An intelligent routing and switching system includes an interface for coupling said system to an external network and a switch fabric for selectively routing bits of data being exchanged with an external network through the interface. The switch fabric includes an array of multiport switching elements each including switches and memory elements for introducing programmable delays in selected ones of the bits being routed. The routing and switching system further includes a first controller for implementing a routing table and scheduler in accordance with a sequencing graph to route bits of data through the switch fabric and a second controller for generating the sequencing graph and for allocating input and output slots for inputting and outputting data through the interface.