A centralised dispatching system coordinating two or more elevators sharing the same bank to minimise passenger waiting and travel times.
Full Definition
Group control links multiple elevator controllers in a bank to a supervisory dispatcher that allocates calls to the optimal car based on estimated arrival time, current load, and direction of travel. Modern group controllers use algorithmic or AI-based dispatching that analyses traffic patterns throughout the day — morning up-peak, lunchtime bidirectional, evening down-peak, and off-peak — and adapts car assignment strategies accordingly. Typical performance metrics include average waiting time (AWT) and average journey time (AJT). EN 81-20 does not prescribe dispatching algorithms; building consultants use software simulation (e.g., ELEVATE, SIMULIFT) to design and verify group performance.
