A Guide for Application Technical Professionals
Introduction
Copilot for Microsoft 365 is a generative AI tool that helps users be productive by providing suggestions, corrections, and enhancements based on natural language understanding and deep learning. Copilot can assist users with various tasks, such as writing emails, reports, proposals, presentations, summaries, and more.
Interest in Copilot for Microsoft 365 is growing, as more organizations are looking for ways to improve their productivity, quality, and creativity in document creation. However, for most, generative AI is a new territory and significant questions remain on how to pilot and assess its value. Application technical professionals (ATPs) should use this report to understand how to effectively pilot Copilot for Microsoft 365 and evaluate its benefits and challenges.
Before starting a pilot, ATPs should define the objectives and scope of the pilot, such as:
Pilot Objectives and Scope
- What are the expected outcomes and benefits of using Copilot for Microsoft 365?
- What are the key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to measure the outcomes and benefits?
- What are the use cases and scenarios where Copilot for Microsoft 365 can be applied?
- Who are the target users and stakeholders of Copilot for Microsoft 365?
- What are the risks and challenges of using Copilot for Microsoft 365?
- How long will the pilot last and what are the milestones and deliverables?
ATPs should align the objectives and scope of the pilot with the business goals and needs of the organization, as well as the expectations and feedback of the users and stakeholders. ATPs should also consider the technical and organizational readiness and requirements for using Copilot for Microsoft 365, such as:
- What are the hardware and software specifications and compatibility of Copilot for Microsoft 365?
- What are the data and security policies and regulations of Copilot for Microsoft 365?
- What are the training and support resources and channels for Copilot for Microsoft 365?
- How will Copilot for Microsoft 365 integrate with the existing workflows and tools of the organization?
Pilot Scenarios to Consider
A risk-based approach to select Copilot features to activate in a pilot involves prioritizing the features that have the least potential for data leakage or misuse, and gradually enabling the features that have higher sensitivity or complexity. For example, ATPs could start by activating Copilot features in Teams and emails (summarize based on meeting transcript or emails within your own exchange mailbox), where users can easily control who they share information with and how they communicate with each other. Then, ATPs could proceed to activate Copilot features on Office apps, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, where users might inadvertently overshare sensitive or confidential information in their documents, spreadsheets, or presentations.
Furthermore, set to roll out in April 2024, a new feature by the name of ‘Restricted SharePoint Search’, Offers time to audit permissions while maintaining Copilot deployment momentum, with options to disable organization-wide search or restrict it to selected SharePoint sites.
This feature can be a practical option to limit Copilot’s search and reference capabilities during pilot based on an organization’s data governance maturity. Note: limiting search can potentially affect response accuracy and comprehensiveness but does not change user access permissions.
Finally, copilot studio (low-code option to create Copilot chatbots) is also a good option for a low-risk scenario to open to your pilot users. This provides organizations the ability to configure a copilot bot to bring responses from curated data sources including combination of internal and public sources. Introducing a Copilot bot replacing ‘Copilot chat’ has been successfully trialed by organizations concerned about data security, data access governance controls to be improved before ALL of copilot features are made available to users.
Pilot Implementation and Evaluation
After defining the objectives and scope of the pilot, ATPs should implement and evaluate the pilot, such as:
- Select and recruit a representative sample of users and stakeholders who will participate in the pilot and provide feedback. Highly recommend including both AI enthusiasts and skeptics as part of the process.
- Provide the users and stakeholders with the necessary training and support on how to use Copilot for Microsoft 365 and how to report any issues or suggestions.
- Monitor and collect data and feedback from the users and stakeholders on the performance, usability, and satisfaction of Copilot for Microsoft 365.
- Analyze and report the data and feedback to measure the outcomes and benefits of Copilot for Microsoft 365 against the KPIs and metrics.
- Identify and address any risks and challenges of using Copilot for Microsoft 365 and propose any improvements or recommendations.
- Communicate and share the results and findings of the pilot with the users and stakeholders and solicit their input and feedback.
Conclusion
To effectively pilot and assess its value, ATPs should follow a systematic and structured approach that defines the objectives and scope of the pilot, implements, and evaluates the pilot, and communicates and shares the results and findings of the pilot. By doing so, ATPs can ensure that Copilot for Microsoft 365 meets the business goals and needs of the organization, as well as the expectations and feedback of the users and stakeholders.
Get support from Infotechtion
If you are interested in piloting Copilot for Microsoft 365 in your organization, Infotechtion can help you with the following services:
- Define the control framework for data security and governance that aligns with your policies and regulations and ensures the protection of your sensitive and confidential information.
- Enable a controlled pilot of Copilot for Microsoft 365 with a selected group of users and use cases and provide guidance and support on how to use the tool effectively and efficiently.
- Monitor and measure the performance and outcomes of the pilot and collect feedback and insights from the users and stakeholders on the benefits and challenges of using Copilot for Microsoft 365.
- Report and share the results and findings (including data security risks observed) of the pilot and provide recommendations on how to scale and optimize the adoption of Copilot for Microsoft 365 in your organization.
Infotechtion is a trusted partner of Microsoft and a leader in information management and governance. We have extensive experience and expertise in helping organizations leverage the power of AI and cloud technologies to create value from information. Contact us today at contact@infotechtion.com to learn more about how we can help you pilot Copilot for Microsoft 365. Read more about getting ready for Copilot at our blog Onboard with Copilot – are you modern workplace ready?
