Unlocking Efficiency and Collaboration: Implementing Microsoft Copilots in Your Organization

 

Introducing Microsoft 365 Copilot

Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 combines the power of large language models (LLMs) with your organization’s data – all in the flow of work – to turn your words into one of the most powerful productivity tools.

In this blog post, I will dive into architecture of Microsoft 365 Copilot and explore how it can transform your digital experience, will also discuss the process of rolling out Copilot in your organization, offering practical tips and insights to ensure a smooth and successful implementation.

 

also, I covered highlights the numerous benefits that Microsoft 365 Copilot brings to the table. From improved efficiency and decision-making to reduced workload and increased employee satisfaction, Copilot has the potential to revolutionize the way you work.

How Microsoft 365 Copilot Works

At the core of Microsoft 365 Copilot is a large language model that processes user prompts from Microsoft 365 Apps. These prompts are sent to Copilot, which then accesses Microsoft's Graph and Semantic Index for pre-processing. The modified prompt is then sent to the large language model. Upon receiving a response from the large language model, Copilot accesses the Graph and Semantic Index for post-processing before sending the response and application command back to Microsoft 

Microsoft 365 Copilot Architecture

Microsoft 365 Copilot employs a comprehensive architecture that ensures data security and privacy. The Azure OpenAI instance, used in processing the prompts, is maintained by Microsoft, ensuring that OpenAI has no access to the data or the model. Moreover, customer data does not leave the compliance boundary and is not used to train the foundation model. This architecture is designed to ensure that the AI acts responsibly, with all requests encrypted via HTTPS for additional security

Security, Compliance, and Privacy

Microsoft 365 Copilot is built on Microsoft's comprehensive approach to security, compliance, privacy, and Responsible AI. It has real-time access to your content and context within the Microsoft Graph, ensuring that your data is protected and utilized responsibly. Importantly, the Copilot inherits your security, compliance, and privacy policies set up in Microsoft 365, meaning your data doesn't leave the compliance boundary and isn't used to train the foundational model

Microsoft 365 Copilot Architecture consists of four main components:

Integration across Microsoft 365 apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, Whiteboard, OneNote, Loop and M365 Chat. This component allows Microsoft 365 Copilot to work seamlessly with various Microsoft 365 apps, and help you with various tasks, such as writing, presenting, researching, or collaborating.

Custom Copilots enhance functionality, integrating with company data and external systems. These plugins allow Microsoft 365 Copilot to access and analyze your data, and provide you with relevant content or suggestions based on your context and needs.  

Build your own copilots with Azure AI Studio, a platform that lets you access models from the Azure OpenAI service, as well as hundreds of open-source models. You can also integrate your own data, use pre-built Azure AI skills https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-mechanics-blog/build-your-own-copilots-with-azure-ai-studio/ba-p/4006387

Build custom copilots with Microsoft Copilot Studio Microsoft Copilot Studio is part of Microsoft Copilot, customize Copilot for Microsoft 365, or create your own standalone copilots for specific roles and functions using different Knowledge sources. Microsoft Copilot Studio | Extend Copilots or Create Your Own

Large language models (LLMs) are utilized for natural language processing and interaction. These models are the core of Microsoft 365 Copilot’s AI capabilities, as they enable it to understand natural language and generate relevant content or suggestions based on your data and context.

A semantic index based on Microsoft Graph The Semantic Index for Copilot creates a sophisticated map of your and your organizational data –identifying relationships and making important connections. It uses that conceptual understanding to determine your intent and help you find what you need. It is the Semantic Index that enables Microsoft 365 Copilot to deliver relevant, actionable responses to prompts –and do so in a secure, compliant, privacy-preserving way.

Business value of Microsoft Copilot: 

Microsoft Copilot can add significant business value by boosting productivity, improving work quality, saving time, and enhancing user satisfaction. 

 
•Productivity and Speed: 70% of Copilot users reported they were more productive, and users were 29% faster   in a series of tasks1. On average, Copilot for Sales users reported saving 90 minutes a week2.
•Quality of Work: 68% of users said Copilot improved the quality of their work1.
•Email Processing: 64% of users reported that Copilot helps them spend less time processing email1.
•Drafting Documents: 85% of users said Copilot helps them get to a good first draft faster1.
•File Searching: 75% of users said Copilot “saves me time by finding whatever I need in my files”1.
•User Satisfaction: 77% of users said once they used Copilot, they didn’t want to give it up1.

         What Can Copilot’s Earliest Users Teach Us About Generative AI at Work? (microsoft.com)

        M365 Copilot Participation and Rolling out in your organization

EAP Participation: Customers signing up for the Microsoft 365 Copilot EAP will get access to Microsoft Copilot and onboarding guidance from Microsoft.

Creating a team: It's important to identify different stakeholders when rolling out Microsoft Copilot in your organization. These may include sponsors, ownership, required approvals in the process, funding and ongoing change management, early adopters (both technical and non-technical), legal, security, work council, IP, and champions.

Defining a strategy: Start by identifying the challenges and opportunities that Microsoft Copilot can address in your organization. How can Copilot make your users' daily work life better? How would you improve the current systems? What are the most important improvements? What would be considered success for those improvements? Create KPIs to measure that success.

Roll-out approach and timeline: Consider the segmentation of the roll-out approach - will it be business unit by business unit, role by role? Define a timeline for the roll-out and communicate it to all stakeholders.

