Per-user add-on
Microsoft 365 Copilot
Works inside the apps your team already lives in, using your emails, files, meetings, and chats. It only works with content each person already has permission to open.
- Word
- Excel
- PowerPoint
- Outlook
- Teams
AI for Business · Microsoft Solutions Partner
AI that works for your business. Safely.
Microsoft Copilot is already built into the tools your team uses every day. Learn what it can do, how to get great results, and how to keep your data protected. Then let us roll it out the right way.
- Copilot Chat included with Microsoft 365
- Enterprise data protection
- Works in Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams
Example: Copilot summarizing a week of customer emails and flagging what needs a reply.
The Basics
Microsoft’s AI, Explained
“Copilot” is the name Microsoft uses for AI across its products. Here is what each one does and how you get it.
Included with Microsoft 365
Copilot Chat
Secure AI chat for drafting, summarizing, and research. With a work account, prompts and responses are not used to train AI models.
Built into Business Central
Copilot in Business Central
Help with bank reconciliation, item descriptions, and data analysis, plus agents that prepare routine work, such as vendor invoices, for a person to review and approve.
Licensing varies by agent
Copilot Studio
Build agents for a specific job, such as answering questions from your handbook or handling common requests, using the same Microsoft 365 security and permissions.
Microsoft updates Copilot names, features, and licensing often. We keep track of the changes so you don’t have to.
Everyday Uses
What AI Looks Like Day to Day
The biggest wins are rarely flashy. They are the small, repetitive tasks that eat up everyone’s week.
Owners & Managers
- Catch up on a long email thread or a missed Teams meeting in a minute
- Draft a first version of a proposal, policy, or announcement
- Ask what was decided in last week’s meetings and who owns each task
What did I miss in this morning’s leadership meeting?
- Meeting recap (45 min):
- • Hiring for the second field tech is approved
- • Office move pushed to next quarter
- • You own: approve the updated travel policy
Sales & Customer Service
- Prepare for a call with a summary of recent emails and files for that customer
- Turn meeting notes into a follow-up email with next steps
- Rewrite a technical product sheet into a customer-friendly FAQ
Prep me for my 2 pm call: summarize recent emails and files for this customer.
- Call prep:
- • Renewal is due next month; they asked about pricing
- • Open request: add two new users
- • Last proposal is in /Proposals, sent in March
Finance & Accounting
- Ask Excel about trends and outliers in plain English
- Speed up bank reconciliation in Business Central
- Summarize monthly results for people who don’t read spreadsheets
Which expense categories grew the most this quarter?
- Biggest increases vs. last quarter:
- • Software subscriptions
- • Travel
- Want a chart and a one-paragraph summary for the owners?
Operations
- Turn a process that lives in someone’s head into a step-by-step checklist
- Pull key dates and terms out of vendor contracts
- Create training guides from the documents you already have
List the renewal dates and notice periods in these vendor contracts.
- Found in 4 contracts:
- • Copier lease renews in June, 60-day notice
- • Cleaning service renews monthly, 30-day notice
- Please verify dates against the signed originals.
HR & Administration
- Draft job descriptions and onboarding plans
- Give staff an agent that answers common questions from your handbook
- Rewrite policies in plain language
Draft a two-week onboarding plan for our new office manager.
- Week 1: accounts, handbook, shadow the front desk
- Week 2: vendor contacts, billing process, first check-in
- Built from /Employee Handbook and /Office Procedures
Tips
Anatomy of a Great Prompt
Microsoft recommends four parts. Put them together and Copilot gets it right the first time.
Instead ofWrite an email about the project.
Try
GoalDraft a short email Contextto our client’s office manager about where their network upgrade stands Sourceusing /Project kickoff notes. ExpectationsKeep it friendly, under 150 words, and end with the next two steps and dates.
- GoalSay exactly what you want: “draft a short email,” not “help with an email.”
- ContextWho it is for, why it matters, and the tone you want.
- SourceType / to point Copilot at a specific file, email, or meeting.
- ExpectationsLength, format, and what the result should include.
Refine, don’t restart
Treat it like a conversation. “Make it shorter,” “add a table” or “more formal” usually beats starting over.
Check before you send
AI can sound confident and still be wrong. Verify facts, figures, and names. You own what goes out.
Safety
Security Built In, Not Bolted On
Copilot doesn’t give anyone new access, but it makes existing access easy to use. That’s why permissions come first.
