How to Modernize Your Elevators Without the Pain of Modernization

The Elevator Paradox

Every building owner knows this paradox: elevators are one of the most visible services in a building — every tenant and visitor experiences them daily — but upgrading them is one of the most painful, expensive, and disruptive projects a building can undertake.

Full modernization to destination dispatch can take years, cost millions, and reduce elevator service during installation. Yet tenants expect shorter wait times, faster rides, and greater security. Owners are stuck between status quo inefficiency and modernization pain.

But there’s now a third path: Hybrid Destination Dispatch (HDDS).

The Problem with Traditional Two-Button Systems

Most existing commercial and multifamily buildings still rely on two-button relay systems:

• Press up or down in the lobby.
• Elevator arrives.
• Enter and press your floor.

Simple, yes. But inefficient. The system doesn’t know your destination until you’re already inside, so it can’t group passengers efficiently. During peak hours, this means:

• Long waits in the lobby.
• Overcrowded elevators with many unnecessary stops.
• Frustrated tenants.

And because anyone can press a button, there’s no real floor-level access control — anyone can ride to any floor once inside.

Why Full Destination Dispatch Isn’t the Answer (for Most Buildings)

Destination Dispatch Elevators (DDE) solve these inefficiencies by having passengers enter their destination before boarding. This allows the system to:

• Group passengers going to similar floors.
• Assign elevators intelligently.
• Cut down travel times and congestion.

Sounds perfect, right? Until you consider:

• Cost: Modernizing a single cab can run into hundreds of thousands of dollars. A full building can mean millions.
• Time: Each cab can take 8 weeks out of service for upgrades. Multiply that by every elevator in your banks.
• Disruption: With cabs offline, service is reduced for months or years — frustrating tenants even further.
• For most owners, full DDE modernization is financially unrealistic and operationally disruptive.

Enter the Hybrid Destination Dispatch System

BluB0X’s Hybrid Destination Dispatch System (HDDS) provides the efficiency of destination dispatch without the pain of modernization. Instead of ripping out working elevators, HDDS overlays a smart dispatch layer onto your existing two-button system.

Here’s how it works:

• A Hybrid DDE Controller is installed in the machine room, connecting to your elevators’ microprocessor.
• Smart inputs are introduced:
• BluREMOTE app on tenants’ phones.
• Person Readers (biometric kiosks) in lobbies or floors.
• Existing buttons remain fully functional.
• The system collects passenger requests via phone or Person Reader, validates access rights through the BluSKY cloud, and assigns elevators intelligently.
• As adoption grows, more trips are optimized. At full adoption, HDDS functions like a full DDE system — but without modernization.

The Benefits for Owners & Managers

1. No Service Downtime

You don’t have to take cabs offline. Installation is done while keeping your elevators fully operational. Tenants never lose elevator service.

2. Dramatic Cost Savings

Hybrid DD costs about 1/10th of full modernization. You avoid capital expenses in the millions and preserve your existing investment in functional elevators.

3. Tenant Satisfaction

Shorter waits.

Faster rides.

Less congestion.

A high-tech amenity (mobile app or face recognition) that feels like a premium building upgrade — without the pain.

4. Improved Security

Access rights are enforced at the elevator: only approved tenants can travel to specific floors.

Eliminates unauthorized access to tenant spaces.

Adds another layer of building-wide access control.

5. Future-Proof

Works on day one.

As tenants adopt mobile/biometric inputs, the system’s efficiency scales up.

Approaches full destination dispatch without modernization.

6. Sustainability & Energy Savings

By reducing unnecessary stops, elevators consume less energy. For large buildings, this adds up over years of operation.

Case in Point: A Tenant’s Perspective

Imagine you’re a tenant arriving at 8:45 a.m., peak rush hour. In a two-button building, you press “up,” squeeze into a crowded cab, and stop at five or six intermediate floors before finally reaching your office.

In a Hybrid DD building:

• You open your phone, select your floor, and see “Car B.”
• You board with others going to the same upper floors.
• Your cab makes one or two stops instead of six.
• You arrive at your desk faster — and calmer.
• Multiply that experience across hundreds of tenants, every day, and the value is clear.

The Business Case: Why Now

• For owners, Hybrid DD isn’t just about making elevators smarter — it’s about:
• Protecting NOI: Lower capex, happier tenants, higher retention.
• Competitive Advantage: A hybrid DD building markets better than a “button-only” building.
• Filling a Gap: Many tenants want the benefits of destination dispatch but balk at disruptions. Hybrid DD bridges the gap.

Conclusion

Modernizing elevators doesn’t have to mean years of disruption and millions in costs. Hybrid Destination Dispatch is the smarter path:

• Fast to deploy.
• Affordable.
• Tenant-friendly.
• Secure.
• Future-proof.
• For building owners and managers, it’s the perfect balance between efficiency, cost, and tenant satisfaction — without the pain of modernization.

“Hybrid Destination Dispatch: The Smart Path to Modern Elevator Efficiency.”