Microsoft Copilot – what does it do and how can it help me?

What does Microsoft Copilot do?

Through Artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning and natural language processing, Copilot facilitates a smarter way of working.

Let’s just pause here for a moment while we remind ourselves of what these terms actually mean:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI): Technology that enables computers and digital devices to learn, read, write, create and analyse. (IBM)
• Machine Learning (ML): A branch of AI that focuses on using data and algorithms to imitate the way humans learn, gradually improving its accuracy. (IBM)
• Natural Language Processing (NLP): Combines rule-based modelling of human language with statistical and machine learning models to enable computers and digital devices to recognise, understand and generate text and speech. (IBM)

Microsoft 365 Copilot incorporates AI, ML and NLP to use a large language model (LLM) to learn from your past projects and communications to suggest text, ideas and phrases that you can use to finish your work or collaborate within a team. It’s up to you whether you choose to use, reject or edit those suggestions.

Copilot has been integrated across the suite of Microsoft 365 products including everyday apps such as Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint. As such, for your business it can enhance productivity across your communications, collaborations, documents, financial analyses and presentations.

As well as being embedded in Microsoft 365 apps, it’s also integrated as a standalone application under the name of Business Chat. Through Business Chat you can communicate with Copilot. You can ask for the completion of tasks such as meetings to be scheduled, emails to be sent, presentations to be created or for a team to be updated on a project’s progress.

How does Microsoft Copilot benefit businesses?

The benefits of Copilot to your business are predominantly found in operational efficiencies that improve the experience of customers and employees. Here we highlight some of those benefits.

It boosts productivity

Time consuming tasks such as emails, scheduling meetings, formatting data, managing collaborative tasks and more are streamlined by Copilot. It automates mundane tasks and speeds up the creation and editing of documents and presentations. It also provides productivity and next steps recommendations. All of these factors reduce employees’ workload, allowing them to focus on higher value tasks and projects.

It facilitates increased creativity

Through its integration with Word, Excel and PowerPoint, Microsoft Copilot makes the creation and editing of documents, data analysis and presentations far more efficient. It offers draft suggestions and reduces the time spent on writing and the arduous task of gathering data. It also provides quick feedback which reduces the toing and froing of decisions on final outputs. For meetings, Copilot facilitates a natural flow and brings a much needed focus to ideas, agenda and action points.

It provides a highly efficient seamless integration

A cohesive user experience that is unified and efficient is derived from Copilot’s seamless integration across the Microsoft 365 suite of applications. There is no need for switching between different tools. This creates an efficient workflow for both individual and team tasks.

It automates data handling

In Excel, Copilot automates complex data analysis tasks which makes handling large datasets more straightforward, and insights easier to extract. It helps to generate formulas which reduces the frequency of errors and produces accurate reports. This empowers businesses to make informed decisions based on data analysis.

It produces enhanced content quality

Working as a virtual writing tool, Copilot improves the quality of content by offering suggestions for grammar, phrasing and style of writing. Businesses can then present higher standards of content output across key documents.

It facilitates easier collaboration

Because of its integration across Microsoft 365 applications such as OneDrive, SharePoint and Microsoft Teams, Copilot facilitates an easier way of collaborative working. Realtime collaboration allows teams to innovate and complete projects more quickly and efficiently.

Security and Compliance

Microsoft Copilot has been designed with advanced security features including threat protection, identity management and data loss prevention. This protects your own data and that of your customers. This ticks many compliance boxes and therefore offers peace of mind to business owners.

A summary of Microsoft Copilot’s impact when working with MS 365 apps

Microsoft Word

A smarter writing process and drafting of documents and reports.

Microsoft Excel

Enhanced data analysis and a more simplified process for identifying patterns and insights.

Microsoft PowerPoint

Better quality content in presentations that appeals to, and engages, audiences.

Microsoft Outlook

More streamlined email communications and management of email threads.

Microsoft Teams

Improved productivity during meetings and enhanced team communication.

Speak to E2E about Microsoft 365 Copilot

At E2E we’re keen to implement more productive and agile ways of working for our clients through managed IT services and the installation of state of the art software.

Speak to the team about Microsoft 365 Copilot and any other IT requirements.