Enhancing your AI journey with Microsoft 365 Copilot

Jaw-dropping, time-saving, idea-sparking, productivity-boosting, teamwork-elevating, tech miracle Microsoft’s Copilot, launched today, is all this and more. Embedded AI into the Microsoft 365 suite, it combines the power of large language models with your data to turn the mundane redundant, make the proficient professional, and render the complex effortless. Promising to be “the most powerful productivity tool on the planet,” it is set to boost organizational productivity by anywhere from 30 to a staggering 80 percent.

Sounds great, right? Can I have it now?

The answer is yes of course, but the deeper and more crucial question is your organization in a ready state to adopt this game-changing technology? Leveraging Copilot isn’t as straightforward as turning a key and hitting the gas. In introducing this new technology into your organization and making it work effectively to deliver its promised business efficiencies, a well-thought-out process must be followed. In this blog post, we'll take you through the crucial steps to consider before embarking on your Copilot journey.

Step 1: Sell Copilot’s business benefits internally

It is crucial to manage the expectations of the business (about timing and commitment to implementing Copilot) as well as persuade IT stakeholders of its long-term benefits. Copilot can significantly boost the productivity of IT personnel, and it offers technology foundations that can unlock new levels of flexibility and opportunity.

With IT on board, your Copilot implementation can proceed smoothly, aligning with existing business objectives. Moreover, you gain access to a knowledgeable ally well-versed in your estate, ready to answer key questions as the implementation progresses.

Step 2: Lay the foundation for change

The path to your Copilot journey must run through Microsoft Azure (note: Microsoft 365 Copilot inherits all of Azure’s cloud security controls – which were not designed for new AI capabilities). This exclusive association is crucial, and if you’re not already using Microsoft’s cloud platform, careful planning is needed. Migrating to Azure provides access to the AI companion your business craves, enhances reliability, and security, and may even reduce ongoing costs, offering newfound agility and innovation.

Step 3: Understand costs and commitments

At its launch, Microsoft requires a minimum purchase of 300 Copilot licenses, at US$30 a license per month, which means $108,000 per year. Further, each user requires a Microsoft 365 E3 or E5 license, along with the additional Copilot license. Your investment in it necessitates assessing your current licensing agreements to optimize costs and align Copilot use cases with roles that will benefit the most. If your EA is scheduled to renew in the next 12 months you may want to limit the number of licenses you have to ensure you have as much negotiation leverage as possible at renewal. It’s a renewal that you will have maximum leverage in your negotiations with Microsoft – requesting discounts, changing contract rules, and getting price locks. At SoftwareOne we can help you with your licensing purchasing and optimization. 

Step 4: Copilot pros & data protection cons

Copilot offers numerous benefits, but without appropriate data protection and tagging, its capabilities could pose challenges. Data must be clean and organized to maximize Copilot’s performance and prevent unauthorized access to sensitive information.

Data access controls and data privacy compliance are crucial steps, ensuring security challenges are avoided while improving Copilot’s effectiveness.

Step 5: Increase adoption and ROI

Equipping your users with Copilot knowledge and best practice guidelines through adoption and change management is essential. By helping end users adapt to new workflows and embrace innovative processes, you will see the best return on your investment and greater productivity gains.