Microsoft Copilot: Cross-Team Workflow Guide

Microsoft Copilot: Cross-Team Workflow Guide

Microsoft Copilot is an AI tool that supercharges teamwork in Microsoft 365. Here’s what you need to know:

  • It works with Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint to streamline collaboration
  • Copilot can summarize meetings, create notes, find info, and draft emails
  • It costs $30 per user/month and requires a Microsoft 365 subscription
  • Key features include:
    • Meeting assistance
    • Chat summaries
    • Task management
    • Writing help

To use Copilot:

  1. Open Microsoft Teams
  2. Click the Copilot icon
  3. Type your request

Copilot helps teams:

  • Communicate better
  • Work on documents together
  • Manage projects more efficiently
  • Save time on routine tasks

Key Features and Functions

Microsoft Copilot is changing how teams work together in Microsoft Teams. It’s packed with AI tools that make teamwork smoother and more productive. Let’s look at what Copilot can do for your team.

How Copilot Works with Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams

Copilot fits right into Microsoft Teams. It uses smart AI and data from Microsoft Graph to help out when you need it. Here’s what it does:

Meeting Helper: During Teams calls, Copilot can answer questions about what’s being said. It helps everyone stay on track and cuts down on confusion.

Chat Catch-Up: Copilot can sum up 30 days of chat. It’s great for teams in different time zones or for people coming back from time off.

Task Manager: It grabs important points and to-dos from meetings. No more forgetting key action items.

Writing Buddy: When you’re typing in Teams, Copilot helps finish sentences, fix grammar, and make your message clearer. It’s handy for everyone, especially if English isn’t your first language.

"Microsoft Copilot, now part of Microsoft 365 apps, lets Teams users use AI to make work easier, get more done, and improve how they work." – OptfinITy

Getting Started and Access Rights

Want to use Copilot in Microsoft Teams? Here’s what you need to know:

Cost: Copilot costs $30 per user, per month. You need to sign up for a year, and you must already have Microsoft 365 Business or Enterprise with Teams.

Setup: Admins can turn on Copilot through the Microsoft 365 admin center. They can also add extra Copilot tools to Teams, like message helpers and meeting add-ons.

How to Use: Once you have a license, click the Copilot icon in the top right of Teams to start using it in chats and meetings.

Data Safety: Copilot follows the same rules about who can see what that your company already set up. Your data stays safe.

To start using Copilot in Teams:

  1. Open Microsoft Teams
  2. Go to Chat or Teams
  3. Pick Copilot from your chat list
  4. Type what you need help with

You could ask Copilot things like:

  • "What did we talk about in my last meeting?"
  • "Help me catch up on messages I haven’t read."
  • "Write a message reminding everyone that OKRs are due next week."

Using these features can make your team work better together. As Andrew Froehlich from InfraMomentum says:

"Copilot’s features for Microsoft Teams could really boost how much work gets done, which is great for business."

As teams spread out and work gets more complex, tools like Microsoft Copilot are becoming must-haves. They handle the small stuff, help you find info fast, and give smart advice. This lets teams focus on the big, important work that drives companies forward.

Setting Up Team Workflows

Microsoft Copilot is changing how teams work together. It uses AI to help create smooth workflows that connect different team spaces and channels. Here’s how to set it up:

Creating Work Templates

Work templates help keep processes consistent across teams. Copilot makes creating these templates easy:

  1. Open Microsoft Teams and go to your channel
  2. Click "+" to add a tab
  3. Pick "Power Automate"
  4. Choose "Create a flow" and tell Copilot what you need

For example, say: "Make a template for new team member onboarding." Copilot will create a custom workflow based on what you ask.

"Copilot in Power Automate helps you build flow steps and add the right codes to reach your goal." – Stoneridge Software

This saves time and makes sure you include all the important steps. You can fine-tune the template by asking Copilot to add specific tasks or connect with other Microsoft 365 apps.

Team Work Guidelines

Clear guidelines help teams work together smoothly. Here’s how to use Copilot for this:

Task Assignment: Let Copilot automatically assign tasks based on roles and who’s available. You could set up a flow that gives tasks from a shared Planner board to the right team member.

