Unbabel’s Switch from OKR Spreadsheets to Quantive Results

Challenge

Unbabel used a quarterly OKR planning process prior to Quantive Results, but the team struggled to keep those goals top of mind throughout the quarter. Unbabel needed a way to incorporate strategic priorities into the day-to-day work.  

Unbabel was using spreadsheets to track OKRs, which limited their ability to scale. 

“We got to a point when a spreadsheet was very far from perfect. We couldn’t continue like that if we wanted to make a real difference."  

The team found that the biggest challenge of OKR spreadsheets was the lack of structure or routine for updating goals, with key insights getting lost. With only start and end-of-quarter data inputs, Unbabel was missing out on mid-quarter progress updates or being proactive about red flags — having both capabilities would help them not only achieve, but exceed their goals.  

Unbabel began their hunt for the OKR solution best suited to their needs and best positioned to maximize their process.  

Solution

Unbabel is as diverse as their solution, with teams distributed worldwide — this is both a strength and challenge, as communicating across different time zones can be difficult. Organization-wide alignment was the uncompromisable benefit that made Quantive Results stand out.

Quantive Results eliminates communication and alignment barriers — Unbabel found common ground in this mission, as they seek to eliminate linguistic and cultural barriers. This was the start of a new and improved OKR mission for Unbabel.

They wanted a solution for alignment, real progress tracking, and visibility across the company. It had to be user-friendly, engage every employee, and seamlessly integrate with their process top-to-bottom. Quantive Results checked all the boxes.

Unbabel’s teams use Quantive Results to organize their meeting agendas, track progress, initiate problem-solving discussions, and review cross-functional projects. 

“Quantive Results has given a boost to our cross-functional projects — teams are more aligned, can clearly see what each one is working on, and how they feel about their progress."

Outcomes

Unbabel saw immediate impact on their focus, alignment, and transparency in switching from OKR spreadsheets to OKR software. Leaders at Unbabel noticed incorporating Quantive Results into their day-to-day was a catalyst to spark cultural communication shifts. 

“Our teams build their weekly activities around key results, and Quantive Results has become a part of their routine.”  

Check-ins, the process of intentionally setting goals and reflecting on them, fostered this shift. Teams review and discuss weekly progress through Check-ins, in a space for honest conversations where everyone’s voices are heard. “We’ve become more mindful of the planning process (through Check-ins) and what works best to achieve our goals.”

Quantive Results also provides out-of-the-box reporting, giving Unbabel progress and confidence insights at their fingertips. As an AI powered company, they leverage data-heavy reports to drill down to the details of any goal if need be. “We can see progress across the company clearly and look at root causes of issues,” leadership at Unbabel shared.  

Unbabel quotes Quantive Results as a game changer for putting their OKRs front and center. 

“OKRs have always been very important to us, thanks to Quantive Results, they truly have become a central part of Unbabel and its day-to-day work."  

Years later, ditching spreadsheets unlocked the true power of OKRs at Unbabel.

Quantive is your bridge between strategy and execution. Founded on the objectives and key results (OKR) methodology, our Strategy Execution Platform is where businesses plan successful strategy, focus and align teams to it, and stay on the leading edge of progress.

As your company looks to achieve the best possible results, you need a modern approach to run your business and change your business. The Modern Operating Model brings strategy, teams, and data together to help make decisions faster, optimize operations, and drive better business outcomes.

Whether you’re a large enterprise facing competitive disruption or a small business leading the innovative charge, Quantive helps get you where you want to go.