Abstract This paper examines the modeling and decision-making issues related to Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) services at strategic, tactical and operational levels, providing an alternative categorization of the main implementation problems, in order to support transit authorities in their effort to understand the methodological steps for assessing potential transport investments of such services. Building upon the knowledge gained from a critical overview of the literature, this work aims at contributing to a better understanding of the crucial factors that influence the successful implementation of DRT systems as well as at the identification of the missing methodological elements, bridging theory with practice.