Operations teams keep things running, so their best OKRs aim at fewer errors, faster cycle times and fewer handoffs that drop the ball. Below are three examples, each with the work behind it. Copy one, then change the numbers to your own starting point.
How to read these examples
Each OKR has an objective in plain words, key results with a start and a target, and the first tasks. The numbers are examples. Measure your own starting point before you set a target.
Example 1: Orders go out right the first time
Objective: Orders go out right the first time.
Key results by the end of the quarter:
- Orders shipped with no error, from 94% to 98.5%
- Average time from order to ship, from 2.4 days to 1.5
- Customer tickets about wrong orders, from 80 a month to 30
First tasks:
- Map the top five error types from last quarter's tickets
- Add a pick-and-pack checklist for the two worst product lines
- Move the cutoff time for same-day shipping and test it for two weeks
Example 2: Month-end close stops eating the first week
Objective: Month-end close stops eating the first week.
Key results by the end of the quarter:
- Days to close the books, from 9 to 5
- Manual journal entries, from 140 a month to 60
First tasks:
- List every manual step in the close and who owns it
- Automate the two largest recurring entries
- Agree a hard deadline for expense submissions with team leads
Example 3: New hires are ready to work on day one
Objective: New hires are ready to work on day one.
Key results by the end of the quarter:
- New hires with laptop, accounts and access on day one, from 55% to 95%
- Onboarding tickets in week one, from 6 per hire to 2
First tasks:
- Write an onboarding SOP with owners for each step
- Start equipment orders when the offer is signed, not on day one
- Run a 10-minute check on the Friday before each start date
Mistakes to avoid
- Operations KRs that are really tasks. "Roll out the new inventory system" is a project. The key result is what it changes, like "stock-outs from 12 a month to 3."
- Too many KRs. Operations can measure everything. Pick the two or three numbers that matter most this quarter.
- Setting and forgetting. Check each key result every week, in five minutes, with a goal check-in.
Write your own
Describe what your operations team wants to change and any numbers you know. The OKR generator drafts an objective and key results you can edit.
Connect the goal to the work
Operations work is full of small handoffs. That is exactly where key results stall: a task waits for someone in finance or IT, and nobody notices for a week. Link each task to the key result it moves, and look at what is stuck every week. M-Tracker links tasks and projects to objectives and key results, so you can see each week how much of the team's time goes to the goal. No screenshots and no activity tracking.
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Questions people ask
How many OKRs should one team have?
One to three objectives, each with two to four key results.
Should OKRs be tied to bonuses?
Most teams keep them separate. Tying them to pay makes people set safe goals.
What if we miss?
Scoring 0.7 on a stretch goal is a good quarter. Look at what you learned, and set the next one.
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