Abstract: A system for monitoring the operations of a person, such as a bartender, who has under his control a number of containers, such as bottles of liquor, from which he dispenses individual portions, and for keeping a running inventory of all the containers that are available to the operator at the beginning of a work period. The system includes a work station that has a compartment for retaining an array of containers from which the operator is dispensing portions, a container identifying and disposal unit for receiving empty containers presented to it by the operator, and a storage unit arranged to hold a plurality of containers and dispense one of the containers after the operator presents a similar container to the identifying and disposal unit.