Rock Reports (A3)

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Overview

Rock Reports is the issue-tracking feature that uses the A3 methodology to help your team systematically identify, analyze, and solve problems. By following a structured approach, you ensure issues are thoroughly documented, root causes are identified, and effective countermeasures are implemented. A Rock is what you might traditionally call a problem — a recurring issue, process breakdown, or systemic gap that requires structured analysis to resolve. The term comes from the Rocks, Pebbles, Sand prioritization metaphor: Rocks are the big, high-priority obstacles that must be addressed first before anything else fits. Pebbles and sand (smaller tasks) fill in around them. In an auction environment, a Rock is any issue that could happen again if the root cause isn’t addressed — a key tag going missing repeatedly, a bottleneck in CR completions, or a pattern of vehicle damage in a specific lot area.

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What is A3 Problem Solving?

The A3 methodology is a structured problem-solving approach developed by Toyota. The name comes from the A3 paper size used to document the entire problem-solving process on a single sheet. This approach ensures:

• Thorough analysis — Problems are fully understood before solutions are proposed
• Root cause focus — Address the underlying cause, not just symptoms
• Accountability — Clear ownership of actions and follow-up
• Continuous improvement — Learn from each problem to prevent recurrence

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When to Submit a Rock Report

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How Rock Reports Differ from Quality Inspections

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Creating a Rock Report

Rock reports follow a 5-step process that guides you through the A3 methodology. Each step builds on the previous one to ensure comprehensive rock analysis.

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The 5-Step Process

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Step 1: Basic Information

Start by providing essential context about the rock.

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Naming the Issue

Create a clear, specific rock statement: Good examples:

• “Vehicles consistently missing key tags after detailing”
• “Water damage on vehicles parked in Lot C during rain”
• “Delayed CR completion due to inspection bottleneck”

Avoid:

• Vague names like “Quality issue” or “Problem with cars”
• Solution-focused names like “Need more staff”
• Blame-focused names like “John’s mistake”

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Selecting the Rock Area

Choose the operational area where the rock occurs:

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Choosing the Location

Select the specific location where the rock is occurring. You’ll see locations assigned to you by your administrator.

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Assigning Responsibility

Optionally assign the rock to a team member who will own the resolution:

• The assignee receives notifications about the rock
• They’re responsible for driving the rock to closure
• You can assign yourself or leave unassigned initially

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Step 2: Facts (5W2H Analysis)

The 5W2H method ensures you capture all relevant facts about the rock. This structured approach prevents jumping to conclusions and ensures thorough understanding.

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Understanding 5W2H

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Completing the Facts Form

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Step 3: Potential Causes

After documenting the facts, identify possible root causes. The goal is to understand why the rock is occurring, not just describe what’s happening.

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Root Cause Thinking

Ask “Why?” multiple times:

1. Why are key tags missing? → Tags are removed during wash
2. Why are they removed during wash? → To prevent water damage
3. Why aren’t they replaced after? → No designated replacement step
4. Why is there no replacement step? → Process wasn’t designed for it
5. Why? → Original process assumed different tag type

This “5 Whys” technique often reveals the true root cause.

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Adding Potential Causes

You must add 2-5 potential causes for each rock report. For each cause:

1. Tap Add Cause
2. Describe the potential cause clearly
3. Add additional causes as needed
4. Review all causes before proceeding

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Writing Effective Cause Statements

Good cause statements:

• “Process step missing: no instruction to replace tags after wash”
• “Equipment issue: tag hooks damaged and not holding tags securely”
• “Training gap: new team members not trained on tag handling”
• “Environmental: water pressure too high, damaging tag attachment”

Avoid:

• Blame statements: “John doesn’t do his job”
• Vague causes: “People aren’t careful”
• Solutions disguised as causes: “We need new tags”

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Step 4: Actions (Countermeasures)

For each potential cause, create action items that address the root cause. Actions should be specific, measurable, and assigned to owners with due dates.

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Creating Effective Actions

For each action, specify:

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Writing SMART Actions

Use the SMART framework for effective actions:

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Common Action Types

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Step 5: KPI Impact Assessment

Assess how the rock impacts key performance indicators. This helps prioritize rocks and track improvement over time.

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Understanding SQDC+E

The five KPI categories represent areas critical to operations:

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Rating Impact Levels

For each KPI, select the impact level:

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Impact Assessment Examples

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Submitting the Report

After completing all five steps, review your entries and submit the report.

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Review Before Submitting

The final screen shows a summary of your report:

1. Basic Info — Issue name, area, location, assignment
2. Facts — 5W2H responses
3. Causes — 2-5 potential causes listed
4. Actions — Countermeasures with owners and due dates
5. KPI Impact — Impact ratings for each category

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Submitting

Tap Submit Report to create the rock report. During submission:

• A loading indicator shows progress
• Stay on the screen until complete
• The form is disabled while submitting

After successful submission:

• A success message confirms “Rock report submitted successfully!”
• The report is assigned an ID and status (Open)
• Assigned team members are notified
• You’re returned to the Rocks list

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Editing and Deleting Rock Reports

After submitting a rock report, you can edit all fields regardless of the report’s current status (Open, In Progress, or Closed). Edit and delete permissions depend on your role and the edit window configured by your administrator.

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Edit Window

Your administrator configures how long team members can edit their own rock reports after submitting. The edit window applies auction-wide.

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What You Can Edit

All sections of the rock report are editable after submission:

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Editing a Rock Report

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Deleting a Rock Report

Only Administrators and Owners can delete rock reports. Deleted reports are soft-deleted — they are hidden from team members but preserved in the database for audit purposes.

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Restoring Deleted Rock Reports (Admin Only)

Administrators can restore previously deleted rock reports from the admin dashboard. Deleted reports appear with a “Deleted” badge and include a Restore button.

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Permission Summary

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Audit Trail

All edits, deletions, and restorations are tracked in the audit log with details about who made the change, when, and what was modified. Audit logs are accessible to Owners and Admins from the admin dashboard.

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Managing Rock Reports

After submission, rock reports move through statuses as they’re worked on and resolved.

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Rock Statuses

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Viewing Your Rocks

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Updating Rock Status

To update a rock’s status:

1. Open the rock details
2. Tap the Status button
3. Select the new status:
   • Open → In Progress (when work begins)
   • In Progress → Closed (when resolved)
   • Closed → In Progress (if rock resurfaces)
4. Confirm the status change

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Adding Follow-Up Information

As you work on a rock, you can add notes and updates:

1. Open the rock details
2. Scroll to the Activity section
3. Add comments about progress, findings, or blockers
4. Notes are timestamped and attributed to you

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A3 Best Practices

Follow these guidelines to get the most value from rock reports.

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Writing Effective Rock Statements

Template: “[What] is happening [where], resulting in [impact]. This started [when] and affects [who/how many].” Example: “Key tags are being lost during the detail process in the main detail bay, resulting in unidentified vehicles reaching the sale lot. This started on December 10th and affects an average of 4 vehicles per day.”

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Conducting Root Cause Analysis

1. Don’t stop at symptoms — Keep asking “why?” until you reach a cause you can address
2. Consider multiple causes — Rocks often have more than one contributing factor
3. Look for system issues — Individual mistakes often point to process or training gaps
4. Verify causes with data — Confirm your hypothesis before proposing solutions
5. Involve others — Team members closest to the work often have the best insights

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Writing SMART Actions

Every action should pass this test:

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Following Up on Actions

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Troubleshooting

Common issues and how to resolve them.

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Form Issues

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Submission Issues

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Status and Update Issues

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Still Need Help?

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