DESTINATION DISPATCH ELEVATORS
Destination dispatch elevators is an advanced elevator optimization technology designed for high-traffic, multi-story buildings.
Unlike conventional elevators where you press an “Up” or “Down” button in the hallway and choose your floor inside the cab, destination dispatch requires you to select your desired floor before you step into the elevator access control, using a central keypad or touchscreen terminal located in the building lobby.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
When you input your destination floor into the lobby terminal, the system’s central controller calculates the most efficient rote across the entire elevator bank. It instantly assigns you a specific elevator cab (e.g., “Car C”) to wait for.
By knowing where everyone is going before they board, the system groups passengers traveling to the same or nearby floors into the same elevator.
- Conventional Elevator: If 5 people get into a cab, they might press buttons for floors, 3, 5, 8, 9, and 12. The elevator makes 5 separate, time-consuming stops.
- Destination Dispatch: The system will assign the passengers going to floors 3,5, and 8 to Car A, and the passengers going to 9 and 12 to Car B. Both cars make fewer stops, drastically reducing round-trip travel times.
KEY OPERATIONAL ADVANTAGES
Reduced Wait and Travel Times
By grouping passengers intelligently, overall transit times during peak rush hours (like morning check-ins or lunch hours) can be reduced by up to 30% to 50%.
No Interior Floor Buttons
Because the elevator already knows exactly which floors it needs to stop at, traditional floor buttons inside the cab are completely eliminated (with the exception of emergency buttons)
Energy Efficiency
Fewer intermediate stops mean less mechanical wear and tear and significantly lower power consumption for the property.
Seamless Access System Integration
Destination dispatch systems easily interface with commercial turnstiles and security badge readers in access control system. When an employee badges into the lobby turnstile, the security system can automatically read their credentials, identify their assigned office floor, and display their assigned elevator cab on a screen immediately, skipping the keypad entirely.
HOW ARE DESTINATION DISPATCH ELEVATORS INTEGRATED IN ACCESS SYSTEMS SUCH AS GALLAGHER?
In modern commercial buildings, integrating a destination dispatch elevator system with an enterprise access control platform like Gallagher Command Centre represents a major shift from legacy wiring to secure, software-driven architecture.
Instead of using dozens of physical, mechanical relays to turn individual floor buttons on or off inside an elevator cab, Gallagher relies on a High Level Interface (HLI). This software-to-software link enables instant, encrypted communication between the access system database and the elevator group controller.
THE HLI CONNECTION (HOW THE SYSTEMS TALK)
Rather than hardwiring outputs, Gallagher utilizes a software integration licenses for major elevator manufacturers (such as the Otis compass HLI, Kone Polaris HLI, ThyssenKrupp (TKE) Ethernet HLI, and Schindler PORT interface).
Network Protocol
The integration typically establishes a secure, real-time TCP/IP network connection (or sometime RS232 serial links for legacy setups) between the Gallagher Controller (like the Controller 6000 or 7000) or the Command Centre Server, and the Elevator Group Controller.
Database Sync
Depending on the manufacturer, the systems either use a real-time query model (where Gallagher makes the access decision on the fly) or a data-synchronization model (where Gallagher pushes the cardholder floor privileges directly to the elevator database).
STEP-BY-STEP USER WORKFLOW
The User Presents a Credential
Lobby Terminal or Turnstile
The user presents their secure Gallagher credential—which could be a MIFARE/DESFire access card, a mobile token via the Gallagher Mobile Connect app, or a biometric scan—at a Gallagher reader installed on a lobby turnstile or adjacent to a Destination Selection Control (DSC) kiosk.
Gallagher Processes the Privileges
Command Centre Decision
The Gallagher reader sends the credential data to the Gallagher Controller. The system instantly checks the user’s profile inside Gallagher Command Centre to determine which floors (“Access Zones”) they are authorized to enter.
The Access Decision is Dispatched
High Level Interface Link
Via the HLI, Gallagher transmits a message to the elevator control system stating, “This passenger is authorized for Floors 4, 5, and 12”.
Elevator Assignment and Boarding
System Direction
The user selects their desired floor on the kiosk screen (or, if set up for auto-dispatch, the system automatically selects their default workspace floor). The elevator controller calculates the most efficient route, assigns a cab (e.g “Car C”), and displays it on the screen. The user boards the designated car with no need to press any buttons inside.
ADVANCED INTEGRATION CAPABILITIES
Modern Gallagher destination dispatch integrations go beyond basic “yes/no” access to individual floors. They allow security managers and building administrators to leverage several advanced functionalities.
Personalized Passenger Preferences
Gallagher Command Centre cardholder profiles store custom flags like VIP status and Accessibility/ADA requirements. For accessibility needs, the elevator holds doors open longer or plays verbal cues. For VIPs, the system assigns a private, non-stop ride. Gallagher instantly transmits these status flags directly to the elevator system.
Source Control & Anti-Passback
Integrations effectively prevent tailgating. Scanning a card at a lobby turnstile automatically triggers the elevator dispatch. This setup directs users straight to their assigned cab. It blocks unauthorized people from following them to secured floors.
Dynamic Floor Scheduling
Administrators can program floors to switch access modes automatically. Anyone can select the floor during public business hours under Free Access. However, Secure Access requires credentials for after-hours entry.
Unified Audit Trails
With full integration, security teams avoid cross-referencing two separate databases. Gallagher Command Centre maintains a unified log. This log records exactly when cardholders gain access and which floors they select.