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The Technology and Operations Management department (TOM) combines scientific ambition and rigour with practical relevance. The focus of our research and education is to understand and improve the design, manufacturing, and distribution of products and services in a digitizing world. Our engaged scholars develop scientific knowledge and prepare students, academics, and business people to be critical, creative, caring and collaborative thinkers and practitioners. 

“The people at the Technology and Operations Management (TOM) department are inspired to contribute with their academic work to a force for positive change. We do so by creating and disseminating knowledge on technology operations management with an emphasis on the management of supply chains, information systems (including business data analytics and AI), and innovation. For this purpose, we collaborate with external stakeholders and educate our students to become the next generation specialists and leaders in these fields to make a difference."

Prof. Rob Zuidwijk, Department Chair

PhD Vacancies available in this department

We research and teach in three critical business transformations:

  • business information management (BIM) with a focus on digital transformation
  • innovation management (IM) with a focus on business model transformation
  • supply chain management (SCM) with a focus on on the economical and sustainable transformation of processes, materials and information.
Business information management
Erasmus University Rotterdam Campus
Innovation management
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Supply chain management
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Contact us

Department Technology and Operations Management is located in Mandeville (T) building on Woudestein campus, Erasmus University Rotterdam. You can find the campus map here.

Visiting Address

Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University
Department of Technology & Operations Management.
Mandeville (T) Building, Room 09-12
Burgemeester Oudlaan 50
3062 PA Rotterdam
The Netherlands

Postal Address

P.O. Box 1738
3000 DR Rotterdam
The Netherlands

About our research

Publications
2025
2024
Research

TOM faculty members are very active in doing research in collaboration with innovative companies and publish results in academic and business journals to inspire both academics and practitioners.

Business Information Management (BIM) explores the use and impact of information ‒ and information systems ‒ as a strategic asset for customers, firms, supply chains, business networks, and markets. It investigates the opportunities presented by new information technologies such as mobile platforms, cloud computing, business analytics and social media. At Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM), BIM is part of the teaching and research activities in the Technology and Operations Management department.

Innovation Management (IM) involves all the actions needed to generate innovative ideas and turn them into attractive new products, services, and business models. Today’s business credo mandates more innovations, and those innovations become substantially more complex, multi-dimensional and risky. At RSM we study the latest developments in innovation and we investigate how to manage them successfully in practice by linking the latest management theories to business practice.

Logistics and Supply Chain Management (SCM) focuses on the effective and efficient management of the products and services lifecycle. Successful SCM is imperative for any competitive business. Our research and teaching is targeted at transportation, sourcing strategies, facility logistics, optimisation, inter-firm relationship management, behavioural operations, and sustainability.

Faculty

TOM faculty members are internationally oriented and with a diverse background ranging from applied mathematics, engineering, and computer science, to economics and business administration. We are team players that collaborate with top research groups around the world with the purpose of being a force for positive change.

Events

Connect with our global community of academics

Connect with our global community of academics, students, alumni, business professionals and corporate partners, at one of our events. You can learn more about research on Logistics & Information Systems by attending the Erasmus Research Institute of Management seminars.

You can find them here

You can learn more about RSM’s programmes, network with creative leaders and thinkers, and boost your career during information sessions, workshops, webinars and masterclasses. Click here to find an overview of what  RSM events are coming up

Awards

Professor Jo van Nunen Award

This annual award is to recognise and honour the outstanding quality of the Master thesis.

Prof.Dr.Ir. Jo van Nunen (1945-2010) was Professor of Operations Research and Information Systems and is considered one of the founding fathers of Rotterdam School of management, Erasmus University. He was well known for his energy and enthusiasm for bridging management science and management practice. He inspired many generations of students, faculty, alumni, managers, and entrepreneurs.

The winner of the award is selected by an academic committee consisting of the academic directors and thesis coordinators of the three master programmes and the members assess the theoretical contribution, methodological rigor, and managerial impact.

SCM: Valérie Dop - Weather or Not: A Predictive Modeling Approach to Investigate the Impact of Weather and Air Quality on Cloud Kitchen Demand.

SCM: Mels Arnoldy - Material logistics infrastructure in a circular hospital.

