Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming the way we work, and Microsoft is at the forefront of this revolution with Copilot for Microsoft 365. In this blog series, we’ll explore how Copilot can be utilized in various Microsoft 365 applications. I will start of this series by giving an intro to what Copilot for M365 is and how it can be utilized by everyone today. This series will focus on general information and personal experiences, making it accessible for users of all technical levels.
What is Copilot for Microsoft 365?
Copilot for M365 is an AI-powered productivity assistant that’s integrated into most Microsoft 365 applications. It uses large language models (LLM) and your organization’s data to help you work more efficiently and creatively. Here’s how it works:
- Copilot analyzes the context of what you’re working on.
- It accesses relevant information from your Microsoft 365 ecosystem and, if you want, from the web
- It generates suggestions, content, or performs tasks based on your needs
Copilot is available in:
- Word
- Excel (preview)
- PowerPoint
- Outlook
- OneNote
- Teams
- Loop
- Whiteboard
- Forms
- Stream
- Coming soon to Viva Engage, OneDrive and Sharepoint
In addition you also get Copilot Chat, which I’ll cover in my next blogpost. It’s a chatbot that can access all your files, emails and calendar items in Microsoft 365 providing a centralized AI assistant for your entire workflow.
Copilot for Microsoft 365 is a licensed product, priced at $30 per user per month.
Is Copilot worth the investment?
At first glance, $30 per user monthly might seem steep. However, let’s consider the potential return on investment:
- Time Savings: If Copilot saves just 10-30 minutes per day per user, it could significantly boost productivity across your organization.
- Work Quality: AI assistance can help improve the quality and consistency of work.
- Employee Satisfaction: Providing cutting-edge tools can increase job satisfaction and retention – just ask my colleague Andreas:
Important Considerations Before Implementation
Before diving in, it’s important to assess your organization’s readiness: By implementing generative AI tools like Copilot into an organization it is important to think about how good (…or bad) control you have have over your data in the organization:
- Access Control: How well do you manage data access within your organization?
- Data Governance: Have you prioritized the compliance & governance aspects of Microsoft 365 in recent years?
Why is this important? Copilot operates with your user permissions, potentially exposing sensitive information you didn’t know you had access to. This underscores the need for robust access controls and data governance in the age of AI assistants.
I will not go into more detail on these topics in this post as that deserves it’s own post, but these are important things to keep in mind now that we are using more AI on our own data. This is not a Copilot problem, but Copilot might enhance the problem that you already have.
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t start using Copilot, but it’s wise to:
- Conduct a risk assessment
- Improve security measures in parallel with Copilot implementation
- Start with a pilot program and prioritize user adoption for your users!
User adoption is key to success
Implementing Copilot isn’t just about buying licenses; it’s about changing how people work. Without a plan for user adoption, you might not see the full benefits of your investment. Here’s why adoption matters:
- Copilot introduces new ways of working that can significantly boost productivity.
- Users need to understand how to effectively prompt and interact with generative AI.
- The more users engage with Copilot, the more value your organization will derive from it.
A pilot program will look different for many organizations, but here are some tips:
- Host internal webinars to showcase Copilot’s capabilities.
- Promptbook (Copilot lab will soon support saving your own prompts).
- Organize hands-on workshops.
- Teams, Viva or similar channel where pilot users can engage with each other.
- Groups of users (5-10 people) using it together
Embracing the Future of Work
The era of generative AI in the workplace is here, and it’s transforming how we work. As you can see by the Trend Index report by Microsoft and LinkedIn:
- 75% of workers are already using generative AI at work
- Nearly half of these users started less than 6 months ago
This rapid adoption shows that AI is not just a passing trend, but a fundamental shift in how we approach work. By adopting Copilot for Microsoft 365 early, you can:
- Get ahead of the curve in AI-assisted productivity
- Allow your team time to develop new, more efficient work habits
- Stay competitive in an increasingly AI-driven business landscape
Remember, like any tool, Copilot becomes more valuable as users learn to integrate it into their daily workflows. The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll see the benefits.
Copilot in each of the apps
In upcoming posts, we’ll look into how Copilot enhances each major Microsoft 365 application. Stay tuned for explorations of:
- Copilot Chat
- Copilot in Word
- Copilot in Excel
- Copilot in PowerPoint
- Copilot in Outlook
- Copilot in Teams
Links to future posts will be added here as they’re published.
Thanks for reading. Share your thoughts and questions in the comments below!