Gaurav SabharwalUltimate Guide to Objective and Key results – OKR Meaning and Examples
Do you dread setting goals for your organization as you don’t see useful results? […]
Ever feel like your tireless efforts to find bugs and ensure quality get lost in the daily work? You identify issues, write reports, and collaborate with developers, but how do you truly show the impact of your work on the Software or Business?
Many testers find it challenging to translate the everyday grind of testing into measurable objectives.
This is where OKRs come in. Imagine creating goals directly translating to a more efficient testing process, fewer bugs slipping through the cracks, and happier users.
We’ll explore real-life OKR examples for software testers, helping you translate your hard work into measurable results that benefit you and the software you help build.
What are OKRs for Software Testers?
OKRs for Software Testers are OKRs tailored to the roles, responsibilities, goals, and challenges of Software or Quality Assurance Testing professionals.
These OKRs typically focus on improving the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of testing processes and enhancing collaboration and communication with other team members.
KRs may include metrics related to bug detection and resolution, test coverage, automation efficiency, and customer satisfaction with product quality. This helps drive continuous improvement and alignment with broader organizational objectives.
How can Software Testers solve their challenges with OKRs?
You, the Software Tester, are the silent guardians of quality. You stand between buggy releases and a satisfied user base.
Yet, you often face unseen obstacles: unclear requirements, tight deadlines, and the pressure to be a “bug-finding machine.”
Here’s where OKRs come in as your tool to focus, prioritize, and align with others.
- Shatter the Bottleneck Myth: Craft an OKR focused on early defect identification. This will showcase your proactive role in preventing costly delays.
- Focus on Quality: Shift the focus to quality-centric metrics. This will demonstrate your impact on delivering a polished user experience.
- Collaborate Smoothly: Craft an OKR focused on collaboration and influence. This highlights the strategic value you bring beyond just bug detection.
- Embrace the Automation Revolution: Use OKRs to champion yourself as a test automation expert. This positions you as a skilled professional who leverages automation to enhance efficiency.
- Go Beyond the Scoreboard: Craft OKRs that showcase your contribution to user satisfaction. This ties your work directly to the positive user experience.
Remember: OKRs are a collaborative journey. Discuss your OKRs with your team lead and manager. Get their buy-in and refine them to suit your specific role and project.
15 OKR examples for Software Testers based on their challenges and goals
These are just examples, and you can adapt them further based on your specific client needs and discussions with the team.
1. Have Clarity in Requirements
Objective – Achieve 80% First-Pass Understanding of Requirements
Owner: QA Lead
Key Results:
- Reduce the number of requirement clarifications requested by testers by 20%
- Achieve a 90% success rate on user story acceptance criteria during initial reviews
- Implement a process for documenting and tracking requirement changes, achieving 100% traceability
2. Improve Collaboration with Developers
Objective – Increase Developer-QA Collaboration by 40% to Streamline Defect Resolution
Owner: QA & Development Team Leads (Joint)
Key Results:
- Increase participation of testers in technical design meetings by 50% compared to the previous quarter
- Achieve a resolution rate of 80% for all bugs identified by testers within 2 business days
- Conduct a joint QA & Development team workshop on collaborative testing practices, with a post-workshop survey showing a 70% satisfaction rate
3. Manage Scope-Creep and Last-Minute Changes to Requirements
Objective – Try to Reduce High-Impact Last-Minute Requirement Changes by 25%
Owner: Product Owner & QA Lead (Joint)
Key Results:
- Implement a change request process requiring a formal impact assessment for all new feature requests submitted within the last 4 weeks of a sprint
- Reduce the number of high-impact requirement changes introduced within the last 4 weeks of a sprint by 30% compared to the previous quarter
- Achieve a 95% on-time completion rate for user stories with pre-defined acceptance criteria established before development begins
4. Get Experience in Test Automation
Objective – Expand Test Automation Coverage by 20%
Owner: QA Lead
Key Results:
- Identify and prioritize 15 key user journeys or functionalities suitable for automation
- Develop and implement automated test scripts for 10 of the identified functionalities
- Achieve a 70% pass rate on all automated test scripts during regression testing cycles
5. Enhance QA Processes to Boost Productivity
Objective – Optimize QA Processes to Increase Testing Efficiency by 15%
Owner: QA Team (Collaborative)
Key Results:
- Conduct a team brainstorming session to identify areas for process improvement in the testing workflow. Implement at least 3 high-impact improvements
- Reduce the average test case execution time by 10% through optimization techniques like test data management or script refactoring
- Achieve a 90% completion rate for pre-defined test plans before the commencement of each development sprint
6. Learn to Work with Tight Deadlines
Objective – Deliver High-Quality Testing Under Tight Deadlines
Owner: Individual Testers
Key Results:
- Participate in a knowledge-sharing session on best practices for time management and test prioritization in agile environments
- Achieve a 95% defect detection rate for critical and high-severity bugs within the allocated testing window for each sprint
- Document lessons learned and best practices for efficient testing under tight deadlines to be shared with the team
7. Keep Up with the Latest Technologies
Objective – Stay Current with Emerging QA Technologies
Owner: QA Team
Key Results:
- Identify and prioritize 3 emerging testing technologies relevant to current projects
- Each team member completes at least one online course or certification program related to a chosen emerging QA technology
- Integrate at least one new testing tool or technique learned from emerging technologies into the existing QA process
Objective – Increase Clarity of User Stories by 20%
Owner: QA & Product Owner (Joint)
Key Results:
- Achieve 80% user story completion by implementing a standardized user story template with mandatory fields for acceptance criteria, user roles, and edge cases.
