If your business runs on Microsoft’s ecosystem, then you’ve likely already heard of Copilot. But, like many others, you may still be holding off on actually using it. Hearing about it doesn’t necessarily mean that you truly understand it, or that you see any value in it. And with hundreds of AI tools for businesses available, each of them claiming to offer very similar productivity gains, it can be difficult to determine how this one differs from the competition.
If you’re still confused, look no further. This article will explain Microsoft Copilot for Perth businesses: What it is, what it’s actually good at, and whether it’s worth using at all.
What Is Copilot for Microsoft 365?
Copilot is Microsoft’s AI (artificial intelligence) assistant, launched for the first time in 2023. It relies on similar foundational technology to other large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT or Claude. What makes Copilot unique from these tools is that it’s built directly into the platform. Unlike other popular LLMs, which are entirely independent, this one relies on your Microsoft 365 apps in order to function at its best.
How Much Does It Cost?
If you already have a Microsoft 365 subscription, then you will likely need to pay an extra fee to use Copilot. This is because it was originally released as a separate add-on. Companies considering 365 for the first time, however, may be happy to know that Copilot is now included in both the Business Standard and Business Premium plans as part of a new deal. If you begin a new subscription under either of these plans, you should gain access to this powerful Microsoft 365 AI tool without paying the additional fee.
How to Use Microsoft Copilot Effectively
One reason businesses still haven’t adopted Copilot is because they don’t quite understand how to extract value from it. It’s easy to see why. Microsoft themselves can be notoriously vague about what their products actually do, and this often results in confusion.
The best use cases for Microsoft Copilot include:
Summarising Information
Between seemingly endless emails and hours-long Teams meetings, workers often find themselves wading through an impossibly deep pool of information in order to complete tasks. Rather than wasting time attempting to find the point buried three paragraphs into an email, your staff can outsource this task to Copilot. It summarises long conversations into a few key points, and produces a concise recap of recorded meetings. This can drastically improve productivity.
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Drafting Documents
Anyone who has ever needed to write reports or other documents has learned to fear the productivity sink hole that is the blank page. Copilot allows you to avoid it entirely. By typing in a brief description of what you’re looking for (e.g. purpose, audience, and key points) you can generate a first draft almost instantly. Instead of staring at a page for twenty minutes, trying to ascertain how to structure your piece, you now have a starting point to work from.
Improving Written Communication
Some employees have the opposite problem: they can draft a report or email very quickly, but don’t necessarily know the best way to word their concerns. In this case, Copilot can make recommendations to improve clarity, tone, and grammar.
Analysing Data
Not everyone who works with spreadsheets is an Excel expert. Copilot helps close this gap. Users can ask natural-language questions (such as “what are the top three expense categories this quarter”) and receive immediate answers. Less time is spent digging through hundreds of numbers and trying to force them to make sense. Instead, those hours are used to make decisions based on the data available.
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The Weaknesses
There are many articles online espousing the benefits of Microsoft 365 Copilot. Few bother to point out its challenges, and this creates an unbalanced picture of the tool. The truth is that, like all other AI tools for businesses, Copilot has flaws. It’s important to understand them so you can work around them.
It Depends on Your Data
AI responses can only ever be as good as the data being extracted. If the information within your Microsoft environment is inaccurate, inconsistent, or poorly organised, then output will likely be low quality as well. This means you’ll need to set time aside to clean up your data before implementing Copilot.
Prompts Matter
AI can only work with what it’s given. Vague, single-sentence prompts are likely to result in a wide range of responses that may or may not address the user’s actual need. “Write me a report about costs”, for example, is not specific enough. Unfortunately, this is how many people tend to use AI. To ensure that Copilot provides consistent, valuable output, you may need to train employees on the importance of clear, specific, detailed prompts.
Resistance is Inevitable
When AI first became popular, employees were usually willing to try it out. These days, they are far more likely to resist its implementation. They often have valid reasons for this: role replacement, environmental impact, and quality are all very real concerns.
Change management will be an essential consideration because of this. You will need to have clear governance in place to assuage these fears (such as defined rules around when it can and cannot be used), and it’s crucial to provide a space for employees to come forward with questions or concerns. If you attempt to force the change without properly managing employee expectations, you could experience rebellious behaviour or even higher turnover.
Security and Compliance are Crucial
AI security is becoming a much bigger concern as decision-makers begin to realise just how risky handing sensitive information over to a machine can be. Microsoft’s products are designed with security in mind, but only if you remember to turn those features on. Don’t make the mistake of assuming your systems are safe and compliant. You will need to actually check the settings and ensure they’re configured safely.
Is Microsoft Copilot Worth Using?
So, when all factors are considered, is Copilot a valuable modern workplace solution for your Perth business? If you’re already operating within Microsoft’s ecosystem, the answer is yes. You already have access to it, which saves the money you would otherwise spend on another platform, and the AI features are built directly into applications your team uses on a daily basis. As long as you’re aware of the risks and prepare for them accordingly, you can benefit from improved efficiency and quality without compromising security or stability in the process.
Microsoft’s tools are among the best available for companies in need of safe productivity solutions. But they’re not always easy to wrap your head around. We can help you understand which tools are best for your business (and which are a waste of time). Update your IT today.