What are OKRs for SQA?

Anushree Chatterjee

“Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of intelligent effort” – John Ruskin.

This quote portrays the depth of quality, which holds true for every part of life, including software. But, have you ever wondered how the stakeholders know what to achieve in order to put in these intelligent efforts? They definitely don’t just use vague statements like “we need top quality” to arrange their resources and work. You need something more systematic to get the wheels moving.

This brings us to OKRs, which are one of the many ways to give goals structure and meaning. Let’s learn more about OKRs in software quality assurance.

What are OKRs?

OKR stands for Objectives and Key Results. It is a popular framework used by companies to set and track goals.

Objectives

Objectives are the big, inspiring goals you want to achieve. They’re what you want to accomplish. For example, “Improve the quality of our product.” These are usually qualitative goals that are concise, engaging, and inspirational.

For example, Marketing could have objectives like “Increase brand awareness and reach”, Sales could have objectives like “Boost sales and revenue in Q1”, and HR could have objectives like “Attract top talent and improve employee retention”.

Key Results

Key Results are the quantitative counterparts for objectives. They are the specific, measurable outcomes that will show you’ve achieved your objective. These are how you track progress. For example, “Reduce customer complaints by 25%” or “Increase customer satisfaction score by 10 points.” Key Results need to be time-bound, specific, and realistic.

Types of OKRs

Here are the common types of OKRs used:

• Committed OKRs: These are goals that the team is 100% committed to achieving. They are typically essential and non-negotiable. They also tend to have a passing grade. For example: “Complete all software security updates by the end of the quarter.”
• Aspirational OKRs: These are more ambitious goals, also known as stretch goals or moonshots. The team aims high, but they know they might not hit every single target. These goals push teams to stretch and innovate. Quite often, they last longer than the OKR cycle and might even get passed around by teams. For example: “Launch a new product that gets 1,000 users in the first month.”
• Learning OKRs: These OKRs are focused on gaining knowledge, experimenting, and learning. The main goal is not necessarily to achieve specific results but to explore, test, and understand new things. For example: “Run three user interviews to learn what features customers want most.”

OKRs in SQA

OKRs in SQA (Software Quality Assurance) work the same way as in any other area. They help QA teams set clear, focused goals and track progress to make sure they’re delivering high-quality software.

• Objective: This is the big goal the QA team wants to achieve. For example, the goal could be “Ensure the software is bug-free and works smoothly for users.”
• Key Results: These are measurable outcomes that tell the team how close they are to reaching the objective. For example, “Fix 90% of high-severity bugs before release” or “Increase automated test coverage by 50%.”

So, in software QA, OKRs help the team focus on improving quality. They set clear targets like reducing bugs or speeding up testing and then measure progress with specific results. It keeps everyone on the same page and working towards a shared goal of delivering a great product.

Why Use OKRs in SQA?

Here’s why OKRs are useful for SQA:

• Clear Direction: OKRs give SQA teams clear, specific goals to work towards. Instead of just testing or finding bugs randomly, OKRs help teams focus on what matters most, like improving test coverage or reducing defects.
• Measuring Success: With Key Results, SQA teams can track their progress and know if they are on track to meet their quality goals. For example, if an OKR is to “Reduce the number of bugs in production by 20%”, the team can see exactly how close they are to hitting that target.
• Alignment with Business Goals: OKRs help SQA teams align their work with the company’s overall goals. For instance, if a company wants to launch a product fast, an SQA OKR might focus on automating tests to speed up the process while still maintaining quality.
• Improved Collaboration: OKRs create shared goals between the QA team, development team, and product team. Everyone knows what needs to be done to ensure the software is of high quality, and teams can work together to achieve the goal.
• Motivation and Accountability: By setting ambitious yet achievable OKRs, SQA teams stay motivated. They have clear targets to hit and can celebrate progress along the way, helping to boost morale and productivity.

OKR Examples for Software Testers: How to Write?

Here are the steps to write OKRs:

Start with an Objective

What is an Objective?

