Copilot! Such a buzz – but what now?

Everyone is talking about Copilot, but what do you actually need to do before you are ready for Copilot?

In our post on what is best and worst of 2023, I mentioned Copilot on the worst bit, and that is because of the lack of foucs on what actually need to be done before you start using Copilot. I’m not a big fan of jumping before I know how high the fall is gonna be!!

But here goes!

Well, I’ve always been imploring everyone I talk to, that they must have control of all the data and information within their organization.
Based on my favourite picture:

But let’s be serious for a second, the data you have within your organization is what generates value.

The reality for a lot of organizations is that a lot of files with outdated information, too many copies of files stored on too many locations, and a general lack of control of access to files exist in a chaotic universe.
This universe will make it difficult to find out what is actually the last and updated version of a particular file, and this will make all your data less valuable.

So how do we get control of the data?

First of all, like my good friend Per-Torben has written about, access is key!

Then have a look at Microsoft Purview to help secure your organization’s files with information protection.

Information protection and Data loss prevention is a set of capabilities that help you protect your sensitive data from unauthorized access and use. Microsoft Purview enables you to:

1. Classify your data based on its sensitivity and business value, using built-in or custom labels. Labels can be used to control sharing access, e.g. confidential can’t be shared outside the organization, or highly confidential can’t be shared outside the specific team with that label.
2. Encrypt your data to prevent unauthorized access.
3. Apply policies and rules to control how your data is accessed, used, and shared, both internally and externally.
4. Block, quarantine, or delete your data, if it is detected to be at risk of loss, compromise, or misuse.
5. Monitor and audit your data activity and usage, using alerts, reports, and dashboards.
6. Respond to data breaches, leaks, or incidents, using remediation actions and tools.

Train the users!

And the last, and maybe the second most important point, is that you need to educate and train your users on data security best practices, such as labelling files, use links for filesharing instead of attachments, be aware and alert, avoiding phishing emails, and reporting suspicious activity.

But please be aware – this is not a complete list of all the things you need to do to get ready – it will all depend on how your setup is, what your future plan is and a whole lot more. 

You also need to have a simple thing as having your teams in Teams organized correctly, and Entra ID access groups, and so on..

 

When you have this sorted, then you can start to think about Copilot

– and what it can do for you!

Microsoft Copilot is an AI-powered chatbot that can help you and your organization enhance productivity, amplify human creativity, and solve complex work tasks in one place.

• It is integrated with Teams, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel, and other Microsoft 365 apps.
• Copilot can provide real-time intelligent assistance, enabling users to enhance their creativity, productivity, and skills.
• It can help you solve complex work tasks in one place.
• Copilot is designed to work seamlessly with Microsoft Loop, Whiteboard, and OneNote.

Copilot can assist you if you need help to shorten a text, maybe make it more profesional. Or you might need some help in making a better visual view on an excel sheet.

The possibilities are endless – as long as you make the foundation just right!