5 min read ·

How does the Key Result weight roll-up approach work based on Equally Weighted, % Weighted, and KPI Based in Profit.co?

Profit.co allows you to control how sub-key result progress rolls up to a parent key result through three distinct Roll-up Approaches: Equally Weighted, % Weighted, and KPI Based. Each method determines how sub-key result check-ins are calculated and reflected in the parent key result's overall progress.

What is the Key Result Weight Roll-Up Approach?

The Key Result Weight Roll-Up Approach is a configuration setting that defines how progress from sub-key results is aggregated and reflected in a parent key result. When the Sync from Sub Key Results toggle is enabled, you can choose from three calculation types: Equally Weighted, % Weighted, or KPI Based.

Each approach serves a different purpose — from distributing progress equally across all sub-KRs, to assigning manual weights based on priority, to syncing progress only from sub-KRs that share the same KPI type as the parent.

Why This Feature Matters

In complex OKRs with multiple contributors or workstreams, a flat average of sub-key result progress rarely reflects actual business impact. Not all sub-KRs carry equal weight — some drive more value toward the parent objective than others.

The Roll-Up Approach gives you the control to decide how much each sub-key result influences the parent. This means progress calculations stay accurate, priority sub-KRs receive proportional representation, and the parent key result reflects a meaningful composite score rather than a misleading average.

How to Enable the Roll-Up Approach

Before using the roll-up approach, ensure that the Sync from Sub Key Results toggle is enabled on the Key Result details page.

Step 1

  • Click on the parent key result to open its detail view.
  • Navigate to the Sub Key Results tab.
  • Enable the Sync from Sub Key Results toggle.
  • Open the Roll-up Approach dropdown that appears once the toggle is enabled.
  • Select Equally Weighted, % Weighted, or KPI Based based on your requirement.

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How Each Roll-Up Approach Works

Consider there is an OKR in which a parent key result has three sub-key results.

Equally Weighted

When Equally Weighted is selected, Profit.co distributes weight evenly across all sub-key results. Each sub-KR contributes an identical share to the parent key result's progress, regardless of its individual complexity or business impact.

This approach works best when all sub-KRs are of comparable importance and no prioritization is needed.

% Weighted

When % Weighted is selected, you manually assign a weight to each sub-key result to reflect its relative importance. The progress from each sub-KR is then multiplied by its assigned weight and aggregated into the parent key result.

Note

  • The total weight across all sub-key results must equal 1 (or 100%). If the combined weight exceeds 1, an alert icon will appear to prompt correction before saving.
  • In % Weighted roll-up, weight percentages can only be set on Control KPI child Key Results. Standard KR children stay locked and excluded from both weight assignment and the parent KR's weighted-average calculation, which requires Control KPI weights to total exactly 100%.

KPI Based

When KPI Based is selected, progress rolls up only from sub-key results whose KPI type matches the parent key result's KPI type. Sub-KRs that use a different KPI are excluded from the calculation entirely.

For example, if the parent key result uses Net Promoter Score as its KPI, only sub-KRs also using Net Promoter Score will contribute to the parent's progress. Sub-KRs using a different KPI - such as Customer Feedback Count or Customer Interactions - will not be reflected in the parent key result.

Note

The sub-key result type and KPI must match the parent key result type and KPI for progress to sync automatically.

Comparison of Roll-Up Approaches

Roll-Up Approach Weight Distribution KPI Match Required Best Used When
Equally Weighted Automatic — equal share per sub-KR No All sub-KRs carry equal importance
% Weighted Manual — set per sub-KR (must total 1) No Sub-KRs have varying levels of priority
KPI Based Automatic — based on KPI match Yes Parent and sub-KRs share the same KPI type

Best Practices for Key Result Weight Roll-Up

  • Choose % Weighted when your sub-KRs have clearly different business impacts - assign higher weights to sub-KRs that are more critical to the parent objective's success.
  • Always verify that % Weighted totals equal exactly 1 before saving; an unbalanced weight distribution will trigger an alert and prevent accurate roll-up.
  • Use KPI Based only when all contributing sub-KRs are intentionally structured around the same KPI - mismatched KPI types will silently exclude sub-KRs from the parent's progress.
  • Review the Roll-up Approach at the start of each OKR cycle; if sub-KR ownership or priorities shift, update the weights before new check-ins begin.
  • Avoid mixing KPI types under a single parent key result when using KPI Based mismatched sub-KRs will appear in the list but contribute zero progress, which can give a false read on actual advancement.

Related Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Can I change the Roll-Up Approach mid-cycle after check-ins have already been submitted?

Yes, you can switch the Roll-up Approach at any point. However, changing the method mid-cycle will immediately recalculate the parent key result's progress based on the new approach, which may cause a visible jump or drop in the reported progress value.

Q2. What happens to a sub-KR's progress if it doesn't match the KPI type in a KPI Based setup?

Sub-KRs that do not share the same KPI type as the parent key result are excluded from the roll-up calculation entirely. Their individual check-in progress is still recorded, but it will not be reflected in the parent key result's progress.

Q3. Is there a limit on how many sub-key results can be included in a Roll-Up Approach?

There is no documented limit on the number of sub-key results that can participate in the Roll-up Approach. For % Weighted setups, the only constraint is that all assigned weights must sum to exactly 1 across all sub-KRs.

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