An automation system for use with in vitro diagnostics comprising: a track configured as an integral conveyance system providing more than one path on which carriers are used for moving patient samples and other types of materials between modules; a plurality of carriers suitable for carrying reagent carriers and sample tubes, each of the plurality of carriers being configured to hold: (i) one or more of a plurality of said sample tubes; and (ii) one or more of a plurality of reagents stored in said reagent carriers; one or more central reagent storage areas configured to store the one or more of a plurality of reagents stored in said reagent carriers; a plurality of modules (804, 806) linked by the track, each of the plurality of modules (804, 806) comprising: one or more testing stations, each testing station configured to perform one or more tests by combining the one or more of a plurality of reagents stored in said reagent carriers with a sample from the one or more sample tubes, and one or more local reagent storage areas located at or proximate to the one or more testing stations and configured to store the one or more of a plurality of reagents stored in said reagent carriers, characterized in that the automation system further comprises: a control system configured to: (i) direct the plurality of carriers along said track transporting one or more reagent carriers from the one or more local reagent storage areas to the one or more testing stations based on received reagent information indicating the amounts, types and location of reagents; and (ii) direct the plurality of carriers along said track transporting the one or more reagent carriers from the one or more central reagent storage areas to the one or more testing stations, based on the received reagent information. a track configured as an integral conveyance system providing more than one path on which carriers are used for moving patient samples and other types of materials between modules; a plurality of carriers suitable for carrying reagent carriers and sample tubes, each of the plurality of carriers being configured to hold: (i) one or more of a plurality of said sample tubes; and (ii) one or more of a plurality of reagents stored in said reagent carriers; one or more central reagent storage areas configured to store the one or more of a plurality of reagents stored in said reagent carriers; a plurality of modules (804, 806) linked by the track, each of the plurality of modules (804, 806) comprising: one or more testing stations, each testing station configured to perform one or more tests by combining the one or more of a plurality of reagents stored in said reagent carriers with a sample from the one or more sample tubes, and one or more local reagent storage areas located at or proximate to the one or more testing stations and configured to store the one or more of a plurality of reagents stored in said reagent carriers, characterized in that the automation system further comprises: a control system configured to: (i) direct the plurality of carriers along said track transporting one or more reagent carriers from the one or more local reagent storage areas to the one or more testing stations based on received reagent information indicating the amounts, types and location of reagents; and (ii) direct the plurality of carriers along said track transporting the one or more reagent carriers from the one or more central reagent storage areas to the one or more testing stations, based on the received reagent information. one or more testing stations, each testing station configured to perform one or more tests by combining the one or more of a plurality of reagents stored in said reagent carriers with a sample from the one or more sample tubes, and one or more local reagent storage areas located at or proximate to the one or more testing stations and configured to store the one or more of a plurality of reagents stored in said reagent carriers, characterized in that the automation system further comprises: a control system configured to: (i) direct the plurality of carriers along said track transporting one or more reagent carriers from the one or more local reagent storage areas to the one or more testing stations based on received reagent information indicating the amounts, types and location of reagents; and (ii) direct the plurality of carriers along said track transporting the one or more reagent carriers from the one or more central reagent storage areas to the one or more testing stations, based on the received reagent information.