Since March of last year, Microsoft has been hard at work releasing new integrations for their Copilot licensed customers. But Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 can be a bear to navigate and understand. We're here to help with that. While a few features are more complex, there are a few that from the day you have access to it, you should start implementing. They're easy and life-saving features that will increase your productivity immediately.
Copilot launched last year with much anticipation, and we're still anticipating big things as AI takes center stage in the Microsoft 365 applications. While some aspects will take time and training to be able to master, there are a few things you'll be able to do from the launch day of your Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 license.
But first...
For starters, there is a difference between plain old Microsoft Copilot and Microsoft Copilot for 365. Microsoft Copilot (full stop) is the new name for Bing Chat, the free way to get AI features like ChatGPT without having to integrate new software. To use it, all you need to have is a Microsoft account. There are also more advanced versions (that cost money) like Bing Enterprise Chat (usually demarcated as E3 or E5) that incorporate a few more automated features but still equate more to a ChatGPT Plus subscription.
On the other hand, Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 is a licensed integration into your M365 applications. Features of Microsoft 365 Copilot include integration with apps such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, and more. Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 combines the power of large language models (LLMs) with your organization’s data – all in the flow of work – to turn your words into a powerful productivity tool.
Copilot for M365 works with the information you input into your Microsoft Graph which is about as close to connecting all employees in your company to one spot as it gets. Copilot then uses the documents you've input into your Graph to strengthen its language model specific to your company's goals and guidelines. Basically, the more you use and integrate Copilot into your Graph, the better it works for you.
Sounds like a dream, right? But like I said, some features take a little more training to master before you can truly get the most out of it. But there are a few mightily important features you can use from day 1 of accessing your Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 license.
***Remember, make sure you've toggled your Copilot source to either "Work" or "Web" so Copilot knows where they can get information from. Work being your Microsoft Graph/internal files while Web allows Copilot to search the internet for answers to your request***
We've all been there, you get copied on an email that upon one scroll of your mouse you realize is 25 replies long with conversation offshoots that are not only more confusing than clarifying but also a waste of your time. Say sayonara with Copilot for Microsoft 365. Instead of going through and reading through all 25 emails, simply click on your Copilot logo (top right corner) in the email and ask it to summarize the email for you. Copilot will not only summarize all replies, but will give you an overview of what's been discussed, who said what, and the overall outcome of the interactions. Boom. You're caught up in less than 30 seconds.
There is a small caveat here: you must be using the NEW Outlook in order to access this feature.
Perhaps you've been meeting hopping all day and, as they so often do, one of your meetings bleeds 10 minutes into another one and you miss what's been discussed. Or, conversely, you were on time but you've been in so many meetings, you really can't comprehend another one. Copilot wins again.
As long as a Teams meeting is being recorded, all you have to do is:
Get in the habit of recording all Teams meetings. That way if you have to provide a follow up email to your clients or team mates detailing a summary of the call, you can do so in seconds without having to take detailed notes. Easy.
You can pretty much draft anything as long as you have an M365 and Copilot for M365 license. Need to write up a report on where you company is at with a project? As long as the information is in your Microsoft Graph, Copilot can access it to draft a Microsoft Word document that gives bullet points or paragraph style answers to the prompt you provide it with.
Additionally, you can draft emails, create power points, or even excel spreadsheets as long as you have the license and Microsoft Graph to back it up.
You can try "Write me an email to my boss about the top 3 KPIs we're targeting and why they're important" or "Draft a document that details the top reasons why we should be using the cloud over on-premise data storage." Just make sure you let Copilot know where you want them to pull information from, whether that be "Work" (internal Microsoft Graph) or "Web" (internet).
There's a lot to fiddle with and a lot to learn when it comes to Copilot for M365. But we're here to help sift through the paperwork.
Contact us if you need help understanding, integrating your Copilot licenses into your systems, or if you just want to see a visual from a human who's experienced in it. We're happy top help show you how to get the most out of your experience.