The Objective is the big goal you want to achieve. It should be clear, inspiring, and focused on a specific area.

How to Create It?

Think about what you want to accomplish in a certain time frame (usually a quarter or a year). Make sure it’s something that will have a real impact.

Example: “Improve the quality of our software release.”

Add Key Results

What are the Key Results?

Key Results are the specific, measurable outcomes that show how you’ll know if you’ve achieved your objective.

How to Create Them?

Think about what success looks like. What numbers or changes will prove that you’ve made progress? Make sure each Key Result is measurable and achievable within the given time frame.

Example:

“Fix 95% of high-priority bugs before release.”

“Increase test automation coverage by 30%.”

“Reduce production defects by 20%.”

Remember that Key Results need to be numbers or clear markers. If you can’t measure it, you won’t know if you’ve achieved it.

Example: Instead of saying, “Improve testing process,” say, “Increase test coverage by 15%.”

Set a Timeline

How long will you work on these OKRs? Usually, OKRs are set for a quarter (3 months) or a year. Set a realistic time frame for achieving the objective and key results.

Example: “Achieve these OKRs by the end of Q2.”

Review and Adjust Regularly

Check your progress periodically (monthly or weekly). If you’re not on track, adjust your actions. It’s okay to change Key Results if needed, but always keep working towards the Objective.

Example: If you’re behind in increasing test coverage, consider adding more automation tools or improving test practices.

Keep It Simple

Don’t create too many OKRs. Focus on 1-3 objectives with 3-5 key results for each. Too many goals can be overwhelming.

OKR Examples for Quality Assurance

Let’s take a look at some OKRs in QA.

OKR 1: Improve Test Coverage

Objective: Increase test coverage to ensure that all critical features are thoroughly tested.

Key Results:

KR 1: Increase automated test coverage by 30%.

• Formula to measure:

  Automated Test Coverage (%) = [(Number of Automated Test Cases)/(Total Number of Test Cases)] x 100

• Ways to achieve this:
  • Review current test cases and identify areas lacking automation.
  • Automate tests for key features, especially those with frequent updates or high user interaction.
• Success Criteria:
  • Achieve 30% more automated tests compared to last quarter.
• Notes:
  • Start by automating the most repetitive and time – Consuming tests.
  • Use intelligent test automation tools like testRigor for test automation.

KR 2: Achieve 90% test coverage for critical user flows.

• Formula to measure:

  Critical Test Coverage (%) = [(Test Cases for Critical Flows)/(Total Critical Flows)] x 100

• Ways to achieve this:
  • Identify the most important user flows (login, payment, checkout, etc.).
  • Create test cases for these flows and automate them.
• Success Criteria:
  • 90% of critical user flows should have automated tests covering edge cases and failure conditions.
• Notes:
  • Critical flows usually cover core features; prioritize them for testing.

OKR 2: Improve Bug Prevention and Quality

Objective: Reduce the number of defects in production by improving the testing process.

Key Results:

KR 1: Reduce production defects by 20%.

• Formula to measure:

  Defect Reduction (%) = [(Previous Defects-Current Defects)/Previous Defects] x 100

• Ways to achieve this:
  • Prioritize high-severity and high-impact defects in testing.
  • Perform root cause analysis on recurring bugs and fix the underlying issues.
• Success Criteria:
  • Achieve a 20% reduction in defects found in the production environment after release.
• Notes:
  • Ensure that defects are properly documented and categorized to identify trends.

KR 2: Achieve a 95% pass rate for pre-release tests.

• Formula to measure:

  Test Pass Rate (%) = (Tests Passed/Total Tests) x 100

• What to do:
  • Run thorough testing (manual and automated) before releasing the software.
  • Ensure test cases cover all scenarios, including edge cases.
• Success Criteria:
  • Aim for 95% of all pre-release tests to pass to reduce the chances of production bugs.
• Notes:
  • Address any failing tests immediately and fix the issues before moving forward.

