Dummy Activity

Test Your Knowledge

Quiz: Unraveling the Mystery of Dummy Activities

Instructions: Choose the best answer for each question.

1. What is the primary purpose of a dummy activity in project planning? a) To represent a real activity that takes a short amount of time. b) To establish a logical dependency between activities without creating an erroneous pathway. c) To indicate a delay in the project schedule. d) To show the critical path of the project.

2. What is the duration of a dummy activity? a) It depends on the duration of the activities it connects. b) It is determined by the project manager. c) It is always zero. d) It is a fixed duration based on industry standards.

3. Which of the following is NOT a benefit of using dummy activities? a) Improved project scheduling. b) Accurate dependency representation. c) Enhanced communication. d) Increased project duration.

4. In a network diagram, how are dummy activities typically represented? a) Solid arrows with an arrowhead. b) Dashed arrows with an arrowhead. c) Circles with a number inside. d) Colored boxes with text inside.

5. Why are dummy activities crucial for creating a robust project schedule? a) They help identify potential risks. b) They provide a visual representation of the project's progress. c) They ensure that dependencies are accurately represented and project activities flow logically. d) They help determine the critical path of the project.

Exercise: Applying Dummy Activities

Scenario:

You are managing a website redesign project. The following activities need to be completed:

1. Content Review: Review existing website content for accuracy and relevance.
2. Design Mockups: Create initial design mockups for the new website.
3. Develop Website: Build the new website based on the approved design.
4. Content Creation: Create new content for the website.
5. Testing: Test the functionality and usability of the new website.

Dependencies:

• Content Review must be completed before Content Creation.
• Design Mockups must be completed before Develop Website.
• Both Content Creation and Develop Website must be completed before Testing.

Task:

1. Draw a network diagram using arrows to represent the activities and their dependencies.
2. Identify where a dummy activity is needed to accurately represent the dependencies.
3. Draw the dummy activity in your network diagram, using a dashed arrow.

      Content Review ----> Content Creation -----> Testing
                     \                        /
                      \                      /
                       \                    /
                        --------------------->
                        Develop Website
                        / \
                       /   \
                      /     \
                     /       \
                    /         \
                  Design Mockups