Microsoft Ignite: How to Become an AI-Powered Organization with Microsoft Copilot

Step 1: Establish a Strong Foundation for AI

“Data really is the fuel that powers AI,” said Scott Guthrie, executive vice president of the cloud and AI group at Microsoft. So, before diving into advanced AI applications, ensure your data is clean, sorted and ready to support Copilot and other AI tools.

Data governance is also key. These standards will boost AI acceleration, said Al MacKinnon, a solution architect in CDW’s digital experience productivity practice.

Organizations can also work with CDW to build a modern data platform and get training on how to use Microsoft Copilot. “Technical readiness is something that most organizations overlook when they first purchase Microsoft Copilot, and we can help with that,” MacKinnon said.

Next, centralize your data. Tools such as Azure Synapse Analytics can unify and organize data from various sources, ensuring it’s clean and accessible. Manufacturing companies such as Jabil and Stryker are using Synapse Analytics to unify siloed data from production and identify delayed shipments.

Eaton, an intelligent power management company, leveraged Microsoft 365 Copilot to “document over 9,000 standard operating procedures, resulting in an 83% time savings for each SOP,” according to a Microsoft blog.

LEARN MORE: Improve your operational efficiency with AIOps.

Step 2: Start Small and Scale Strategically

AI adoption doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Start with smaller, manageable projects where Copilot can deliver immediate value, then scale to more complex initiatives.

“Success breeds success. So, build a business use case for AI, then test it,” MacKinnon said. Running a before-and-after comparison will also help rationalize the high cost of these tools when trying to get executive buy-in.

“I think of AI adoption as really quite incremental,” said Melissa Grant, senior director of product marketing for Microsoft 365. “A lot of people start with just one or two functionalities, like summarizing a meeting, for example ,” she said. She recommended that IT leaders integrate Copilot into tools their teams already use, such as Word, Excel, Teams and PowerPoint.

“I remember coming back from vacation once, and I asked Copilot to summarize my inbox. It brought the emails from my boss to the top and described a 100-email chain about an issue that had been resolved. It made it a 10-minute project instead of a two-hour project,” Grant said.

Ultimately, Copilot saves time, reducing the cognitive load on employees. “Copilot gives us more headspace, more thinking time, more creating time,” Grant said.

Step 3: Harness AI to Drive Collaboration and Creativity

Once IT leaders have proven Copilot’s value in specific departments or projects, they can expand its use towards enterprisewide transformation. This where the technology goes beyond streamlining processes and extends to more customer engagement.

“A great example is the NBA,” Guthrie said, “The NBA collects an incredible amount of data on players’ on-court performance, like speed, dunk, height and even injury risk. And with Azure AI Foundry, the NBA can now synthesize all of this data and create experiences that delight fans online and in the arena with real-time stats and insights directly on their devices.”

Another example is Copilot Pages. Teams can “add interactive charts, tables, code blocks, math equations, complex diagrams,” Nadella said. “You can use Copilot on the page to iterate on the content and also control what happens on the page directly from a chat. It’s truly this multiplayer canvas that enables you to ideate with AI and collaborate with other people.”

For MacKinnon, scaling Copilot is about aligning the technology to business goals. He suggested collecting employees from across the organization — such as those in sales, development, engineering and marketing — to explore AI uses cases.

Step 4: Boost Decision-Making with Advanced Insights

In its most advanced application, AI and Microsoft Copilot help teams make informed decisions, analyze data sets and shift critical workloads.

For example, a team can use Copilot to manage a critical cloud migration project by summarizing daily updates and automatically tracking tasks so that all stakeholders have a clear understanding of progress and responsibilities.

UP NEXT: Popular ways businesses are using Microsoft Copilot.

Data analysts are also using Copilot Excel to analyze business performance over time. The technology can quickly identify anomalies in financial reports, forecast trends, or generate detailed “what if” scenarios, Guthrie explained.

Brands such as Target and Coca-Cola are also using Copilot and generative AI to determine the right time to release new products based on sentiment data and market trends. ShopRite and Price Chopper have also implemented AI-powered Caper Carts to streamline the checkout process and enhance customer satisfaction.

Experts at Ignite said whether businesses are creating insightful reports, streamlining communication or enhancing customer experience, Microsoft Copilot can empower them to reimagine what’s possible.

To learn more about Microsoft Ignite, visit our conference page. You can also follow us on the social platform X at @BizTechMagazine to see behind-the-scenes moments.