Computer-implemented control device for controlling an automatic pipetting machine, wherein - the control device is designed to control at least one actuator for moving a pipetting device between receptacle devices for liquids to be pipetted, - the control device is designed to control the pipetting device in such a way that a specific transfer volume of liquid can be taken up from at least one of the receptacle devices by means of the pipetting device in a transfer step and at least part of the transfer volume of liquid can be dispensed into at least one other of the receptacle devices, - the control device has an input device and a display device, - at least one configuration interface can be displayed by the display device, - the control device is designed so that the receptacle devices are represented in the configuration interface by graphically depicted wells (16, 16'), - the receptacle devices, from which liquid to be pipetted is to be taken up by the pipetting device, correspond to source wells and the receptacle devices, into which liquid to be pipetted is to be dispensed by the pipetting device, correspond to target wells, - several source wells and several target wells can be selected in the configuration interface by means of the input device, - the control device is designed such that, in order to specify several transfer steps and their order of execution by the pipetting device and the actuator, in the configuration interface multiple previously selected source wells can be assigned to at least one target well by selecting this target well, characterized in that the control device is designed so as - to analyze, after specifying several transfer steps and their order of execution by the pipetting device and the actuator and before the execution of these specified transfer steps by the pipetting device and the actuator, the specified order of execution of these transfer steps and the liquid to be pipetted in these transfer steps with regard to the material consumption and/or the time required for the execution of the specified transfer steps, and - to automatically change the order of execution of these transfer steps after the analysis and/or combine several of these transfer steps in order to reduce the material consumption and/or the time required for the execution of the specified transfer steps. - the control device is designed to control at least one actuator for moving a pipetting device between receptacle devices for liquids to be pipetted, - the control device is designed to control the pipetting device in such a way that a specific transfer volume of liquid can be taken up from at least one of the receptacle devices by means of the pipetting device in a transfer step and at least part of the transfer volume of liquid can be dispensed into at least one other of the receptacle devices, - the control device has an input device and a display device, - at least one configuration interface can be displayed by the display device, - the control device is designed so that the receptacle devices are represented in the configuration interface by graphically depicted wells (16, 16'), - the receptacle devices, from which liquid to be pipetted is to be taken up by the pipetting device, correspond to source wells and the receptacle devices, into which liquid to be pipetted is to be dispensed by the pipetting device, correspond to target wells, - several source wells and several target wells can be selected in the configuration interface by means of the input device, - the control device is designed such that, in order to specify several transfer steps and their order of execution by the pipetting device and the actuator, in the configuration interface multiple previously selected source wells can be assigned to at least one target well by selecting this target well, - to analyze, after specifying several transfer steps and their order of execution by the pipetting device and the actuator and before the execution of these specified transfer steps by the pipetting device and the actuator, the specified order of execution of these transfer steps and the liquid to be pipetted in these transfer steps with regard to the material consumption and/or the time required for the execution of the specified transfer steps, and - to automatically change the order of execution of these transfer steps after the analysis and/or combine several of these transfer steps in order to reduce the material consumption and/or the time required for the execution of the specified transfer steps.