Browsing by Author "Mensah, Ernest"

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    Application of genetic algorithm to find optimal work scheduling for nurses-a case study at the ENT Department,KATH
    (2014-10-20) Mensah, Ernest
    Hospitals need to repeatedly produce duty rosters for its nursing sta s.The good scheduling of nurses has an impact on the quality of health care,the recruitment of nurses, the development of budgets and other nursing functions. Nurse scheduling is a well known scheduling problem that aims at allocating the required workload to the available sta nurses. This work tends to formulate a model to minimise the shift of nurses using the genetic based algorithm.The results obtained showed that the shift of nurses has been minimised so as to pre-vent a ward from being oversta ed or understa ed while satisfying the needs of the patients. The study shows that genetic algorithm based method can nd optimal schedules that are feasible and acceptable for hospital nursing units.
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    Challenges of maintenance management of commercial buildings in Ghana: a case study of Social Security and National Insurance Trust properties in Accra
    (NOVEMBER, 2015) Mensah, Ernest
    High demand for office buildings and commercial facilities has attracted investment and witnessed the development of high rise commercial properties/facilities in Accra and other regional capitals in Ghana. Notwithstanding, these however are associated with effective maintenance management challenges after buildings are completed and occupied by users. This study concentrate on identifying the challenges of maintenance practices of commercial buildings in Ghana with the view of proposing strategies for improving maintenance management using Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) as a case study. It identifies the factors influencing commercial properties maintenance managements, factors contributing to high cost of commercial properties maintenance management and strategies for improving on commercial properties maintenance management. In attaining these objectives, the views of facilities/maintenance managers of SSNIT commercial properties were solicited by administering a quantitative questionnaire to them and data were collected and analysed by using descriptive statistics. The analysis showed that financial delays, contractual delays, tenants’ improper use of facilities and clients’/owners’ response delays to vital maintenance issues are factors that largely influence maintenance management of commercial properties etc. The analysis also found out that the following factors contribute in varying ways to high cost of maintenance: buildings’ external and internal work, ironmongery, security systems etc. The analysis also revealed that the following strategies were very significant and recommended same for improving on maintenance management of commercial buildings: maintenance policy need to be agreed upon by maintenance personnel and top management before implementation, adherence to design details to avoid errors, availability of adequate maintenance funding and prompt response to reported defects.