Abstract: Improved systems and methods for processing data traveling in a network in an efficient manner are provided. In many network implementations input/output ports have one or a small number of bandwidths. These ports sometimes lead to higher bandwidth ports than the source or destination needs. A method and system are provided wherein some of the input and output ports are known to be underutilized. Only a relatively small number of output ports require a complicated merge scheduler that provides configurable data transmission “fairness” between input ports. Accordingly, a method and system are provided wherein preprocessing of input data reduces the cost of the merge circuits required at the outputs.