3 OKR examples for Solution Architecture

What are Solution Architecture OKRs?

The Objective and Key Results (OKR) framework is a simple goal-setting methodology that was introduced at Intel by Andy Grove in the 70s. It became popular after John Doerr introduced it to Google in the 90s, and it's now used by teams of all sizes to set and track ambitious goals at scale.

Creating impactful OKRs can be a daunting task, especially for newcomers. Shifting your focus from projects to outcomes is key to successful planning.

We have curated a selection of OKR examples specifically for Solution Architecture to assist you. Feel free to explore the templates below for inspiration in setting your own goals.

If you want to learn more about the framework, you can read more about the OKR meaning online.

Best practices for managing your Solution Architecture OKRs

Generally speaking, your objectives should be ambitious yet achievable, and your key results should be measurable and time-bound (using the SMART framework can be helpful). It is also recommended to list strategic initiatives under your key results, as it'll help you avoid the common mistake of listing projects in your KRs.

Here are a couple of best practices extracted from our OKR implementation guide 👇

Tip #1: Limit the number of key results

The #1 role of OKRs is to help you and your team focus on what really matters. Business-as-usual activities will still be happening, but you do not need to track your entire roadmap in the OKRs.

We recommend having 3-4 objectives, and 3-4 key results per objective. A platform like Tability can run audits on your data to help you identify the plans that have too many goals.

Tability's audit dashboard will highlight opportunities to improve OKRs

Tip #2: Commit to the weekly check-ins

Don't fall into the set-and-forget trap. It is important to adopt a weekly check-in process to get the full value of your OKRs and make your strategy agile – otherwise this is nothing more than a reporting exercise.

Being able to see trends for your key results will also keep yourself honest.

Tability's check-ins will save you hours and increase transparency

Tip #3: No more than 2 yellow statuses in a row

Yes, this is another tip for goal-tracking instead of goal-setting (but you'll get plenty of OKR examples below). But, once you have your goals defined, it will be your ability to keep the right sense of urgency that will make the difference.

As a rule of thumb, it's best to avoid having more than 2 yellow/at risk statuses in a row.

Make a call on the 3rd update. You should be either back on track, or off track. This sounds harsh but it's the best way to signal risks early enough to fix things.

Building your own Solution Architecture OKRs with AI

While we have some examples below, it's likely that you'll have specific scenarios that aren't covered here. There are 2 options available to you.

Use our free OKRs generator
Use Tability, a complete platform to set and track OKRs and initiatives
including a GPT-4 powered goal generator

Best way to track your Solution Architecture OKRs

Quarterly OKRs should have weekly updates to get all the benefits from the framework. Reviewing progress periodically has several advantages:

It brings the goals back to the top of the mind
It will highlight poorly set OKRs
It will surface execution risks
It improves transparency and accountability

Spreadsheets are enough to get started. Then, once you need to scale you can use a proper OKR platform to make things easier.

Tability's Strategy Map makes it easy to see all your org's OKRs

If you're not yet set on a tool, you can check out the 5 best OKR tracking templates guide to find the best way to monitor progress during the quarter.

Solution Architecture OKRs templates

We've covered most of the things that you need to know about setting good OKRs and tracking them effectively. It's now time to give you a series of templates that you can use for inspiration!

You will find in the next section many different Solution Architecture Objectives and Key Results. We've included strategic initiatives in our templates to give you a better idea of the different between the key results (how we measure progress), and the initiatives (what we do to achieve the results).

Hope you'll find this helpful!

OKRs to design a comprehensive solution architecture for in-house projects

Design a comprehensive solution architecture for in-house projects
Present and gain approval for solution architecture from key stakeholders, including management and IT teams
Prepare comprehensive presentation detailing solution architecture
Schedule meeting with stakeholders and IT team
Present solution architecture, seeking approval
Develop detailed solution architecture that aligns with business objectives and enables scalability
Design a detailed solution architecture blueprint
Ensure alignment between architecture and business goals
Identify business objectives and scalability requirements
Conduct thorough analysis of current systems and requirements to identify gaps and needs
Review current systems and requirements for accuracy and efficiency
Identify gaps within existing systems and requirements
Determine future needs based on identified gaps

Track these OKRs

OKRs to define S4 HANA's Transportation Management Solution Architecture

Define S4 HANA's Transportation Management Solution Architecture
Identify and document all functional requirements for the solution by end of week 6
List all anticipated functional requirements for the solution
Create a detailed document outlining these requirements
Complete documentation process by end of week 6
Complete architectural design to meet identified requirements by week 8
Draft initial architectural design based on requirements
Complete and review final architectural design by week 8
Finalize identified requirements for architectural design
Validate design through a prototype achieving 95% requirement coverage by week 12
Create a detailed design prototype based on project requirements
Adjust design and prototype as needed by week 12
Conduct prototype testing ensuring 95% requirement coverage