DummyAktivitäten

DummyAktivitäten are placeholder or synthetic activities used in process modeling, project planning, and software automation. They do not perform substantive work but serve structural or testing purposes within a diagram, schedule, or pipeline. The term combines the English word dummy with the German word Aktivitäten (activities) and is used in multilingual or cross-disciplinary contexts.

The main function of DummyAktivitäten is to preserve dependencies, align timelines, or test scheduling logic when real tasks are not yet defined. They may have zero duration or a minimal duration and are typically labeled clearly to distinguish them from real work. In practice, they help model critical paths, resource loading, and interface points without requiring completed task definitions.

Common uses include maintaining a contiguous workflow in Gantt charts, simulating workload during capacity planning, or providing a placeholder for future tasks in a project plan. In software development and CI/CD workflows, a dummy step can enforce a stable stage order or serve as a hook for future automation.

Implementation can vary by tool. In project management environments, create an activity with a name such as “Dummy” and assign zero or negligible duration; in flowcharts or BPMN diagrams, use a non-operational node clearly marked as placeholder. Documentation and governance are advised to prevent misinterpretation or overreliance on placeholders.

See also: dummy activity, placeholder, CPM/PERT, workflow modeling, test data.