Communication Protocols: Use Copilot to standardize how your team communicates:

  • Set up automatic reminders for team check-ins
  • Create a flow that summarizes long chats and posts the main points in a specific channel
  • Use Copilot to write and send weekly updates to stakeholders

File Sharing and Collaboration: Make document management easier with Copilot:

  • Automatically organize SharePoint files by project or department
  • Set up alerts for version changes
  • Create a flow that tells team members when important documents are updated

To make your team’s workflow even better, think about adding nBold to Microsoft Teams. nBold offers custom team templates that fit your specific needs. Their Pro plan costs $3 per user each month and includes a Collaboration Template Builder and IT Governance policies, which can really streamline how your teams work together.

Using Copilot to Save Time

Microsoft Copilot is changing how teams work together. It offers AI-driven tools that make workflows smoother and boost productivity. Here’s how you can use Copilot to handle everyday tasks more efficiently.

Meeting Management Made Easy

Copilot transforms meetings from start to finish:

  • It looks at team calendars and suggests the best meeting times. No more back-and-forth emails.
  • During meetings, it summarizes key points in real-time. You won’t miss important details.
  • It spots and assigns action items. Everyone stays accountable and on track.

A survey of early Copilot users found that 86% said it was easier to catch up on missed info. 84% said they took better action after meetings.

Streamlined Communication

Copilot doesn’t just help with meetings. It makes all team communication better:

  • It gives smart email summaries. You’ll see the key points and know which ones need your reply first.
  • It suggests quick, smart email responses. You can keep communication flowing without spending hours writing messages.

Document Collaboration Reinvented

Copilot changes how teams work on documents together:

  • Work on Word docs at the same time. Copilot gives AI-driven suggestions and edits.
  • Stuck writing? Copilot can draft sections or whole documents from brief prompts.
  • It catches grammar mistakes, suggests better words, and even checks for plagiarism.

Working on Documents Together

Copilot takes teamwork on documents to a new level:

1. Seamless Integration

Copilot works smoothly with Microsoft 365 apps. Teams can work together no matter where they are. Share a Word doc, and others can start editing right away in their browser or desktop app.

2. AI-Powered Assistance

As you work together, Copilot gives smart suggestions. It helps keep different sections written by different team members consistent. This is super helpful for big projects like marketing plans or yearly reports.

3. Version Control and Change Tracking

Copilot helps manage document versions and track changes. It’s easy to see who changed what and when.

4. Data Integration

One of Copilot’s best features is how it can pull data from local and internet sources right into your documents. This makes creating reports faster and more accurate, saving teams lots of time and effort.

"Copilot enhances collaboration in document creation, allowing multiple users to work together more efficiently, with AI-driven suggestions and edits." – Amaxra Team, Microsoft Copilot Guide

5. Automated Workflows

You can use Copilot with Power Automate to set up automated workflows between different apps and services. For example, you could set it up to update shared documents automatically when certain things happen. This keeps everyone in the loop without anyone having to do it manually.

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Managing Teams with nBold

nBold

nBold takes team management in Microsoft Teams to new heights. This add-on streamlines workflows, boosts productivity, and improves governance across departments.

nBold Templates: A Game-Changer

nBold’s collaboration process tech lets teams create custom templates. These templates cut setup time for new projects and keep things consistent across the org.

Here’s what nBold templates bring to the table:

1. Standardized Team Structures

You can create templates for different team types (like project teams or department teams). These come with pre-set channels, tabs, and apps.

2. Automated Setup

When someone creates a new team, nBold jumps in. It automatically sets up the required structure. This saves time and cuts down on mistakes.

3. Governance Policies

IT governance policies? They’re baked right into the team templates. This means compliance from day one.

4. Third-Party App Integration

nBold plays nice with essential third-party apps. You can integrate them right into your team templates, boosting functionality and productivity.

Let’s say you’re running a marketing team. Your template might include:

  • Channels for campaign planning, content creation, and analytics
  • Planner boards for task management
  • Social media management tools
  • Automated SharePoint folders for organizing assets

With nBold templates, teams can dive into new projects without wasting time on setup.

"nBold has changed the game for our Microsoft 365 team management. Custom templates have slashed our project setup time by 75% and kept all our departments on the same page." – Sarah Chen, CIO at TechInnovate Solutions

nBold offers two pricing options:

Plan Pro CRM
Price $3 user/mo* $15 user/mo*
Key Features • Collaboration Template Builder
• Team Creation
• IT Governance policies
• All Pro features
• CRM Integrations

*Volume pricing available for larger organizations

Most teams looking to step up their collaboration game will find the Pro plan fits the bill. For sales and customer service teams needing extra integration muscle, there’s the CRM plan.

