A method for scheduling the manufacture of an item, in a factory which includes planning a time for manufacturing an item so as to have the manufacture of the item complete during a desired shipping window, determining the desired shipping window so as to allow the item to be shipped via a lower cost shipping method while arriving at a destination as if shipped via an expedited shipping method, and determining a carrier service for shipping the item so as to enable the item to be shipped via a lower cost shipping method while arriving at a destination as if shipped via an expedited shipping method is disclosed.