How to Upgrade Elevator Systems Without Touching the Cabs

Introduction: The Integrator’s Dilemma

As a systems integrator or technology partner, you live at the intersection of client demands, vendor offerings, and real-world constraints.

Clients want smarter, faster, more secure elevators. Vendors offer full Destination Dispatch Elevator (DDE) modernizations — which are expensive, disruptive, and slow. And integrators like you are caught in the middle, trying to deliver innovation without blowing up budgets or causing tenant frustration.

The question is: how do you add elevator intelligence without ripping out elevators?

The answer: Hybrid Destination Dispatch (HDDS).

The Problem With Elevator Modernization

Traditional elevator systems (the two-button relay design) are simple but inefficient. The system only knows the direction a passenger wants to go (up or down), not their actual floor. That means:

• Passengers pile into cabs with mixed destinations.
• Elevators make many unnecessary stops.
• Lobby congestion grows during peak times.

Destination Dispatch fixes this by requiring riders to select their floor before boarding, enabling the system to group passengers intelligently. But for integrators, specifying or installing full DD systems creates huge challenges:

• High capital costs: Often millions of dollars.
• Downtime: 8+ weeks per cab offline.
• Disruption: Reduced service for months or years during modernization.
• Complexity: Requires close coordination with OEMs like Otis, Schindler, or KONE.
• It’s no wonder many clients hesitate, leaving integrators with limited opportunities to innovate.

Hybrid Destination Dispatch: A Smarter Upgrade Path

Hybrid Destination Dispatch changes the game by giving integrators a way to deliver DD benefits without touching the cabs themselves.

Instead of replacing elevators, HDDS overlays a smart dispatch system on top of the existing two-button infrastructure.

Key Components

• Hybrid DDE Controller (BluB0X)
• Installed in the elevator machine room.
• Connects to the microprocessor.
• Reads real-time car status (direction, hall calls, car calls).
• Interfaces with BluSKY Cloud to optimize dispatch.

User Input Options

• BluREMOTE App: A mobile app that detects the rider’s floor, validates access rights, and assigns an elevator.
• Person Readers: Biometric kiosks that recognize a rider by face, voice, or name and show only allowed destinations.
• Traditional Buttons: Remain fully functional for visitors and non-adopters.

BluSKY Cloud + AI

• Validates access control.
• Groups passengers efficiently.
• Assigns elevators in real time.

For integrators, this means you can deploy DD-like functionality without cab replacement, without OEM dependence, and without service downtime.

Why This Matters for Integrators

1. New Revenue Streams

• Hybrid DD allows you to position yourself not just as a security or building technology partner, but as a vertical transportation innovator.
• Bundle HDDS with access control, visitor management, and video surveillance.
• Create service contracts for ongoing support and monitoring.
• Upsell mobile credentials and Person Readers.

2. Faster, Easier Projects

• Instead of months-long modernization timelines, Hybrid DD can be implemented in weeks.
• Minimal disruption means happier clients.
• Faster projects mean you can move to the next job sooner.
• Lower risk of project delays caused by OEM dependencies.

3. A Differentiator in Competitive Bids

• In RFPs, most integrators still propose either “leave elevators as-is” or “full modernization.” Hybrid DD gives you a third option that’s cost-effective, innovative, and client-friendly.
• When you bring a new solution to the table, you stand out immediately.

4. Security + Efficiency in One Package

• Elevator travel isn’t just about moving people — it’s also a security challenge. With HDDS:
• Floor access is tied to identity (phone, face, or voice).
• Unauthorized access is blocked automatically.
• Travel logs can be integrated with building-wide security data.

This means integrators can pitch Hybrid DD not just as an elevator upgrade, but as a security upgrade — expanding its relevance to more stakeholders.

The Client Conversation: How to Position Hybrid DD

When you sit down with a building owner or manager, the conversation often goes like this:

Client: “We’d love destination dispatch, but we can’t afford the cost or downtime.”
Integrator: “There’s another way. Hybrid Destination Dispatch delivers the same benefits, but without modernization. Your elevators stay in service, and you pay a fraction of the cost.”

By reframing the conversation around value instead of disruption, you position yourself as a partner who solves problems creatively — not just one who installs what OEMs dictate.

Real-World Scenarios Where Hybrid DD Shines

• Commercial Office Buildings
• Reduce lobby congestion during morning and lunch rush hours.
• Improve tenant satisfaction (and retention) with faster rides.
• Add security by restricting floor access.

Multifamily Residential

• Enhance resident experience with smartphone or facial recognition access.
• Improve security by preventing unauthorized floor access.
• Reduce elevator complaints, a top issue in high-rise living.

Mixed-Use Buildings

• Balance traffic between residential, office, and retail tenants.
• Apply access policies to different user groups seamlessly.
• Reduce elevator conflicts in shared lobbies.

Healthcare and Education

• Ensure priority service for critical staff.
• Control floor access for visitors.
• Streamline movement in complex, high-traffic environments.

Answering Client Concerns

Integrators often face repeat client questions. Here’s how Hybrid DD makes the answers easy:

“What if my tenants don’t adopt the phone app?”

• No problem. They can use Person Readers or the legacy buttons. Even partial adoption improves efficiency.

“Does this require pulling cabs offline?”

• No. Elevators remain in service during installation.

“How secure is it?”

• Very. Access rights are tied to identity. Only authorized floors can be selected.

“What about future scalability?”

• Hybrid DD gets better as adoption grows. It approaches full DD efficiency over time.

The Integrator’s Business Case

More Sales Opportunities

• Every building with legacy elevators is a candidate.
• Price point is accessible for clients who could never justify full DD.

Service Contracts

• Ongoing support for cloud-connected BluSKY systems.
• Opportunities for analytics, reporting, and predictive maintenance.

Stronger Client Relationships

• By solving one of the most visible daily frustrations — elevators — you become a hero to tenants and managers alike.

Conclusion: A Smarter Path for Integrators

Hybrid Destination Dispatch is more than an elevator upgrade — it’s a new business model for integrators.

It lets you deliver:

• Efficiency: Shorter waits, faster rides.
• Security: Floor-level access tied to identity.
• Affordability: One-tenth the cost of modernization.
• No Downtime: Elevators stay in service during installation.
• Differentiation: A new solution your competitors likely aren’t offering.
• For integrators and technology partners, HDDS is a chance to expand your value proposition, win more bids, and deepen client trust.
• Because when you can tell your clients, “We can upgrade your elevators without touching the cabs,” you’ve already won the conversation.