We’ve been working with businesses that are exploring Microsoft 365 Copilot Business. There’s a lot of interest but also confusion about what it actually does and whether it’s worth the cost. It’s Microsoft’s AI assistant built into Microsoft 365, designed to help with everyday tasks like writing emails, creating documents, analysing data, and finding information.
The idea is simple: instead of switching between different tools or spending time on repetitive tasks, Copilot helps you get things done faster. It’s integrated into Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, and other Microsoft 365 applications, so you can use it wherever you’re working.
But it’s not magic. It’s a tool, and like any tool, it works better in some situations than others. We’ve seen businesses use it effectively, and we’ve seen businesses struggle with it. Here’s what we’ve learned about what it actually does, where it helps, and where it doesn’t.
What Copilot Actually Does
Microsoft 365 Copilot Business is an AI assistant that’s built into your Microsoft 365 applications. You can ask it questions or give it instructions, and it uses AI to help you complete tasks. It’s powered by large language models, similar to other AI tools, but it’s specifically designed to work with your Microsoft 365 data.
In Outlook, you can ask Copilot to draft emails, summarise long email threads, or find specific information in your inbox. It understands context, so if you’re replying to an email, it can suggest responses based on what the other person said. It can also help you schedule meetings by understanding the content of emails.
In Word, Copilot can help you write documents. You can ask it to draft content, rewrite sections, create summaries, or format documents. It’s useful for getting started on documents, or for refining content you’ve already written. It’s not going to write a perfect document on its own, but it can help you get there faster.
In Excel, Copilot can help you analyse data, create formulas, generate charts, and understand what your data means. You can ask it questions about your data, and it will analyse it and provide insights. It’s particularly useful for people who aren’t Excel experts but need to work with data.
In Teams, Copilot can summarise meetings, create action items, and help you find information from past conversations. If you missed a meeting, you can ask Copilot what happened. If you need to find something that was discussed weeks ago, Copilot can help you locate it.
And it works across applications. You can ask Copilot to find information from your emails, documents, and Teams conversations, and it will search across all of them. This is useful when you know you’ve seen something but can’t remember where.
Where It Actually Helps
Copilot is good at repetitive tasks. Writing similar emails, creating standard documents, formatting spreadsheets, these are tasks where Copilot can save time. Instead of starting from scratch every time, you can ask Copilot to draft something, then edit it to fit your needs.
It’s useful for getting started. If you’re staring at a blank document or email, Copilot can help you get started. It won’t write the perfect thing on its own, but it can give you a starting point that you can refine. This is often faster than starting from nothing.
Data analysis is a strong point. If you have spreadsheets with data but you’re not sure what it means, Copilot can help you understand it. You can ask questions like “what are the trends in this data?” or “which products are selling best?” and Copilot will analyse the data and provide answers.
Finding information is valuable. If you have lots of emails, documents, and Teams conversations, finding specific information can be time-consuming. Copilot can search across everything and find what you’re looking for, which saves time when you’re trying to locate something.
And it’s helpful for people who aren’t experts in certain applications. If you’re not great at Excel but need to work with data, Copilot can help. If you struggle with writing but need to create documents, Copilot can assist. It doesn’t replace expertise, but it can help bridge gaps.
Where It Doesn’t Help
Copilot isn’t perfect. It makes mistakes, and it sometimes produces generic or inaccurate content. You can’t just use its output without reviewing it. You need to check what it creates, edit it, and make sure it’s correct. It’s a tool to help you work faster, not a replacement for thinking.
It’s not great at highly creative or strategic work. If you need to develop a new strategy, create something completely original, or make important business decisions, Copilot won’t help much. It’s better at tasks that follow patterns or that can be templated.
It requires good data. If your Microsoft 365 data is messy, incomplete, or disorganised, Copilot won’t work as well. It can only work with what you have, so if your emails are a mess or your documents are scattered, Copilot’s suggestions won’t be as useful.
And it takes time to learn. Copilot has a learning curve. You need to understand how to ask it questions, what it can and can’t do, and how to refine its output. It’s not immediately obvious how to use it effectively, and it takes practice to get good results.
The Cost Question
Microsoft 365 Copilot Business costs extra on top of your Microsoft 365 subscription. It’s not included in standard Microsoft 365 plans, so you pay an additional fee per user per month. For small businesses, this can add up, especially if you’re paying for multiple users.
The cost needs to be justified by the value. If Copilot saves each user an hour per week, and their time is worth more than the monthly cost, it might make sense. But if people don’t use it, or if it doesn’t save much time, the cost isn’t worth it.
We’ve seen businesses where Copilot pays for itself. People use it regularly, it saves time, and the productivity gains justify the cost. We’ve also seen businesses where it sits unused, and the cost isn’t justified. The difference is usually in how well people are trained and how willing they are to use it.
It’s worth starting small. You don’t need to roll it out to everyone at once. Start with a few users who are willing to try it, see how it works, and then decide whether to expand. This lets you evaluate whether it’s worth the cost before committing to it for everyone.
Privacy and Security Considerations
Copilot uses your Microsoft 365 data to provide suggestions. It accesses your emails, documents, and Teams conversations to understand context and provide relevant help. This raises privacy questions, especially if you handle sensitive information.
Microsoft says that your data stays within your Microsoft 365 tenant and isn’t used to train public AI models. But you should understand what data Copilot accesses and how it’s used. If you have concerns about privacy or compliance, review Microsoft’s documentation and consider whether Copilot is appropriate for your situation.
For most businesses, the privacy considerations are manageable. But if you handle highly sensitive data, or if you have strict compliance requirements, you might want to be cautious. It’s worth understanding how Copilot works with your data before rolling it out widely.
Is It Worth It?
For some businesses, yes. If your team spends a lot of time on repetitive tasks like writing emails, creating documents, or analysing data, Copilot can save time. If you’re already using Microsoft 365 extensively, the integration makes sense. And if you’re willing to invest in training and adoption, Copilot can provide value.
For other businesses, maybe not. If your team doesn’t use Microsoft 365 much, or if they’re already efficient at their tasks, Copilot might not provide enough value to justify the cost. If you’re not willing to invest in training, or if people aren’t interested in using it, it probably won’t help.
The key is realistic expectations. Copilot isn’t going to transform your business overnight. It’s a tool that can help with specific tasks, but it requires proper setup, training, and adoption to be effective. If you’re expecting magic, you’ll be disappointed. If you’re expecting a useful tool that can save time on certain tasks, you might be satisfied.
We’ve helped businesses evaluate whether Copilot makes sense for them. We look at how they use Microsoft 365, what tasks take up their time, and whether Copilot would actually help. Sometimes it makes sense, sometimes it doesn’t. The important thing is to make an informed decision based on your actual needs, not on hype.
If you want to discuss whether Microsoft 365 Copilot Business makes sense for your business, or if you need help setting it up and training your team, get in touch. We’ve helped businesses implement Copilot and can help you understand what it does, whether it fits your needs, and how to use it effectively.