OKR 3: Increase Test Automation Efficiency

Objective: Improve the efficiency of test automation to save time and reduce manual effort.

Key Results:

KR 1: Reduce test execution time by 20%.

• Formula to measure:

  Test Execution Time Reduction (%) = [(Previous Time - Current Time)/Previous Time] x 100

• Ways to achieve this:
  • Optimize test scripts to run faster.
  • Parallelize test execution on multiple devices or environments.
• Success Criteria:
  • Achieve a 20% reduction in the overall time taken to run automated tests.
• Notes:
  • Tools like Jenkins or GitLab CI/CD can help automate parallel test execution.

KR 2: Increase the number of automated tests executed per day by 25%.

• Formula to measure:

  Tests Executed Per Day Increase (%) = (Current Executions/Previous Executions) x 100

• Ways to achieve this:
  • Integrate automated tests into the CI/CD pipeline for continuous execution.
  • Expand the test suite to cover more areas of the application.
• Success Criteria:
  • Aim for 25% more tests to be executed every day.
• Notes:
  • Automation allows for faster feedback loops and makes it easier to catch defects earlier.

OKR 4: Improve Testing Process Efficiency

Objective: Streamline the testing process to reduce bottlenecks and improve team productivity.

Key Results:

KR 1: Cut manual testing time by 15%.

• Formula to measure:

  Manual Testing Time Reduction (%) = [(Previous Time - Current Time)/Previous Time] x 100

• Ways to achieve this:
  • Automate repetitive and time – Consuming tests.
  • Improve test planning and prioritization to focus on high-risk areas.
• Success Criteria:
  • Achieve a 15% reduction in the manual testing time by automating or improving processes.
• Notes:
  • Manual testing should be reserved for areas where automation is not feasible, like exploratory testing.

KR 2: Increase test planning efficiency by 20%.

• Formula to measure:

  Test Planning Efficiency (%) = [(Previous Plan Time - Current Plan Time)/Previous Plan Time] x 100

• Ways to achieve this:
  • Improve test case documentation and streamline the approval process.
  • Use test management tools to organize and track test cases more efficiently.
• Success Criteria:
  • Test planning should take 20% less time, making the process more efficient.
• Notes:
  • Use tools like Jira, TestRail, or Quality Center to organize and manage testing efforts.

OKR 5: Strengthen Collaboration Between QA and Development

Objective: Improve the collaboration between QA and development teams to ensure higher quality and faster releases.

Key Results:

KR 1: Increase the frequency of joint code reviews by 25%.

• Formula to measure:

  Code Review Frequency Increase (%) = (Current Code Reviews/Previous Code Reviews) x 100

• Ways to achieve this:
  • Set up regular meetings between developers and QA for joint reviews.
  • Encourage QA to participate in reviewing code early to spot potential issues.
• Success Criteria:
  • Achieve a 25% increase in the number of code reviews where both QA and development teams are involved.
• Notes:
  • Early involvement from QA helps prevent defects and ensures better collaboration.

KR 2: Achieve a 100% turnaround time for resolving QA-found issues.

• Formula to measure:

  Turnaround Time (%) = (Issues Resolved within 24 Hours/Total Issues Found) x 100

• What to do:
  • Create a system for quickly addressing and fixing issues found by testers.
  • Ensure development prioritizes issues found during QA testing.
• Success Criteria:
  • Resolve 100% of issues within 24 hours of discovery.
• Notes:
  • Quick turnaround ensures faster feedback loops and smoother releases.

Conclusion

If used properly, OKRs can help you turn around the way your team operates. They help SQA teams be more focused, organized, and effective in improving software quality while making sure they’re aligned with the company’s goals.

Additional Resources

• How to Setup OKRs Properly
• QA Testing KPIs: Driving Success Through Measurable Metrics
• Test Automation KPIs
• Why Project-Related Metrics Matter: A Guide to Results-Driven QA

“We spent so much time on maintenance when using Selenium, and we spend nearly zero time with maintenance using testRigor.”

Keith Powe VP Of Engineering - IDT