Even as recently as a decade ago, the omnipresent nature of artificial intelligence in our lives seemed like something out of science fiction.
Today, it's very much become science fact.
According to one recent study, 65% of enterprises in particular have already implemented some type of AI in their organizations.
This is a big part of the reason why the AI market size is anticipated to reach a colossal $407 billion by as soon as 2027.
But when people think about investing in AI, many make the mistake of assuming it's only something that massive, global corporations can afford to do.
The reality, however, is that it's a lot easier than one might think - especially with solutions like Microsoft's Copilot that are making their way to market.
As per another recent study, about 345 million people are paid Microsoft 365 users as of 2022.
That's part of the reason why it's such a big deal that all of them are about to have an intelligent, AI-driven assistant at their beck and call, thanks to Microsoft Copilot.
As the term implies, Copilot is an AI virtual assistant that is heavily integrated into all the existing Microsoft 365 solutions.
You can use it to send emails in Outlook, to create spreadsheets in Excel, or to write a rough draft of a document that you'll then clean up yourself in Word.
But the real benefit of this is that Copilot also has access to all the data being created across the various Microsoft 365 solutions.
Not only can this go a long way towards boosting productivity for the average worker, but it can also make decision-making easier and more effective than ever before.
Take a data-filled spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel, for example.
Copilot won't just create the document - it will also analyze the data for you and summarize the key conclusions.
You can then have Copilot write an email outlining those findings that you can then expand on in outlook.
It will save you a tremendous amount of time, so that you can focus on more important matters throughout the day.
This is a simplified example, yes - but it's also indicative of the larger implications that artificial intelligence brings with it.
Not only can a tool like Copilot quickly perform certain tasks for you - it can offer you suggestions on how to streamline your workflow to make those tasks irrelevant to begin with.
It helps make data insights clearer, all so that you can act on them as quickly as possible.
Overall, it's about making your day-to-day tasks easier to help you get more accomplished in a fraction of the time it used to take.
It's the type of tool that corporations in particular have been dreaming about for decades, and it has finally arrived at this critical moment.
But just because Microsoft Copilot is about to become available for virtually all organizations running Microsoft 365 doesn't necessarily mean it is right for yours - at least at first.
To get ready for the solutions' launch, you'll want to first make sure you're prepared from a technology standpoint.
Implementing Copilot isn't something you want to do by way of a half measure - you need to go all-in.
If only part of your current enterprise supports Copilot without system updates or major upgrades, you'll only be unlocking a fraction of the full potential that it stands poised to bring with it.
Obviously, this is key for avoiding any potential disruption moving forward.
If you run a healthcare organization, the last thing you need is to implement Copilot only to make it easier for some to act on data-driven insights and more difficult for others.
Everyone within a private practice (for just one example) needs to be working from the same information at all times.
If you're operating in the financial sector, you wouldn't want one part of your organization to suddenly eclipse the other in terms of productivity.
At a certain point, the Copilot-powered half would only be waiting for the other half to "catch up" - creating productivity bottlenecks that actually make things worse, not better.
Along the same lines, you also need to take a close look at your company's culture to make sure you're ready to make the jump.
Are your employees and collaborators open to the idea of something like Copilot in the first place?
Are they going to use it in the way that it's intended, or is it going to be yet another solution that you invest in that sits idle more often than not?
If Copilot adoption is to truly become the game-changer it was meant to be for your organization, everyone needs to be onboard - starting from the top.
People need to be ready to lean into bold new ways of working and if they're not, convincing them of this crucial point-of-view shift should become a top short-term priority.
At this point, you can move into developing a proper Copilot implementation strategy.
Here, you're not just confirming that it is a good idea to roll it out to your users - you're making sure you know exactly how to do that before the process begins in earnest.
This, too, will depend largely on the type of organization you're running and the level of possible disruption you can afford to deal with.
A healthcare facility can't afford to have the entirety of its systems go offline for any appreciable length of time.
Because of that, you'll likely want to go with a phased approach for a smoother transition.
It may take a bit more time than going "all-in" all at once, but it'll leave fewer chances for something to go wrong.
Having said that, your organization might not be able to wait for the analytical power of something like Copilot.
This might be true of certain financial sector organizations like community banks.
You need to get things over with now so that you can get back to serving your customers.
Here, a full-scale implementation might be in order despite the fact that it will come with its own unique set of challenges.
Again, this will all largely depend on the specific organization, its risk tolerance, and its long-term goals.
Regardless of the route you choose, though, you need to set clear, measurable goals along the way.
A Copilot implementation strategy isn't as simple as flipping a light switch.
It will take time, no matter what.
Exactly what are you hoping to achieve with Copilot?
Track those objectives during this process to see how well the tool is performing and how it is impacting the productivity and decision-making of your employees.
No AI integration strategies are complete without offering ongoing training and support for your users.
You can't just expect people to be automatically up-to-speed and aware of how to unlock the full potential of something like Copilot.
If you truly want to get the most out of your investment, you need to make sure people have the information they need to thrive.
You would never buy someone a car without first teaching them how to drive, for example.
You could spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on an incredible sports car with objectively incredible performance... and it would ultimately be meaningless because that recipient still doesn't know how to drive it.
Executing a Copilot implementation strategy without planning on training and support for your users is essentially the same thing.
At a bare minimum, you need to create training programs to help everyone determine how to best integrate Copilot into their daily lives.
Think about the type of onboarding process you would go through if you hired a new employee.
What would they need to know?
What do they need to be able to accomplish?
A Copilot training tool is largely the same thing, albeit with a technology tool as opposed to an entire company.
Regardless, never forget that the better the training, the smoother the transition will be.
If you skip this step or don't put a lot of effort into it, you'll find out fairly quickly that this was a mistake as issues start to compound and your total cost of ownership starts to rise.
Of course, this initial training and "onboarding" isn't the only training and support component to concern yourself with.
You also need to create channels for feedback moving forward.
Workers need to be able to share their experiences and get help when they need it, as soon as they need it, no matter what.
If a healthcare worker finds that Copilot as it is currently implemented is making their lives harder, you need to know why, because this is ultimately negatively impacting your organization's ability to care for patients, too.
Really, this is all about making sure that everyone feels as confident as possible using Copilot.
That way, you can enjoy all the benefits of your Copilot implementation strategy with as few of the potential downsides as possible.
You'll also be able to collectively leverage Copilot to its full potential.
In the end, remember that while Microsoft makes Copilot implementation seem like an incredibly straightforward process, it isn't really in your best interest to think about it that way on an organizational level.
You still need to think about how you can scale Copilot as your organization grows.
How are you going to quickly onboard new employees so that they, too, can unlock the full potential of AI as quickly as possible?
How do you make sure you remain open to finding new ways to use it?
As your needs evolve as a business, are your workers prepared to adjust how Copilot fits into their workflow?
These are important questions you need to answer not only once, but on an ongoing basis.
Artificial intelligence-powered tools like Copilot offer an exceptional amount of value, but they also have just as many potential risks and challenges.
By making best practices like those outlined above a priority, you can put yourself in the best possible position to help thrive with Copilot for years to come.
If you'd like to find out more information about the major benefits that Microsoft 365 AI tools can bring to your organization, or if you just have any related questions about unlocking the full potential of artificial intelligence that you'd like to go over with someone in a bit more detail, please don't hesitate to contact us today.
