A system for customising management of one or more instruments (1500a-d) in a laboratory, the system including: (a) a user device adapted to receive inputs from a user , the user device having a device processor for processing the received inputs and instrument data from the one or more instruments (1500a-d), and a device display for displaying instrument information; (b) an interface module communicatively coupled with the user device and the one or more instruments (1500a-d) and configured to convert instrument data in a first format generated by an instrument processor of the one or more instruments (1500a-d) to a second format for processing by the device processor ; and (c) an instrument module configured to receive the instrument data in the second format and configured to cause the device processor to provide customised instrument information on the device display and to perform processing functions that provide the user with a customised environment for interacting with the one or more instruments (1500a-d), wherein the instrument module is selectable from a suite of instrument modules with which the user device may be configured, the suite of modules including an inventory management module ; wherein the system further includes the inventory management module configured for customised management of inventory, which inventory management module is configured to: (d) by means of a location service in the user device , determine automatically when the user device is in close physical proximity to an instrument in the laboratory that has an inventory management issue; and to (e) automatically generate a notification which it issues to the user device while in close proximity, identifying the instrument for which the user is required to perform an inventory management operation. (a) a user device adapted to receive inputs from a user , the user device having a device processor for processing the received inputs and instrument data from the one or more instruments (1500a-d), and a device display for displaying instrument information; (b) an interface module communicatively coupled with the user device and the one or more instruments (1500a-d) and configured to convert instrument data in a first format generated by an instrument processor of the one or more instruments (1500a-d) to a second format for processing by the device processor ; and (c) an instrument module configured to receive the instrument data in the second format and configured to cause the device processor to provide customised instrument information on the device display and to perform processing functions that provide the user with a customised environment for interacting with the one or more instruments (1500a-d), wherein the instrument module is selectable from a suite of instrument modules with which the user device may be configured, the suite of modules including an inventory management module ; wherein the system further includes the inventory management module configured for customised management of inventory, which inventory management module is configured to: (d) by means of a location service in the user device , determine automatically when the user device is in close physical proximity to an instrument in the laboratory that has an inventory management issue; and to (e) automatically generate a notification which it issues to the user device while in close proximity, identifying the instrument for which the user is required to perform an inventory management operation. <EOS>