Unlike an off-line system in which information on the system's current state is ignored and relevant decisions are made separately, a real-time CAD system takes into account knowledge of the system's current state and can help a dispatcher make a series of decisions simultaneously or instantaneously, increasing the speed and accuracy of complex decisionmaking that generates the efficient deployment of resources. Most existing police CAD systems are programmed to categorize and manipulate files, generate lists, and organize backlogs. They do not assist in the decisionmaking of either the operator receiving the call or the dispatcher deploying patrol officers. Research has indicated that the importance of rapid police response to a call varies according to the type of call and that citizen satisfaction with police response times depends more on citizen expectations than the actual response time. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Operations Research Center is researching a real-time CAD system that will assist in prioritizing call types, guide dispatchers on when to enter calls in queue versus immediately dispatching them, and estimate various response delays. Other described actual and potential applications of real-time CAD systems pertain to dial-a-ride service, vehicle routing and scheduling, train dispatching, maintenance operations, oil spill cleanups, and refuse disposal. 22 references.