Meeting with Microsoft Copilot in Outlook, PowerPoint, and Excel

Microsoft Copilot isn't just a digital assistant; it's an intelligent work companion designed to enhance efficiency, creativity, and time management.

We've been hearing about it since Microsoft's official announcement to deploy Copilot across all organizations*. We know it can do great things, but what exactly?

Indeed, Copilot makes complex tasks more accessible and intuitive for users of all levels. It's no wonder that 77% of its users say they can't do without Copilot anymore: it only takes a few clicks on the top ribbon of your Microsoft 365 desktop applications to unleash its full power.

While a multitude of features are available to us, I present you my top 3 favorite functionalities that you can put into action right away.

Outlook: Simplifying Communication and Time Management

Smart Email Management

With a brief analysis of your exchanges, Copilot can draft email responses by analyzing the context and tone of the conversation. Copilot will suggest an appropriate and articulate response. With its coaching functionality, Copilot can also offer feedback on your email writing style by suggesting reviewing the message's clarity level, the tone used, and more.

Intelligent Email Management with Copilot

Writing an email with Copilot's assistance

According to an initial report issued by Microsoft, 64% of users claim that Copilot allows them to spend less time processing their emails. Indeed, via Copilot Chat, users can search for emails and summarize information from multiple emails, thus helping them track the progress of communications on a certain subject, project, or with a certain collaborator.

Calendar Optimization

Scheduling meetings becomes a breeze with Copilot.

It continues to analyze availability in calendars to suggest the best time slots for meetings, taking into account participants' time zones.

PowerPoint: Turning Ideas into Powerful Presentations

Design Intelligence

Are you sometimes spending hours putting together your PowerPoint presentation because you're indecisive?

Those days are over.

Based on the content that you put your slide, Copilot suggests personalized designs allowing users of all levels to create professional presentations. It can suggest optimal layouts, harmonious color palettes, and animations to reinforce the message from a simple text document you import.

You have an idea in mind but don't know how to bring it to life on your screen?

Chat with Copilot.

Based on your exchanges, a draft slide will be proposed to you. Your idea will have taken shape quickly, giving you an instant skeleton.

And this is probably one of the favorite features of 85% of users who share that Copilot allows them to get a first draft much faster.

Learn to chat effectively with Copilot

Content Optimization

Generative artificial intelligence is known for its excellence in simplifying complex information, and Copilot is no exception.

It can summarize long paragraphs into concise key points, while making the content more accessible and engaging for the audience. Additionally, it can suggest relevant images, icons, or videos to complement the text, thus enriching the visual experience of the presentation.

Excel: Decoding Data with Ease

Advanced Analysis

Interacting with data takes on a whole new meaning in Excel!

By using natural language commands, users can ask Copilot to perform complex analyses, create data visualizations, or find trends without ever touching a single formula. Data analysis has never been so accessible to start and enrich your thoughts.

The integration of Microsoft Copilot into Outlook, PowerPoint, and Excel offers assistance that is still unknown to professionals in all sectors.

By automating complex tasks and providing AI-based guidance, Copilot allows users to focus on what really matters: creativity, decision-making, and effective communication.

In other words, it's about putting energies in the right place, and 68% of users recognize this by stating that Copilot has allowed them to improve the quality of their work.

Copilot represents one step closer to the future of productivity, where artificial intelligence and humans work together for business results.

*Note that your organization must have a Microsoft Copilot license for you to see the icon appear in your desktop applications.

Source: What Can Copilot’s Earliest Users Teach Us About Generative AI at Work?