Microsoft 365 Copilot has taken the world by storm, with nearly 70% of Fortune 500 enterprises now using the AI assistant to significantly improve productivity and innovation within the workplace. Copilot’s long-term business value is clear, with organizations that purchased Copilot during its first quarter of availability expanding usage by more than 10 times over the past 18 months.
For business and IT leaders with big dreams of enterprise-wide Copilot rollout, every IT deployment has to start somewhere. From initial users and early adopters to rolling out the software across thousands of users, there are many stages of the Copilot adoption journey.
Week 1: Assess Readiness and Lay the Foundations
Before deploying Microsoft 365 Copilot, it’s important to confirm organizational preparedness using a comprehensive readiness checklist. This includes understanding your organization’s current security posture, including the eligibility of Microsoft 365 licenses, whether multi-factor authentication (MFA) is in place, and how your organization’s data is currently managed. This is where Surveil Copilot CompassTM can help. Specifically designed to help organizations navigate crucial readiness assessments, Surveil Copilot Compass can provide in-depth insights into your Microsoft 365 environment to ensure you are ready for a successful Copilot rollout.
At the heart of any successful IT deployment is communication. Once the readiness checklist has been successfully worked through, it’s time to develop a communication plan to inform stakeholders about the Copilot rollout. Aim to communicate timelines and identify ideal candidates to participate in the early adoption or ‘pilot’ program.
Week 2: Identify Your Microsoft 365 Copilot Power Users
Next, bring together a small group of early adopters from key departments (e.g., marketing, sales, HR). Surveil Copilot Compass can help you identify these ‘power users’ – those within your organization who are enthusiastic about Copilot and are most likely to demonstrate its capabilities to their peers. Think of them like your organization’s internal advocates and future Copilot champions. Once identified and set up with Copilot, encourage open dialogue to surface immediate wins and areas for improvement.
Weeks 4-6: Define Key Use Cases and Utilize Copilot Champions
Once Microsoft 365 Copilot has been deployed among a small group of power users, IT teams can use Surveil Copilot Compass to analyze data from these early adopters to pinpoint high-impact areas where Copilot can drive immediate value (e.g., meeting minutes, content generation). The insights provided by Copilot Compass can help organizations gain a deeper understanding of Copilot usage patterns, identify users with the most potential for positive impact, and refine user targeting to ensure the right users are benefiting from Copilot.
By this stage, the pilot group of early Copilot adopters will be well-versed in using Copilot. It’s time to utilize this group – transforming them from power users to Copilot champions – to demonstrate best practices and share early successes. This will help to drive adoption by other stakeholders, fueled by peer-to-peer curiosity instead of a top-down mandate.
Weeks 7-10: Develop Targeted Training Programs
A successful Copilot implementation can only happen if all stakeholders know how to use it. The very nature of Copilot is it offers a new way of working, which takes time to get used to. This level of behaviour change requires bespoke training and support, with programs tailored to specific roles. Targeted enablement programs, scenario-based training, and ongoing monitoring of usage and engagement are all needed to ensure that users feel confident to move beyond just trying Copilot, and integrate it into their workflow. Targeted training programs can only be created by tracking adoption patterns over time, refining training to align with how employees are actually using the tool.
Weeks 11-12: Gamify and Incentivize Copilot Adoption
To drive meaningful engagement with Microsoft Copilot, consider implementing a gamified approach to boost adoption. By showcasing the practical value of Copilot through targeted incentives, organizations can foster a more seamless integration into everyday workflows. A notable example is legal practitioner Shoosmiths, which set a clear and ambitious annual target: one million Microsoft Copilot prompts to unlock a £1m bonus pot for staff in its new financial year. As an early adopter of Copilot, the firm is already seeing the positive impact of AI on both efficiency and client delivery. While this remuneration approach may not be tenable for every organization, the principles of gamification and challenge can encourage collaboration, learning and momentum.
Months 3-4: Monitor Usage and Gather Insights
At this stage in the adoption process, the focus should shift to monitoring user engagement and collecting actionable insights about how AI is impacting business processes and outcomes. Utilize tools such as Surveil Copilot Compass to track key adoption metrics and identify usage patterns. Conduct comprehensive staff surveys to gather qualitative feedback and assess the effectiveness of training programs, ensuring that user sentiment aligns with business objectives, and if it doesn’t, put additional training or support into place.
Months 5-6: Develop a Scaling Playbook
With initial Copliot adoption efforts underway, it is important to consolidate learnings and formalize strategies for broader deployment. Utilize the insights gained over the first phase of the rollout to develop a comprehensive playbook that outlines best practices, case studies, and proven methodologies. Standardize processes for extending Copilot utilization to additional business units, ensuring consistency and alignment with organizational goals.
Beyond the First Six Months: Optimize and Scale
As Copilot becomes more deeply embedded in the daily operations of your organization, ongoing monitoring is crucial to maintaining productivity gains and enhancing user satisfaction. Leverage Surveil Copilot Compass’s data-driven insights to refine adoption strategies and proactively address potential challenges, positioning Copilot at the heart of your organization’s ongoing digital transformation.
Ready to get started on your Microsoft 365 Copilot adoption journey? Connect with us to learn more about how Surveil Copilot Compass can be your guide.