A machine comprising: a) a plurality of laboratory instruments, each laboratory instrument adapted to perform at least one test; b) at least one aliquoter; and c) at least one system comprising a memory and a processor, the system configured with instructions adapted to cause it to, when executed, perform steps comprising: i) determining one or more ways to separate samples contained in a plurality of tubes into additional tubes; ii) determining one or more results corresponding to the one or more ways to separate the samples, iii) evaluating said one or more results corresponding to the one or more ways to separate the samples, iv) approving one of the one and more ways to separate the samples based on said evaluation of the one or more results corresponding to the one or more ways to separate the samples, and v) separating, using the at least one aliquoter, the samples contained in the plurality of tubes in the approved way, wherein determining the one or more results corresponding to the one or more ways to separate samples is based, for each of the one or more ways to separate the samples, on: a) a first matrix indicating which tests are required for which tubes, including which tests are required for the additional tubes, and b) a second matrix indicating types of tests which the laboratory instruments from the plurality of laboratory instruments are adapted to perform, wherein determining the one or more results corresponding to one or more ways to separate the samples comprises, for each one or more ways to separate the samples: inputting the first matrix and the second matrix into an optimization function to create a third matrix indicating how the tubes should be allocated to the laboratory instruments, and determining a sequence and schedule for distributing the tubes to the laboratory instruments based on the third matrix, wherein the results are evaluated based on the sequence and/or schedule. a) a plurality of laboratory instruments, each laboratory instrument adapted to perform at least one test; b) at least one aliquoter; and c) at least one system comprising a memory and a processor, the system configured with instructions adapted to cause it to, when executed, perform steps comprising: i) determining one or more ways to separate samples contained in a plurality of tubes into additional tubes; ii) determining one or more results corresponding to the one or more ways to separate the samples, iii) evaluating said one or more results corresponding to the one or more ways to separate the samples, iv) approving one of the one and more ways to separate the samples based on said evaluation of the one or more results corresponding to the one or more ways to separate the samples, and v) separating, using the at least one aliquoter, the samples contained in the plurality of tubes in the approved way, i) determining one or more ways to separate samples contained in a plurality of tubes into additional tubes; ii) determining one or more results corresponding to the one or more ways to separate the samples, iii) evaluating said one or more results corresponding to the one or more ways to separate the samples, iv) approving one of the one and more ways to separate the samples based on said evaluation of the one or more results corresponding to the one or more ways to separate the samples, and v) separating, using the at least one aliquoter, the samples contained in the plurality of tubes in the approved way, wherein determining the one or more results corresponding to the one or more ways to separate samples is based, for each of the one or more ways to separate the samples, on: a) a first matrix indicating which tests are required for which tubes, including which tests are required for the additional tubes, and b) a second matrix indicating types of tests which the laboratory instruments from the plurality of laboratory instruments are adapted to perform, a) a first matrix indicating which tests are required for which tubes, including which tests are required for the additional tubes, and b) a second matrix indicating types of tests which the laboratory instruments from the plurality of laboratory instruments are adapted to perform, wherein determining the one or more results corresponding to one or more ways to separate the samples comprises, for each one or more ways to separate the samples: inputting the first matrix and the second matrix into an optimization function to create a third matrix indicating how the tubes should be allocated to the laboratory instruments, and determining a sequence and schedule for distributing the tubes to the laboratory instruments based on the third matrix, inputting the first matrix and the second matrix into an optimization function to create a third matrix indicating how the tubes should be allocated to the laboratory instruments, and determining a sequence and schedule for distributing the tubes to the laboratory instruments based on the third matrix, wherein the results are evaluated based on the sequence and/or schedule.