Checking Work Progress

Want to know if Microsoft Copilot is actually helping your team? Let’s dive into how you can track its impact and make sure your people are getting the most out of this AI sidekick.

Measuring Results

Here’s how to figure out if Copilot is pulling its weight:

1. Usage and Adoption

The Copilot Dashboard in Viva Insights shows you:

  • Daily Active Users (DAU): How many people are using Copilot each day? High numbers = good adoption.
  • Usage by App: Which Microsoft 365 apps are your team using Copilot with the most? This helps spot where extra training might help.

2. Productivity Boost

Is Copilot speeding things up? Look at:

  • Case Resolution Time: Are issues getting solved faster?
  • Email Response Time: How quickly are emails being drafted and sent?
  • Conversation Handle Time: Are customer chats wrapping up quicker?

If these numbers are dropping, Copilot’s doing its job.

3. Quality Check

It’s not just about speed. Here’s how to check if Copilot’s actually being helpful:

  • Copilot Response Usage: What percentage of Copilot’s suggestions do agents actually use?
  • Agent Ratings: Thumbs up or down on Copilot’s ideas. Direct feedback from the frontlines.

4. Employee Vibes

How does your team feel about their new AI buddy?

  • Satisfaction Surveys: Ask your team directly. Microsoft found 76% of their employees were happy with Copilot.
  • In-App Feedback: Quick sentiment checks while people are using the tool.

5. Before and After

Nothing beats a good old comparison:

Metric Pre-Copilot Post-Copilot Change
Case Resolution 3.5 days 2.1 days 40% faster
Email Response 45 min 22 min 51% quicker
Employee Satisfaction 65% 76% 17% happier

(These are just examples from Microsoft’s data. Your mileage may vary.)

6. Keep Improving

This isn’t a one-and-done deal:

  • Regularly tweak what you’re measuring based on how Copilot’s being used.
  • Use what you learn to fine-tune your training and rollout plans.
  • Keep the conversation going with your team about their Copilot experiences.

Wrap-up

Microsoft Copilot has changed how teams work together. It uses AI to help people in different departments communicate and collaborate better.

Here’s how Copilot makes teamwork easier:

It simplifies communication. Copilot can sum up long email chains and meeting notes. It can even write emails for you. This cuts down on busywork, so teams can focus on what really matters.

It boosts teamwork. Copilot lets people work on documents together in real-time. It also gives smart suggestions. This helps break down walls between departments and offices.

It helps teams make better choices. Copilot can pull important info from all over your company. This means teams can make smart decisions faster, finish projects quicker, and get better results.

It handles boring tasks. Copilot is great at managing to-do lists, schedules, and assigning tasks. This saves time and cuts down on admin work.

Here’s a real-world example of how Copilot helps:

"We made sure to focus on those that are for everybody. It’s not for power users." – David VanGilder, Readiness Business Program Manager, Microsoft Digital.

This means anyone can use Copilot, not just tech experts. That’s why so many companies are using it.

Some companies have seen big improvements with Copilot:

  • A marketing agency cut their admin work by 30%
  • An engineering firm finished projects 20% faster

Want to get the most out of Copilot? Try these tips:

1. Keep your data clean

Make sure Copilot has good info to work with. Get rid of old stuff and keep your data up-to-date.

2. Ask Copilot the right way

Teach your team how to write clear questions for Copilot. This helps it give better answers.

3. Keep learning

Encourage your team to try new things with Copilot. The more they use it, the better they’ll get.

4. Stay safe

Check who has access to your SharePoint and OneDrive files. Make sure private info is labeled correctly.

5. Listen to your team

Ask your team how Copilot is working for them. Use their feedback to make things even better.

FAQs

Can Copilot create a workflow?

Yes, Microsoft Copilot can whip up workflows in Power Automate using plain English. It’s like having a tech-savvy friend who understands what you want and builds it for you.

Here’s the gist:

  1. Go to New Flow in Power Automate
  2. Pick "Describe it to design it"
  3. Tell Copilot what you need
  4. Copilot builds the flow, and you can tweak it through chat

Let’s say you want a Teams message when someone adds a file to a SharePoint folder. Just tell Copilot that, and it’ll set it up.

"Copilot in cloud flows allows you to create automation that helps streamline your workflow through quick and easy natural language expressions." – Stoneridge Software

This is a game-changer for teams. No need to be a tech wizard to automate boring tasks. You think it, Copilot builds it. It’s that simple.

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