  The dispersive optical model (DOM) is employed to simultaneously describe
elastic nucleon scattering data for ${}^{40}$Ca, ${}^{48}$Ca, and ${}^{208}$Pb
as well as observables related to the ground state of these nuclei, with
emphasis on the charge density. Such an analysis requires a fully non-local
implementation of the DOM including its imaginary component. Illustrations are
provided how ingredients thus generated provide critical components for the
description of the $(d,p)$ and $(e,e'p)$ reaction. For the nuclei with $N > Z$
the neutron distribution is constrained by available elastic scattering and
ground-state data thereby generating a prediction for the neutron skin. We
identify ongoing developments including a non-local DOM analysis for
${}^{208}$Pb and point out possible extensions of the method to secure a
successful extension of the DOM to rare isotopes.
