Blog - Locknet® Managed IT

Microsoft Copilot Use Cases | Managed IT

Written by Ben Potaracke | Sep 16, 2024 2:03:18 PM

Innovating and thinking strategically are essential for staying competitive. However, 67% of small to medium-sized businesses struggle with these critical aspects. This is where tools like Microsoft Copilot can make a significant difference in an organization’s daily operations and free employees up for more strategic tasks.

Microsoft Copilot is a term that's been buzzing around the tech world, but what exactly is it? If you’re someone who uses the Microsoft 365 Office Suite tools like Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, you might have heard of this new feature and wondered how it can benefit your business. We’ll break down what Microsoft Copilot is, how it works, and explore five practical ways it can enhance your daily tasks.

 

What is Microsoft Copilot?

Microsoft Copilot is an AI-powered assistant designed to help businesses work smarter and more efficiently. It represents a new way of working, where employees can collaborate with AI to boost productivity. Integrated seamlessly into the Microsoft 365 suite - including popular apps like Teams, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Excel - Copilot elevates workplace productivity by addressing the challenge of keeping up with the ever-increasing pace of work.

 

How does Microsoft Copilot work?

At its core, Microsoft Copilot uses artificial intelligence to understand the context of what you’re working on. When you type or speak commands into your Microsoft 365 application, Copilot interprets your requests and provides suggestions or automates actions to help you complete your work more quickly.

Copilot is integrated into the familiar Microsoft 365 apps, making it accessible and easy to use. It can generate text, create visuals, draft emails, and analyze spreadsheets - all based on simple commands you give it.

 

Examples of Microsoft Copilot Use Cases

Copilot for Microsoft 365 isn't just another feature—it's an intelligent partner that accompanies you throughout your day-to-day Microsoft 365 interactions. Be it in Outlook, PowerPoint, Word, Excel, Teams, or other applications, Copilot can save you time by generating new content, offering relevant suggestions, and making you more productive. Let’s take a closer look at some practical Microsoft Copilot use cases.

Enhanced meeting engagement

Copilot keeps you more engaged in meetings and provides quick catchups for meetings you miss, ensuring you're always in the loop.

Example: Use Copilot to summarize meeting discussions and generate action items. You can also ask it to provide the key points of a document shared in a meeting for a quick analysis.

Efficient email management

Copilot can help streamline your email communication by summarizing lengthy email threads and drafting responses.

Example: After being away from the office, use Copilot to summarize the necessary points and action items of a long email chain.

Writing assistance

Copilot can transform your writing by drafting, editing, summarizing, and creating content. This functionality can enhance the quality and efficiency of your documents.

Example: When writing a business proposal, ask Copilot to create an outline and then have it fill in the sections with the appropriate content. You still have the freedom to edit and personalize it along the way.

Presentation development

Starting a new presentation is simplified with Copilot. You can begin with either a prompt or an outline using natural language commands, bringing your ideas to life.

Example: If you’re struggling to present your project effectively, ask Microsoft Copilot to organize your information into slides, suggest relevant images, and even add speaker notes.

Data analysis and visualization

Copilot can simplify data analysis by identifying data trends, creating visualizations, and providing recommendations.

Example: In finance departments, Copilot can assist analysts in quickly generating financial reports, highlighting key metrics, and forecasting trends. It can also suggest ways to optimize budgets or identify areas where costs can be reduced.

It’s clear Copilot for Microsoft 365 can help change the way that we work, transforming our everyday tasks into opportunities for growth and innovation.

 

Questions about Microsoft Copilot

It’s important to have due diligence when incorporating any new AI technology. Clients often ask about security and control when getting started with Microsoft Copilot. Rest assured, Microsoft Copilot includes comprehensive enterprise compliance and security controls to protect your data. Users maintain control over AI-generated suggestions, allowing you to decide which to use, modify, or discard. This design ensures a human-centered approach to incorporating AI into your organization.

 

Is your organization ready for Microsoft Copilot?

For business professionals, Microsoft Copilot offers practical solutions to common challenges and can be a game-changer for anyone who regularly uses Microsoft 365. As you become more familiar with its capabilities, you’ll likely find even more ways to incorporate it into your work, making your life easier, your output even better, and freeing up your time for more strategic activities.

 

We can help our managed IT clients with the technological requirements and deployment of Microsoft Copilot. Be on the lookout for future blogs and webinars from us regarding those requirements and best practices for a path forward with this AI-powered technology. In the meantime, let’s have a conversation about the first steps.