How Microsoft is enabling an AI-powered future with Copilot
The future of work is here, and it's powered by AI. Microsoft's Copilot is at the forefront of this revolution, with 60% of Fortune 500 companies leveraging its power to accelerate business results and empower their teams.
According to the tech giant, Lumen Technologies is saving a staggering $50 million annually while Honeywell feels like they've gained 187 new employees based on their productivity gains. Fintech giant Finastra says it has slashed creative production time from months to weeks.
New features announcement
Last week, Microsoft announced new Copilot capabilities that will make it even easier for businesses of all sizes to tap into the power of AI. Here's what you can expect:
Public launch of Copilot Studio: Starting next month, Copilot Studio will enter public preview, opening up access to more customers and empowering them to create customized autonomous agents. The agents can handle everything from IT support, employee onboarding, to lead generation and supply chain.
10 pre-built agents in Dynamics 365: Microsoft is giving businesses a head start with ten ready-made autonomous agents built into Dynamics 365. These intelligent helpers are designed to support your sales, service, finance, and supply chain teams, tackling tasks like sales qualification, supplier communication, and customer service.
“Think of agents as the new apps for an AI-powered world. Every organization will have a constellation of agents — ranging from simple prompt-and-response to fully autonomous. They will work on behalf of an individual, team, or function to execute and orchestrate business processes,” The tech giant wrote in a blog post.
Real-world examples of Copilot agent impact
Multiple companies are already reaping the benefits of Copilot agents:
Pets at Home, the U.K.’s leading pet care business, is looking at potential seven-figure annual savings after it created an agent to streamline its profit protection process. It’s using the agent to quickly and efficiently compile cases for human review.
McKinsey & Company is creating an agent to streamline onboarding time. Preliminary results showed lead time could be reduced by 90% and administrative work reduced by 30%.
Thomson Reuters built an agent to speed up the legal due diligence workflow, and initial tests have shown some tasks can be done in half the time.
Microsoft’s Own AI Transformation Journey
Microsoft isn’t just empowering its customers with Copilot; it’s using these capabilities internally to achieve impressive results. For example, Microsoft’s sales team has increased revenue per seller by 9.4% and improved customer case resolution speed by nearly 12%.
The company’s marketing efforts have also seen a 21.5% rise in conversion rates, while an HR self-service agent has delivered 42% higher accuracy in answering employee questions.
AI with Security and Compliance in Mind
Recognizing the importance of data security, Microsoft has embedded robust governance features within Copilot Studio to ensure data privacy, compliance, and safe handling of sensitive information.
All agents built within Copilot Studio incorporate strict security protocols, including data loss prevention and robust authentication measures. IT administrators can also manage these agents with governance controls, ensuring secure and compliant use across organizations.
Conclusion
AI is changing and it will continue to change businesses. Are you fully taking advantage of it? If you’re a business deeply embedded in the Microsoft environment, Copilot is a great opportunity to start exploring how AI can transform your business.
