Introducing Microsoft 365 Copilot: How to Use Copilot for Work

These days, people seem to be talking about AI everywhere you turn. The uses seem limitless, whether you are using AI-generated image creators like OpenAI to create an image or using ChatGPT or other generative AI to write that difficult email.

What about Copilot for Microsoft 365? Have you begun using this program in your organization?

Let's explore what Copilot is, how it integrates with other programs, and how it can be a game-changer for productivity.

This article will cover:

• What Is AI?
• What Is Copilot?
• Is Copilot Free?
• Can I Integrate Copilot with Other Programs?
• Using Copilot to Improve Productivity
• What Are the Limitations of Using Copilot?
• Ready to Book GREAT Copilot Training?

What Is AI?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is when computers are designed to think and learn like humans. These smart systems can do a wide variety of tasks, like creating content, recognizing faces, understanding speech, and analyzing data. Users give the program a “prompt”, a text or instruction to guide its responses.

Copilot is an example of a program that is powered by AI.

What Is Copilot?

Copilot is an AI-powered assistant built into popular Microsoft 365 apps. It helps users generate content, automate processes, and analyze data faster than ever.

Whether you're drafting an email, analyzing an Excel spreadsheet, or creating a PowerPoint slide deck, Copilot gives you suggestions, support, and more!

The beauty of this AI assistant is that you can use natural language requests. What does that mean? It means you do not need a lot of technical knowledge to use it. You do not need to know coding when you're using Copilot. Instead, you can ask it to summarize a document, build charts, or even write emails based on context. 

Is Copilot Free?

Yes and no. There is a free version that is similar to ChatGPT, but its functionality is limited.

To integrate Copilot with other Microsoft apps, you need to upgrade to a paid version. There are different paid versions that cater to different user needs. For example, are you an individual or “power user” who wants to use AI for tasks such as coding, writing, or generating images? Or are you a business or organization that would like to enhance productivity across teams with additional tools, like device management, security, and compliance features?

The paid version can be bundled with enterprise-level licenses or can be available as an additional paid feature for other versions.

Your organization would need to weigh the pros and cons. The time saved and increased productivity may make it a worthwhile investment for your team. 

Can I Integrate Copilot with Other Programs?

The paid version of Copilot is designed to seamlessly integrate within the Microsoft 365 suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams.

We cannot say it any better than Microsoft: “Now, you can be more creative in Word, more analytical in Excel, more expressive in PowerPoint, more productive in Outlook and more collaborative in Teams.”

One benefit of Copilot is that you don't need to install additional software. You simply enable it within your 365 apps and it works in the background, available to assist when you need it.

Using Copilot to Improve Productivity

What makes Copilot different from other AI applications is how quickly it can impact your workday. Consider some examples of how you can leverage Copilot in Microsoft's most popular programs:

Word: When drafting a document, Copilot can assist by generating a first draft based on your notes or prompts. For example, if you're writing a project proposal, Copilot can structure the content, suggest headings, and even fine-tune language to make it more professional. You can then focus on revising and refining the content rather than starting from scratch.

Excel: Copilot can automate data analysis in Excel, helping to summarize trends and quickly generate reports.

For example, imagine you are using Excel to organize a large amount of sales data. Instead of having someone manually sort through large datasets, Copilot can identify patterns and even suggest charts. This lets you focus on insights and strategy.

Outlook: When dealing with a high volume of emails, Copilot can summarize long email threads, draft responses, and even schedule meetings based on context from emails. Imagine you've been away for a few days—Copilot can help by pulling salient points from missed emails and drafting responses for your approval.

PowerPoint: Copilot can create slide decks by pulling data from Word documents or Excel sheets. For example, after you've written a report, Copilot can automatically generate a corresponding PowerPoint presentation with structured slides, speaker notes, and relevant visuals, making the transition from data to presentation smooth.

Teams: Copilot can take your collaboration to the next level by summarizing meeting notes, creating follow-up tasks, and even managing schedules. Suppose you have a project meeting. Usually, someone is responsible for taking notes and developing an action plan. Copilot can do that for you. It can automatically summarize the main points, generate action items, and assign them to team members in real time. This can be a lifesaver in making sure that nothing gets missed.

By integrating Copilot into these tools, businesses can accelerate tasks that typically take hours, leading to quicker project turnarounds, increased efficiency, and a more productive team overall.

What Are the Limitations of Using Copilot?

Copilot is a fantastic tool for boosting productivity, but it’s not without its limitations. One of the biggest concerns is privacy and security. Since Copilot accesses data within Microsoft 365, businesses in fields like healthcare and finance need to make sure they’re using it in line with their data protection policies to keep sensitive information safe.

Another thing to consider is the learning curve. Although Copilot aims to be user friendly and lets you communicate in natural language, without training, it can take some time to get the hang of using prompts. You might be a bit frustrated as you learn to ask the right questions. (Fortunately, we can help you there! Keep scrolling down to learn more!)

And, like any AI, it’s not perfect—it can generate suggestions that aren’t always accurate or relevant, so it’s essential to double-check its outputs, especially for important tasks.

One of the prevailing myths about AI is that it replaces people. That is simply not true. Our approach to using Copilot (and any AI tool) is that it is just that: a tool. You still need a human touch; it just helps you check off your to-do list a little quicker.

Ready to Book GREAT Copilot Training?

Are you a Microsoft 365 subscriber who would like to learn more about using Copilot? In 2024, we released three courses to help you better understand Copilot. They are:

Copilot for the Modern Workplace: This is our introductory course for those exploring Copilot. It covers AI basics, Copilot's capabilities, a setup guide, productivity tips, and the differences between the free and paid versions. This course is great for management who is looking to understand AI’s role in the workplace.

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Getting Started with Copilot and Your Microsoft Applications: This course focuses on Copilot's integration with Microsoft apps to improve productivity in document creation, data analysis, presentations, email management, and team collaboration.

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Mastering Copilot and AI in the Modern Workplace: This comprehensive course covers AI fundamentals, debunking myths, Copilot Pro features, practical applications across Microsoft tools, and best practices for crafting prompts.

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Of course, all our courses can be taken privately and customized to better suit your needs. Contact our training coordinators today to learn more! 

We also hosted a FREE webinar on October 16, 2024, entitled: Decoding Copilot: Your Job’s Secret Weapon. We explored different features of Copilot and demonstrated how it integrates with other Microsoft products. Click here to view the replay and here to download the handout.