What Causes Project Delays?

One of the major contributors to project delays and cost overruns on industrial projects in Malaysia is scaffolding planning. This issue is hardly surprising, given that scaffolding contractors are often treated as a commodity—expected to mobilise immediately with little notice. All too often, main contractors fail to prepare a detailed scaffolding loading schedule, leaving no clear visibility on the actual quantity of materials required on site. Instead, they issue work orders based solely on unit rates, operating under the flawed assumption that scaffolding is now someone else’s responsibility.

At the outset, contractors undertaking industrial projects generally have two options for managing scaffolding requirements:
rent the scaffolding materials directly from a scaffolding rental provider and manage the deployment in-house, or
engage a full-service scaffolding contracting company to handle both materials and manpower.

Let’s examine the considerations from both perspectives:

Scaffolding rental providers—whether local branches of international corporations or homegrown engineering and manufacturing firms—typically supply certified, high-quality scaffolding materials. Many also offer complementary services such as design and engineering support, training, and logistics. These companies generally refrain from engaging in scaffolding contracting work and instead operate on a rental model, charging a monthly rate based on the tonnage of materials hired, from the date of delivery until the date of return. During this rental period, the hirer assumes full responsibility for any loss or damage to the scaffolding materials.

Scaffolding contracting companies specialise in providing skilled manpower, on-site supervision, and full-service execution including erection, modification, dismantling, and certification of scaffolding structures. These companies are typically compensated based on unit rates tied to scaffolding volume, and they also bear the responsibility for the security of both their own and any rented scaffolding materials. Traditionally, such contractors would mobilise their own materials at the start of a project, supplementing with rented scaffolding as needed. This often requires meticulous planning to reconcile differences between rental costs charged by tonnage and billing rates calculated in cubic meters (m³). However, with the enforcement of CIDB’s CIS 22 and CIS 23 regulations governing the quality and compliance of scaffolding materials—many contractors’ existing stock has become non-compliant. As a result, they are now required to rent certified scaffolding materials from the outset to meet regulatory standards.

The Hidden Challenge

At first glance, it may seem straightforward for a scaffolding contracting company to simply rent the required materials. However, to succeed under this model, a contractor must have the financial strength to support their workforce for extended periods while waiting for payment from clients, cover scaffolding rental costs during idle periods awaiting instructions, and scale up material requirements as the project progresses.

Due to the lack of initial project visibility and the high value of scaffolding inventory, many contractors struggle to obtain credit facilities from the scaffolding rental provider, thereby resulting in project delays or underperformance.

A Smarter, More Sustainable Solution

The optimal approach is to separate the supply of scaffolding materials from the contracting work. The main contractor should rent scaffolding materials directly from a certified scaffolding rental provider. Separately, one or more scaffolding labour contractors can be engaged to carry out on-site erection and related services in line with the work schedule.

This model provides stronger assurance to the rental provider, who can commit the necessary inventory with minimal risk of default or dispute. Labour contractors, in turn, can focus on executing the work without the added financial burden of renting the scaffolding materials.

Moreover, should a labour contractor fail to perform, the scaffolding materials remain under the main contractor’s control—allowing for a seamless replacement of labour without jeopardising project continuity.

This dual-provider model is increasingly adopted in Malaysia’s general construction sector and is already the standard in many industrial projects globally.

Why Dscaff Is the Right Partner

At Dscaff, we offer high-quality modular and tubular scaffolding materials that are fully certified by CIDB and compliant with current industry standards. With one of the largest inventories in Malaysia and a local manufacturing facility, we are well-equipped to meet the evolving needs of industrial and construction projects of any scale. Whether you are seeking a reliable rental partner or need expert guidance on optimising your scaffolding strategy, our team is here to support you every step of the way.

For more information or to discuss your project requirements, feel free to contact us at info@dscaff.com.