When people talk about Microsoft Copilot, the conversation is usually overwhelmingly positive. You’ll hear all about improved productivity, increased efficiency, better accuracy, faster decision-making and enhanced creativity. About employees finally being freed up to focus on the work that actually matters, rather than the mundane, repetitive, time-consuming tasks that eat into the working day.
What we don’t hear about quite as often are the organisations that don’t see these benefits.
And there are more of them than you might think.
One of the more surprising examples comes from the UK Government. Last year, the Department for Business and Trade carried out a Microsoft 365 Copilot trial which found inconsistent output quality, limited impact on productivity, and mixed satisfaction levels amongst users. A notable percentage of participants reported being less-than-thrilled in a number of areas, including the tool’s ability to create presentations, schedule meetings, analyse data, and generate images. The report also found that 17% of users reported absolutely no impact on how satisfied they were with their job overall.
The obvious question is: why? How can a technology with so much potential deliver such mixed results? Well, the answer is surprisingly simple. At the end of the day, it comes down to preparation.
Why prep matters
Successful Copilot deployments depend on three strong pillars: data, configurations and attitudes. Without these areas being prepped and ready, the likelihood of seeing results is low.
1. Data
Copilot doesn’t have its own intelligence. Its outputs are built using the information it has access to and the context it’s been given. Basically, better inputs lead to better outputs. That means if files are poorly organised, naming conventions are inconsistent, documentation is outdated, or important information lives across dozens of disconnected locations, Copilot will simply reflect that reality back to users. If your Microsoft data isn’t in a ready state, your Copilot outputs won’t be either.
2. Configurations
Copilot adheres to the permissions and security controls that already exist within your Microsoft 365 environment. If users can access something, so can Copilot. If they can’t, neither can the software. That makes 365’s settings critically important. AI security is already a major topic of conversation and a legitimate concern for many organisations. An environment with poor permissions, overshared files, or weak governance creates the risk that sensitive information could pop up where it shouldn’t.
3. Attitudes
Technology adoption can be heavily influenced by workplace culture, and it’s really no different when it comes to rolling out Copilot. In the government trial, it was found that users were less likely to engage with Copilot if their colleagues or managers were hesitant about its use. If leadership lacks confidence in the technology, wide-scale implementation becomes harder. Employees need to understand why Copilot is being used, where it can help, and how to get the most out of it.
Initial steps
Before introducing Copilot, there are several practical steps worth taking to increase success rates:
- Review OneDrive governance and ensure permissions reflect how users work
- Use SharePoint Advanced Management to identify overshared, ownerless or inactive content
- Apply retention and deletion policies to reduce clutter and improve answer quality
- Introduce site lifecycle management and archiving policies, so up-to-date data is utilised
- Review sensitive data locations and ensure governance policies are working as intended
Are you ready?
Here at PSTG, our Copilot Readiness Assessment helps organisations understand how prepared they are for adoption, highlights important actions that should be completed before rollout, and identifies the users and teams most likely to benefit from Copilot first. Get in touch to book your assessment.