current locations. Information is updated through scanned product label code information and/or instructions from the portable unit and through information from the functional product holding stations. The portable unit contains at least part of the information in the station serving unit, and has an interactive user interface enabling handling, controlling, and monitoring at least the products via the portable unit.