Managing Supply Chain Disruptions in Private Construction Projects: Insights from Malaysian Contractors

Authors

  • Nurul Farahdiana Mohd Joharudin Centre of Surveying and Management (Quantity Surveying), Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
  • Maisarah Makmor Centre of Surveying and Management (Quantity Surveying), Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
  • Umi Kalsum Zolkafli @ Zulkifly Department of Quantity Surveying, Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • Abdul Hadi Ahamad Centre of Surveying and Management (Quantity Surveying), Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
  • Mohd Farhan Mohd Nasir Centre of Surveying and Management (Quantity Surveying), Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24191/bej.v23i2.11338

Keywords:

supply chain disruptions, Construction Materials, Malaysian Construction Industry, Private Construction Projects, Malaysian Contractors

Abstract

Fragmented supply chains in construction causes severe coordination issues, delays and transaction costs. Risk management is to counter the issues with supply chain but the divide between developed nations with developing and undeveloped nations have hampered the success of risk management. Countless research has extensively discussed construction supply chain challenges internationally. Nonetheless, there is a lack of literature that focuses on the supply chain disruptions faced by Malaysia’s private construction contractors. This research provides the context-specific assessment of supply chain disruptions faced by Malaysian contractors in the private sectors. This research aims to assess supply chain disruptions among contractor in private construction projects in Malaysia. Three (3) objectives are administered to achieve the research aim which are to identify the types of supply chain disruptions, to examine the causes if supply chain disruptions and to analyse the impact of supply chain disruptions among contractors in private construction projects in Malaysia. Quantitative research was conducted utilising questionnaire survey distributed to 150 registered G7 contractors in Klang Valley and Shah Alam. Descriptive analyses were administered using SPSS to demonstrate that the most common supply chain disruptors are material shortages, regulatory factors, and unresponsive suppliers. The underlying causes of supply chain disruptions are found to be economic instability and poor practices in risk management. The results also show that the most severe disruption is observed in the planning and construction stages where the parties involved in the project generally experience disagreements and court battles. This research identifies mitigation measures to overcome these disruptions such as diversification of suppliers, flexible contractual agreements and adoption of digital technologies such as Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Applying these measures will help to improve the performance of the project delivery and the resilience of the private Malaysian construction sector.

Author Biographies

  • Nurul Farahdiana Mohd Joharudin, Centre of Surveying and Management (Quantity Surveying), Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia

    Nurul Farahdiana Mohd Joharudin is a graduate of the Bachelor of Quantity Surveying from the Studies Quantity Surveying, Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Shah Alam, Malaysia. Her research interests focus on construction management, cost management, and supply chain issues within the construction industry. She may be contacted at farahdnjoharudin@gmail.com.

  • Maisarah Makmor, Centre of Surveying and Management (Quantity Surveying), Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia

    She teaches both postgraduate and undergraduate students. Maisarah Makmor* is a Senior Lecturer at the Studies of Quantity Surveying, Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM). Her expertise lies in the field of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and sustainable development. Her scholarly work encompasses article journals, book chapters, and papers in indexed and refereed journals. She contributes to the academic community as a reviewer for several international journals and conference proceedings. Maisarah's work contributes to the body of knowledge in the built environment, particularly in sustainable construction, green technologies, and construction project management. Maisarah can be reached through her email at maisarahmakmor@uitm.edu.my.

  • Umi Kalsum Zolkafli @ Zulkifly, Department of Quantity Surveying, Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Umi Kalsum Zolkafli @ Zulkifly is an Associate Professor in Universiti Malaya, which specializes in construction contract administration, professional practice, and heritage conservation. She is a registered Consultant Quantity Surveyor (CQS) with the Board of Surveyors Malaysia and a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Surveyors Malaysia (FRISM). She is actively involved in teaching, postgraduate supervision, research, and professional engagement. Her scholarly work encompasses the authorship of books, indexed publications, book chapters, and papers in both national and international refereed journals. She can be reached through her email at umi@um.edu.my.

  • Abdul Hadi Ahamad, Centre of Surveying and Management (Quantity Surveying), Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia

    Abdul Hadi Ahamad is a Senior Lecturer in Quantity Surveying at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM). With a strong emphasis on construction contracts, he brings a wealth of practical knowledge to his teaching. Abdul Hadi is dedicated to helping students and professionals navigate the complexities of contract management in construction projects. He also advocates for sustainable building practices, promoting responsible and efficient methods within the construction industry. He may be contacted at hadiahamad@uitm.edu.my.

  • Mohd Farhan Mohd Nasir, Centre of Surveying and Management (Quantity Surveying), Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia

    Mohd Farhan Mohd Nasir is a Lecturer in Quantity Surveying at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM). He accumulated four years of industry experience in the construction sector before entering academia in 2018 as a lecturer at a private university, and he continues his academic career as a lecturer at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) in 2024. His teaching and professional focus centre on construction technology and construction law, where he guides students and industry practitioners in understanding technical building processes alongside contractual and regulatory frameworks governing construction projects. He may be contacted at mohdfarhan@uitm.edu.my.

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Published

03-07-2026

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Vol. 23 No. 2 (2026): Built Environment Journal

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Copyright (c) 2026 Nurul Farahdiana Mohd Joharudin, Maisarah Makmor, Umi Kalsum Zolkafli @ Zulkifly, Abdul Hadi Ahamad, Mohd Farhan Mohd Nasir

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Managing Supply Chain Disruptions in Private Construction Projects: Insights from Malaysian Contractors. (2026). Built Environment Journal, 23(2). https://doi.org/10.24191/bej.v23i2.11338

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