Destination dispatch is a way of optimizing elevator travel to reduce wait and travel times. Passengers are grouped by their destinations so that people traveling to the same floor ride in the same elevator. This reduces the number of stops the elevator needs to make, which lowers the amount of time people spend riding and waiting for their floors.

Passengers can indicate their destination floors by tapping a keypad or touch screen or using a proximity card in the lobby. They are then directed to an elevator that is going to be traveling to that floor. It may or may not be the next elevator that will be arriving in the lobby.

In a full configuration, destination panels are located on every floor. There are no floor buttons to push inside the elevator, but there are still buttons that can be used to open and close the doors and to summon help in the event of an emergency. Handicap mode is supported in a full configuration. This is the most common type of configuration.

In a hybrid configuration, destination panels are only located on some floors. Other floors have up and down call buttons. There are floor buttons inside the elevator. Handicap mode is generally not supported in a hybrid configuration.

Destination dispatch is becoming popular for several reasons. It avoids unnecessary floor stops, which reduces wait and travel times. It can improve efficiency and organize traffic in lobbies. Passengers with impaired mobility can have better accessibility since they can move in advance to a designated elevator.