BIM: David Lensen - What is my data worth? The development of a conceptual model for determining pricing of data.

 IM: Daniel Sieczkowski – Diffusion of healthcare innovations during crisis - A multiple-case study of general practitioners during the Covid-19 pandemic 

SCM: Julia Scharmann - Optimizing the cold chain of Picnic Technologies for multi-temperature e-grocery transport.

BIM: Dennis van der Lee - The effect of student response systems on learning performance and student motivation in secondary schools: A field experiment.

IM: Corinna Schmitt - Feeling Uncreative? Try it at a Different Time - An Examination of Time-of Day Effects on Creative Thinking 

SCM: Didi Kool - The design of product return policies: an optimal balance between customer value and product return rate
BIM: Jarón Rijven - The Role of Advertisement Design and Consumers’ Prosocial Motivation in Green Advertising
IM: Merel Schaap - The fight against AMR: A comparison between the innovation performance of public-private and private-private partnerships

SCM: Lisanne Kempen – Optimizing the pallet flows of Danone Benelux
BIM: Sandra Slotboom – The Influence of Chatbot Conversational Capability on Socially Desirable Responding and Survey Response Rate
IM: Rose Admiraal – Redefining the role of the leader: Understanding how the role of the external leader is redefined during a transmission to self-managing teams 

Business Information Management

The winners of the thesis awards are Christian Sitepu with his thesis entitled "A blockchain based ecosystem Blueprint for International Trade" and Dirk de Raaff with his thesis entitled "The effect of personalized referral policies: A randomised field experience".

Management of Innovation

The winner of the thesis award is Violetta Rodopoulou. Her thesis entitled "Innovation and Technical Efficiency of Crowdsourcing Ideas: A Multimethod Study of the My Starbucks Idea Platform" is about a very important and novel research topic: the difficulty of evaluating and selecting new ideas. In her thesis, Violetta introduces and tests the concept of"idea efficiency" - how much input is necessary to implement a particular idea and what is the expected output once an idea is implemented? 

Supply Chain Management

The winner is Christian Kaps for his thesis “Towards better warehouse efficiency distinction through cross-efficiency measurement“. The thesis presents several new DEA cross-efficiency measures that can be used for benchmarking and comparing decision making units.

Business Information Management

The winner of the thesis award is Lizan Bakker. Her thesis deals with the use of personalized product recommendations in the context of e-mail marketing; a novel and relevant topic from an academic and managerial perspective.

Management of Innovation

The winner of the thesis award is Emma Schootstra. Her novel thesis investigated the effect of mindfulness on creativity. Emma meticulously designed an experiment that delivered findings that can be readily applicable to many organisations particularly because mindfulness interventions are quite easily carried out.

Supply Chain Management

The winner of the thesis award is Pascal Kolb, with his thesis: "Tackling Demand Fluctuations in Supply Chains with Lean Management"

Business Information Management

The winner of the thesis award is Linda Weekers with the thesis: "The Effect of Product Benefits, Persuasion Cues and Image Color on Ad Effectiveness in a Social Network Environment", coached by Dimitris Tsekouras.

Management of Innovation

The winner of the thesis award is Joost H. van Houten with the thesis: "When Resource Constraints lead to Innovation Success", coached by Murat Tarakci.

Supply Chain Management

The winner of the thesis award is Esmee Hoondert with the thesis: "Same-Day Delivery at Coolblue" coached by Niels Agatz.

Business Information Management

The winner of the thesis award is Caroline Masart with the thesis: "Rethinking privacy in the Era of Big Data - The Impact of Corporate Privacy Strategies on Customer Behaviour in the Fianancial Services Industry".

Management of Innovation

The winner of the thesis award is Pieter Nijs with the thesis: "The Mutual Impact of Standards and Stakeholders in Sports Business - a longitudinal Case Study of Formula I Motor Racing as a Multi-sided Platform".

Supply Chain Management

The winner of the thesis award is Christoph Klein with the thesis: "Digital Colour Communication in the Textile Supply Chain - a Standards Batttle".

Affiliated centers

These research entities at Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM) study the intersection of business and public policy, international affairs, markets and policy. RSM faculty members excel at solving critical business issues and defining best practices across a range of industries that will transform the world of business.

 

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