An advanced elevator dispatching technology that groups passengers travelling to the same destination floor, reducing average journey time and energy consumption by allocating the optimal car before boarding.
Full Definition
A Destination Control System (DCS) — also called destination dispatch — replaces the conventional up/down hall call buttons with a hall call terminal (keypad, touchscreen, or card reader) where the passenger enters their destination floor before boarding. The system's algorithm then assigns the passenger to a specific car and displays the car identifier on the terminal. Key operational benefits: (1) Grouping efficiency — passengers with the same or nearby destination floors ride together, dramatically reducing the number of stops per trip; (2) Reduced average travel time — studies show a 20–40% reduction in average waiting and journey time compared to conventional dispatching for medium-to-high rise buildings; (3) Reduced energy consumption — fewer stops means shorter running time per trip and lower motor energy use; (4) Access control integration — the terminal can be linked to an access control system so that passengers are only offered floors they are permitted to access; (5) Better traffic analysis — the system continuously learns traffic patterns and adjusts dispatch algorithms accordingly. DCS is most effective in buildings with 4+ elevators and 10+ floors. The passenger experience change (must declare destination before boarding) requires user education during commissioning. Variants include two-stage DCS (separate hall call and in-car terminals) and single-stage DCS (destination entered at hall only, no in-car COP floor buttons needed). Major suppliers: Schindler PORT, KONE DCS, Otis Compass, thyssenkrupp AGILE.