- Achieve a 70% satisfaction rating from testers on user story clarity after the workshops
- Reduce the number of clarification requests related to user story ambiguity by 20%
9. Enhance Bug Reporting for Improved Results
Objective – Enhance Bug Reporting Quality for Improved Defect Resolution by Q3 End
Owner: QA Team
Key Results:
- Achieve 80% bug report submission by implementing a standardized bug reporting template with mandatory fields for detailed steps to reproduce, expected behavior, actual results, and screenshots
- Achieve a 90% score on a post-training assessment on bug reporting best practices
- Reduce the average time for developers to understand and reproduce reported bugs by 15%
10. Deal with Unstable Testing Environments
Objective – Minimize the Impact of Unstable Testing Environments
Owner: QA & Development Team Leads (Joint)
Key Results:
- Conduct a joint root-cause analysis to identify the primary factors contributing to testing environment instability. Develop and implement an action plan
- Increase the uptime of the primary testing environment to 95%
- Reduce the number of test case re-runs due to environmental instability by 20%
11. Learn to Work with Limited Resources
Objective – Optimize Testing Strategies with Limited Resources
Owner: QA Lead
Key Results:
- Implement a risk-based testing approach, prioritizing test cases based on functionality criticality and potential impact
- Achieve a specific target time allocation for exploratory testing within each sprint cycle
- Achieve a specific target number of pair-testing sessions conducted per sprint by increasing collaboration with developers
12. Learn to Test Complex Systems
Objective – Master Effective Testing Techniques for Complex Systems
Owner: Individual Testers
Key Results:
- Participate in a training program or online course focused on testing methodologies for complex systems (e.g., API testing, performance testing)
- Develop and implement a test plan for a specific complex system component, utilizing appropriate testing techniques learned from the training program
- Share learnings and best practices for testing complex systems with the team through a knowledge-sharing session
13. Find and Manage Test Data Efficiently
Objective – Streamline Test Data Management
Owner: QA Team
Key Results:
- Achieve a specific target percentage of reusable test data sets documented
- Achieve a specific user adoption rate for the chosen data management solution by implementing a test data management tool or process
- Reduce the average time spent on manual test data creation by 15%
14. Elevate the Quality of Releases
Objective – Deliver Bug-Free Releases (Aspirational Objective)
Owner: QA & Development Team (Joint)
Key Results:
- Achieve a 99% code coverage rate with automated test scripts
- Reduce the number of high-severity bugs identified in post-release environments by 50%
- Achieve a user satisfaction rating of 90% on post-release surveys regarding software quality and bug-free experience.
15. Upskill and Progress in the Career
Objective – Enhance Tester Skills and Advance Career Development
Owner: Individual Testers
Key Results:
- Identify a specific skill or area of expertise relevant to career goals
- Complete a training program, online course, or certification relevant to the chosen skill
- Contribute to the team by applying the newly acquired skills in a project or conducting a knowledge-sharing session for colleagues
Conclusion
Use your OKRs flexibly. Revisit them regularly, track your progress, and adapt them as needed throughout the development cycle.
OKRs are ambitious by design. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t achieve 100% on every key result. Analyze what worked and didn’t, and adapt for the next quarter.
If you want to accelerate your OKR process, consider collaborating with our OKR Consultants. They can provide personalized guidance and support to craft impactful OKRs that empower you and your team to achieve testing excellence.
We can guide you in writing clear goals and establishing effective tracking mechanisms. Feel free to contact us!
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is an OKR for QA?
Here’s an example:
Objective: Enhance software quality and reduce post-release defects by Q3.
Key Result 1: Achieve 90% code coverage with automated test scripts.
Key Result 2: Reduce the number of high-severity bugs identified in production by 50%.
2. What are the goals of a QA team?
The primary goals of a QA team are to ensure the quality, functionality, and reliability of software products. They achieve this by:
- Identifying and reporting bugs and defects.
- Designing and executing test cases to cover different functionalities.
- Participating in the development process to prevent defects.
- Contributing to high user satisfaction with the final product.
3. What is the goal of a manual tester?
A manual tester’s goal is to evaluate software functionality thoroughly through hands-on testing. They use various techniques to identify issues that are not always covered by automated testing, such as usability problems or visual inconsistencies.
4. What are the key tasks of a tester?
- Analyzing requirements and user stories to understand the intended functionality.
- Designing and executing test cases to cover various scenarios.
- Reporting bugs and defects clearly and concisely.
- Working with developers to resolve defects and ensure fixes are effective.
- Participating in code reviews and providing feedback on potential issues.
- Staying up-to-date with new testing tools, methodologies, and best practices.
5. What is the role of a tester?
A tester plays a critical role in the software development lifecycle (SDLC) by acting as a gatekeeper for quality. They ensure that software meets the required standards before it reaches end-users. Effective testers collaborate with developers, product owners, and other stakeholders throughout development
6. What is the testing life cycle?
The testing life cycle (TL) outlines the different stages of software testing throughout the development process. It typically involves phases like requirements review, test planning, test design, test execution, defect reporting, and test closure.
