Setting out to adopt Copilot for Microsoft 365 is a big step towards increasing overall productivity, improving collaboration, and driving innovation. However, successful implementation requires careful planning and strategic alignment to ensure seamless and efficient execution on an enterprise-wide level.
In light of this, BDO took part in Microsoft’s Early Adoption Program (EAP) for Microsoft 365 Copilot in 2023. We ran a rigorous pilot phase by deploying it among 300 BDO Canada employees. This allowed us to gain firsthand insights into Copilot's functionality, its integration within our workflow, and its transformative potential.
This infographic provides key outcomes and strategies that can help optimize your operations and accelerate productivity and efficiency.
The BDO Copilot experience
The trial phase of Microsoft’s 365 Copilot technology marks another step in our journey to assess AI’s impact on different areas of our firm. Utilizing the data and outcomes from the pilot phase, we developed a comprehensive business case outlining the optimal strategy for a phased deployment across our entire organization, beginning this year with a rollout to 4,000 users across ten service lines.
Throughout the Microsoft 365 Copilot EAP, we observed productivity enhancements, profitability surpassing our initial expectations, and invaluable insights to guide investment planning for the next stage of our journey.
Key business outcomes
Success strategies
Leveraging insights from BDO's own experience and results, we present five key strategies to unlock the full potential of Copilot within your organization. Each strategy has been meticulously explored to guide you toward successful adoption.
Understanding business needs
The first strategy emphasizes the importance of pinpointing the most crucial business needs that Microsoft 365 Copilot can cater to. This critical step requires you to formulate a solid business hypothesis, focusing on areas such as productivity gains, enhanced employee engagement, and improved customer service. By identifying these fundamental needs, you can effectively align Copilot's capabilities with your overarching goals, paving the way for targeted and impactful deployment strategies.
Budgeting and business case
Be sure to meticulously plan the budget and business case to present to your board or executive leadership team (ELT). This stage necessitates careful consideration of three elements:
Developing your pilot plan
This marks another fundamental step in ensuring the successful integration of Microsoft 365 Copilot within your organization. This process entails a few steps to consider:
This step ties well with the final leg of the journey as you move into your broad deployment and have established your change management plans.
Remember
As you identify your focus areas and set the stage for the next phase, your organization must be well-prepared and ready for the journey. This entails configuring the Microsoft 365 tenant, implementing security measures, and deploying the necessary licenses for those involved in your pilot phase.
Pilot implementation
As you have identified the areas of focus and ensured organizational readiness, now is the time to put your plans into action. However, before committing to a broad deployment, it’s crucial that you implement a trial or pilot phase while documenting the results. This phase serves as your testing ground, allowing you to assess Microsoft 365 Copilot's functionality in real-world scenarios and gauge its impact on your operational efficiency and productivity. This phase also provides valuable insights into its performance, user experience, and integration within your existing workflows, as well as an opportunity to identify any potential challenges or areas for improvement before full-scale deployment. This could be supplemented by doing the following:
Remember
The data collected during the pilot phase will be critical for decision-making and a successful deployment across the organization. Conduct additional pilots with other teams if more data is needed before moving to the next phase or seeking approval from the board and ELT for broader deployment. Ask yourself: did the results meet the goals and criteria set out in the original business case?
Broad deployment and change management
The final crucial tip entails deploying Microsoft 365 Copilot broadly across the organization alongside a comprehensive change management plan. This multifaceted approach involves essential components aimed at facilitating a smooth and successful transition:
As a democratized and accessible AI tool, Copilot offers far-reaching benefits beyond productivity enhancement and cost reduction. It is a strategic move that positions your business for success in today's fast-paced market. Failing to embrace AI technologies can result in missed opportunities, increased costs, reduced productivity, and diminished efficiency, jeopardizing the overall competitiveness and sustainability of your organization.
Interested in learning more about what AI can do for your organization?
Visit our customized AI insights page.
How BDO can help
Drawing from our extensive experience in the areas of Modern Workplace, Data & AI, Digital Advisory, Cybersecurity, and Cloud services, BDO stands ready to support you on your deployment journey.
With a comprehensive approach that is further honed through our own implementation process, we're equipped to tailor service options to suit your organization's unique needs; from assessing your organization's readiness to planning a change and training roadmap and evaluating your potential ROI.
Visit our Microsoft 365 Copilot Services page to learn about our comprehensive Copilot Care+ program, providing flexible service offerings tailored to your organization’s stage in the journey towards adopting Copilot.