Before cleanup
Payroll sheet shared with everyoneCopilotAnyone who asks can see it RiskAfter cleanup
Permissions fixed and data labeledCopilotOnly the right people see it ProtectedHow Microsoft protects your data
- Prompts and responses are not used to train the AI models behind Copilot
- Covered by the same privacy and security commitments as your Exchange email and SharePoint files
- Copilot respects existing permissions and only shows each person content they can already open
- Admins control which Copilot features and agents your organization can use
What we lock down before rollout
Fix oversharing
Review SharePoint sites, Teams, and shared links so sensitive files are only open to the people who need them.
Label sensitive data
Microsoft Purview sensitivity labels and data loss prevention keep confidential information protected wherever it goes.
Control access
Entra ID and Intune make sure only verified people on trusted, managed devices can reach your data.
Safety
Ground Rules for Your Team
Share these with everyone who uses AI at work.
Do
- Use Copilot with your work account, so your data stays protected
- Check facts, numbers, names, and links before anything leaves the building
- Keep a person in charge of decisions about customers, money, and staff
- Tell your team which AI tools are approved and what they are for
- Report AI answers that look wrong or show information they shouldn’t
Don’t
- Paste customer, patient, or financial data into free consumer AI tools
- Treat AI answers as final legal, tax, medical, or HR advice
- Assume forgotten files are private. If someone can open it, Copilot can find it
- Let staff sign up for AI apps and browser extensions without review
- Publish AI-written content without a person reading it first
Implementation
Bringing AI Into Your Business
Handing out licenses isn’t a strategy. A structured rollout gets real value from AI without putting your data at risk.
1. Readiness Review
We review licensing, security settings, and where your data lives, and pick the tasks where AI will pay off first.
2. Secure Your Data
We fix overshared files and tighten access before Copilot can surface anything it shouldn’t.
3. Pilot
A small group across different roles tries Copilot on real work, and we measure what actually saves time.
4. Train & Set Policy
Hands-on training for your team and a plain-language AI policy everyone can follow.
5. Roll Out & Improve
We expand to more people, add agents where they make sense, and keep reviewing usage and settings.
Microsoft Solutions Partner
How Cole Tech Helps
The same local team that supports your IT plans, secures, and supports your AI rollout.
Copilot Readiness & Rollout
A clear plan for bringing Copilot into your business, from the first conversation to company-wide use.
- Licensing and readiness review
- Pilot group setup and feedback
- Deployment and adoption tracking
AI Data Security & Governance
Make sure AI only surfaces what each person should see, before and after rollout.
- SharePoint and Teams permission cleanup
- Purview sensitivity labels and data loss prevention
- Entra ID and Intune access controls
Staff Training & AI Policy
Help your team use AI well and safely, with rules that are easy to understand.
- Hands-on training by role
- AI acceptable use policy
- List of approved tools
Copilot Studio Agents
Agents built around how your business works, secured with your existing Microsoft 365 permissions.
- Agents that answer from your own documents
- Agents for routine requests and processes
- Testing, documentation, and ongoing support
FAQ
Common Questions About AI
Don’t see your question? Our team is happy to talk it through, with no pressure.
Is our business data used to train AI?
Not when your team uses Copilot Chat or Microsoft 365 Copilot with their work accounts. Enterprise data protection means prompts and responses are not used to train the models, and they are covered by the same commitments that protect your email and files. Free consumer AI tools often have different terms, which is why an approved-tools policy matters.
Do we have to pay for Copilot?
Not to get started. Copilot Chat is included with Microsoft 365 work accounts, and Copilot features are built into Business Central. Microsoft 365 Copilot, which works with your emails, files, and meetings inside the Office apps, is a paid per-user add-on. Plans change often, so we help you choose what fits.
Can Copilot show people files they shouldn’t see?
Copilot only shows people content they already have permission to open. The catch is that most businesses have files shared more widely than they realize, and Copilot makes those files easy to find. That is why we check and fix permissions before rollout.
What is an AI agent?
An agent is an AI assistant set up for one specific job, such as answering staff questions from your handbook or preparing routine documents for approval. With Copilot Studio, agents run inside Microsoft 365 and follow the same security and permissions as the rest of your data.
We work in a regulated industry. Can we use Copilot?
Often, yes, but it depends on your obligations and how your Microsoft 365 environment is set up. Check requirements with your compliance advisor, and we will handle the technical side: permissions, labels, access controls, and settings.
Where should a small business start?
Start with three things: an approved tool (Copilot Chat is a good first step), a short AI policy, and a permissions check. Then pilot Microsoft 365 Copilot with a few people before rolling it out more widely.
Ready to put AI to work, safely?
Tell us where your team loses the most time, and we will show you what Copilot can realistically do about it, with no pressure and no hype.