Copilot: A virtual assistant at your fingertips
It's inevitable: AI is changing the way we work and live. AI doesn't threaten your job, it actually elevates it.
It's inevitable: AI is changing the way we work and live. The biggest revolution since the internet, with endless possibilities. But no need to worry: AI doesn't threaten your job, it actually elevates it. As computer scientist Lei-Lei Wi aptly says: "AI is not about human versus machine, but about human with machine."
Copilot in Microsoft 365 is at the forefront of this revolution. This multifunctional tool stands out by seamlessly integrating into your daily work and adapting to who you are. The result? A personal virtual assistant is now within everyone's reach.
Yet many companies remain on the sidelines. Why? For many, the step to AI still feels big: is it safe? Is it really valuable? Will employees embrace the new technology?
We are still at the beginning. The AI revolution is just getting started, so there is time. But how does Copilot make your work more productive and creative now? How do you get your team on board? And what does this mean for data security? We asked four experts.
Such an overview of my day is very pleasant
Gerard de Jong is a Senior Partner Customer Success Manager at Microsoft and supports partners with a team of incident engineers.
How does Copilot help your team? "Our incident engineers create transcripts of customer conversations and quickly summarize the main action points. This way, they don't have to read back and take notes, and they can quickly share the information with the customer. The conversations are also directly logged in our incident system. This provides quick insight into bottlenecks, which gives more control over complex incidents."
Do you notice a difference in contact with customers? "Especially in speed. It is immediately clear what was discussed, you have an overview of the status and what the follow-up actions are. You can share this in real-time with the customer. The result is better communication because everyone has the same information quickly. And because we can quickly search for similar cases, we often have the solution ready really fast. This saves us a lot of time and ensures that customers get answers faster."
How do you use Copilot yourself? "At the beginning of the day, I go through my emails with Copilot and ask: 'What appointments do I have? Which customers are they? Have I received emails from them recently, and do I need to discuss them?' Such an overview of my day is very pleasant."
A virtual assistant at your fingertips
Paul Vos is CTO Cloud Services at HSO and responsible for the rollout of Copilot within HSO.
How did the rollout of Copilot within HSO go? "We approached this carefully step by step, starting with a pilot group and a baseline measurement to gauge initial use and reactions. This allowed us to quickly learn which roles benefit most and adjust our approach accordingly."
How do you take this to customers? "We apply the same methodical approach to customers as within HSO: with a clear business case, technical checks, and clear adoption strategies. Just handing out licenses is not enough; a successful rollout requires guidance and training."
What about data security? "Microsoft guarantees that privacy is safeguarded; the data generated within the organization, such as emails, documents, and Teams chats, is not used to train new models. Everything remains within your own secure environment unless you choose to share it with external parties."
How do you use Copilot yourself? "Copilot is like a virtual assistant directly at my fingertips. During workshops, for example, I record the entire session in Teams so that I can easily distill important insights afterward. Copilot also saves me a lot of time in preparing advisory reports and proposals."
We provide the finishing touch
Robin Baert is a Sales Account Manager at HSO and has been using Copilot for six months.
What do you notice in your role? "I slowly but surely notice a shift in the way of working. Copilot saves us valuable time by drafting proposal concepts. It uses knowledge and expertise from existing documentation. Now concepts are ready quickly, and less consultation between consultants and sales is needed. We then provide the finishing touch."
How do you use Copilot yourself? "After six months, I really see a difference. At first, it took some getting used to; I started with short, simple prompts, and my enthusiasm waned a bit. But when I took the time to really get to know Copilot, its value became apparent.
In customer conversations, I can fully focus on listening and asking questions, while Copilot automatically takes notes and makes summaries without me missing anything. And yes, although I still like to put together PowerPoints myself, I notice that thanks to Copilot, I now have more time for substantive preparation."
It's about adding new knowledge
Microsoft Copilot Studio is an AI platform that allows you to create powerful chatbots – from simple FAQ answers to complex, interactive problem-solving.
Benjamin Dzanko, Associate at HSO, has developed a Copilot for this platform himself. Users without a technical background can easily build their own Copilot plugins with this.
What was the motivation to develop this app? "We noticed that customers often don't know where to start with Copilot Studio. Our tool lowers that threshold. With this tool, customers can quickly get started themselves without complicated processes. The goal? Quickly create value directly in their own environment."
What makes this tool useful for everyone? "It's not just about technology. It's about adding new knowledge and keeping existing information up-to-date so that the tool remains relevant. The challenge is to find a balance between simplicity and functionality."
How do you use Copilot yourself? "I use Copilot to streamline my daily work and quickly access information. For example, I use it to quickly find answers in emails, review documents, and even make analyses."