A method of automated staining of samples arranged on slides comprising the steps of: - establishing an automated slide processing system that causes automated process operation events through movement of a robotic motion system, wherein the automated slide processing system comprises: a plurality of slide retainment assemblies having one or more slides, a plurality of drawers accomodating said slide retainment assemblies, indicator elements indicating to an operator if the drawer is available during operation of the automated slide processing system, an adaptive sample processing control system, and a robotic motion system responsive to the sample processing control system; - receiving a protocol; - scheduling a plurality of sample process operations based on the protocol; - automatically processing at least one sample arranged on a slide at least in part through operation of said robotic motion system sequencing through the scheduled plurality of sample process operations, wherein said step of automatically processing at least one sample comprises the steps of: arranging one or more slides on a slide retainment assembly; applying a reagent to said plurality of slides; and automatically staining said plurality of slides; - monitoring totalization usage information and/or predictive usage information of the automated slide processing system, wherein totalization usage information are the added up individual usages for an item; and - automatically informing at least one person of at least some usage information in response to said step of monitoring of usage information and automatically notifying at least one person of a potential need for replenishable supplies in response to said step of monitoring usage information,: - indicating to the operator, using the indicator elements, the locked or open conditions of the drawers so that the operator can insert a slide retainment assembly into and remove a slide retainment assembly from the automated slide processing system on an on-going basis throughout operation of the automated slide processing system and the sample processing control system adapts the scheduling to allow for the continuous processing of samples. - establishing an automated slide processing system that causes automated process operation events through movement of a robotic motion system, wherein the automated slide processing system comprises: a plurality of slide retainment assemblies having one or more slides, a plurality of drawers accomodating said slide retainment assemblies, indicator elements indicating to an operator if the drawer is available during operation of the automated slide processing system, an adaptive sample processing control system, and a robotic motion system responsive to the sample processing control system; a plurality of slide retainment assemblies having one or more slides, a plurality of drawers accomodating said slide retainment assemblies, indicator elements indicating to an operator if the drawer is available during operation of the automated slide processing system, an adaptive sample processing control system, and a robotic motion system responsive to the sample processing control system; - receiving a protocol; - scheduling a plurality of sample process operations based on the protocol; - automatically processing at least one sample arranged on a slide at least in part through operation of said robotic motion system sequencing through the scheduled plurality of sample process operations, wherein said step of automatically processing at least one sample comprises the steps of: arranging one or more slides on a slide retainment assembly; applying a reagent to said plurality of slides; and automatically staining said plurality of slides; arranging one or more slides on a slide retainment assembly; applying a reagent to said plurality of slides; and automatically staining said plurality of slides; - monitoring totalization usage information and/or predictive usage information of the automated slide processing system, wherein totalization usage information are the added up individual usages for an item; and - automatically informing at least one person of at least some usage information in response to said step of monitoring of usage information and automatically notifying at least one person of a potential need for replenishable supplies in response to said step of monitoring usage information,: - indicating to the operator, using the indicator elements, the locked or open conditions of the drawers so that the operator can insert a slide retainment assembly into and remove a slide retainment assembly from the automated slide processing system on an on-going basis throughout operation of the automated slide processing system and the sample processing control system adapts the scheduling to allow for the continuous processing of samples.