Communication plan: Identify who needs to be informed (e.g. business users that will be part of the roll-out, champions, and executive sponsors) and when they need to be informed. Prior to the roll-out, explain the changes and how they will benefit the business users. Provide training resources and channels for the champions to help. Ask for feedback and provide feedback channels to ensure the implementation is relevant for the business users.

Introduction plan: The early adopters are a user group comprised of enthusiasts eager to try the latest and greatest. The champions are people who are willing to help others and need to have a good level of understanding of the new changes. Support needs to be aware of the new functionality being launched and be up to speed to troubleshoot and raise tickets to Microsoft Support. The business users need to have access to training materials in different formats – videos, documentation, etc. User trainings should be provided to ensure a smooth transition

For More Details : Microsoft 365 Adoption - Get Started

Microsoft 365 Copilot Apps

Microsoft Copilot (formerly Bing Chat) works on Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Safari, and Mobile Access here http://Acescopilot.microsoft.com

iOS - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/microsoft-copilot/id6472538445

Android - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microsoft.copilot&hl=en&gl=US 

Copilot in Teams

Note-taker for meetings • Provides meeting recaps and insights • Suggests discussion points

Copilot in Word

Create Word documents from simple prompts • Summarize long Word documents and pull out key information • Rewrite sections of text or entire documents to be more concise or match a certain ton

Copilot in PowerPoint

Convert Word docs into PowerPoint presentations • Use natural language to refine slide text, formatting, animations, and layout • Summarize lengthy presentations into key slides

Copilot in Excel

Apply relevant formulas/calculations to data based on prompts • Create visualizations like charts/graphs to represent data • Summarize trends and insights from data analysis

Copilot in Outlook

Adjust the tone and length of email responses through simple prompts • Schedule follow-ups, and create agendas based on previous email convos

Copilot in OneNote

Summarize your notes, create a to-do list, design a plan

    

Copilot in Loop

Plan, brainstorm, create, and collaborate easier to stay in sync    

Copilot in Whiteboard

Creating, organizing, and understanding ideas has never been easier.

Generate free AI images

Co-pilot offers you free access to the incredibly powerful imager - DALL-E3.

Copilot in Windows 11

Copilot in Edge in Microsoft SwiftKey

Microsoft SwiftKey is a customizable keyboard that adapts to your writing style. Copilot in Edge is also now available in the SwiftKey toolbar and can be used for research and writing

Download the SwiftKey app in the Apple App Store or Google Play

Microsoft copilots overview and Learning path 

   

Copilots Learning Path

Microsoft 365 Copilot – Skilling
Get started with Microsoft 365 Copilot Microsoft 365 Chat Teams Copilot Outlook Copilot Word Copilot PowerPoint Copilot Excel Copilot OneNote Copilot	MS-012 Prepare your organization for Microsoft 365 Copilot Prepare for Microsoft 365 Copilot: Part 1 – Copilot design and prerequisites: Prepare for Microsoft 365 Copilot: Part 2 – Administrative roles and Tenant health: Prepare for Microsoft 365 Copilot: Part 3 – Threat protection Prepare for Microsoft 365 Copilot: Part 4 – Protecting sensitive data
GitHub Copilot – Skilling
Get started with GitHub and Visual Studio Code GitHub Copilot Fundamentals - Understand the AI pair programmer Getting started with GitHub Copilot Related IT Skills Course AZ-900T00: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals Course AZ-204T00: Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure Course AZ-400T00: Designing and Implementing Microsoft DevOps solutions
Power Platform Copilot – Skilling
Create Power Platform solutions with AI and Copilot Related IT Skills Course PL-900T00: Microsoft Power Platform Fundamentals Course PL-100T00: Microsoft Power Platform App Maker Course PL-400T00: Microsoft Power Platform Developer
Microsoft Security Copilot – Skilling
TBD (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/business/ai-machine-learning/microsoft-security-copilot) Related IT Skills Course SC-200T00: Microsoft Security Operations Analyst Course SC-300T00: Microsoft Identity and Access Administrator Course SC-400T00: Administering Information Protection and Compliance in Microsoft 365 Course SC-100T00: Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect
Microsoft Fabric Copilot – Skilling
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/introducing-microsoft-fabric-data-analytics-for-the-era-of-ai/) Related IT Skills Course DP-900T00: Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals Course PL-300T00: Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst Get started with Microsoft Fabric Course DP-601T00: Implementing a Lakehouse with Microsoft Fabric Implement Real-Time Analytics with Microsoft Fabric: Ingest data with Microsoft Fabric Implement data science and machine learning for AI in Microsoft Fabric
Custom Copilots Gen AI powered Apps
Course AI-050T00---A: Develop Generative AI Solutions with Azure OpenAI Service - Training | Microsoft Learn

 

Conclusion

Microsoft EAP is a paid program, so please make sure you have a good Adoption plan before you begin the program. This step is crucial for the success of the program. If you don't implement these adoptions plan properly, you may not be able to complete the program.

The topic of oversharing is important, because it can affect the security of your data and lead to unintended access. Currently, Microsoft does not have default tools to check for oversharing access. joseabarreto wrote a useful blog about oversharing. create your custom report and educate your users about oversharing topic.

I will cover Copilot Framework and custom copilots topics in next blog

 Happy Sharing!