Intro to Decomposition

If you're new to using decomposition as a structured analytic approach, start with an overview of decomposition to learn about its origins in the US intelligence community, application, and best practices.

The steps below will help you understand the basics of ARC's decomposition features.

1. Start with your research question

• Enter your research question in ARC. 

• For example, if you're an analyst at a global tech company with major operations in Europe, and you'd like to understand the risks to your organization given current European security concerns, you might ask: How will evolving European security dynamics impact our global technology company’s operations and competitiveness over the next five years?

2. Customize and visualize the decomposition

• Go to Decomposition in the main menu. ARC generates the decomposition with suggested drivers and indicators.

• Add, edit, or delete drivers and indicators to fit your context from the Builder tab.

• Visualize your decomposition and map out how the different parts connect from the Icicle, Tree, or Nested tab.

• Export outlines or visualizations to share with stakeholders or include in reports.
  
  

Image 1. Nested visual of an ARC decomposition showing drivers and indicators for European security risks.

3. Iterate with ARCbot

• For advanced iterations, use ARC’s AI-powered assistant “ARCbot” under the Builder tab.

• Click Iterate with ARCbot and prompt it to combine drivers, suggest additional indicators, provide research context, and much more.

Image 2. Iterating with ARCbot to combine major drivers in the decomposition.

4. Collaborate with others

• Invite colleagues or experts to collaborate directly on your decomposition from the Collaboration section in the main menu.

• Collaborators can help refine the breakdown and ensure it reflects diverse perspectives.

5. Monitor, update, and report

• Track and monitor global news and research under Search Results in the main menu.

• Find an automatically updated research brief based on your decomposition, scenarios, and search results under Research Brief in the main menu.

• Return to the Decomposition section to make any necessary updates – you can even re-generate your decomposition at any point.

• Generate draft writeups under Products in the main menu. Click Generate a New Product Draft and select from the different template options, such as a “Decomposition Report” outlining your list of drivers and indicators.