From pilot to productivity: exploring Copilot’s success in a leading Australian organisation

A large service corporation that plays a critical role in the community, offering a wide range of services that support communication, logistics, and financial needs.

Challenge

With a workforce of over 50,000 frontline and corporate team members, our client are on a mission to ensure that their team have the right tools for the job. They pride themselves on exploring innovative ways to ensure they are best servicing their customers and communities, and so they jumped at the chance to gain early access to Copilot for their team to explore the productivity, creativity and skilling benefits it presents.  

Our client’s challenge lies in scaling out core business scenarios identified at the onset of the Copilot journey. Initially, collaboration with the Business Unit champions user group enabled the identification of five pivotal scenarios during the Art of the Possible workshop. These scenarios not only encapsulated the primary activities and pain points of the pilot team but also assessed their resonance with the broader team, determining their scalability. 

The identified scenarios formed the foundation for knowledge and capability uplift activities. This strategic approach ensured a targeted focus on relevant topics while facilitating the creation of reusable tools tailored to our cient’s needs. The key scenarios encompassed aspects such as meetings and catch-ups, information retrieval and summarisation, communication crafting, formal document creation, and data analysis and insights—a comprehensive framework aimed at addressing our client’s operational challenges effectively. 

The key objectives can be summarised as follows: 

• Enhanced operational efficiency: Our client aims to streamline operations through Copilot, optimising key processes to enhance productivity. 

• Knowledge and capability uplift: Our client aims to equip employees with necessary skills through targeted training and resources like ‘day in the life’ guides, fostering continuous learning. 

• Scalability and adaptability: Identified scenarios are tailored for scalability and alignment across teams, ensuring consistency in operations. 

• Improved communication and collaboration: By focusing on meetings, communication crafting, and information retrieval, enhances communication channels and fosters collaboration for better outcomes. 

• Technology utilisation and adoption: Our client will leverage Copilot to facilitate technology adoption and maximise the potential of relevant tools for efficiency and innovation. 

Copilot Accelerator 

Concurrently with the Copilot pilot project, Engaged Squared initiated focus groups within the same business units to complement its assessment of Copilot’s value. These focus groups aimed to gather qualitative insights from employees regarding their experiences and perceptions of Copilot after several months of usage. Additionally, the initiative involved leveraging the Copilot premium dashboard in Viva Insights to conduct quantitative analysis of key metrics and performance indicators.  

Our approach

The Engage Squared team were lucky enough to help our client with their Copilot journey, through a series of engagements. We started the journey by exploring the Copilot capabilities, before designing and implementing a Copilot adoption Roadmap and Change plan. At the core of our change plan was the meticulous development and execution of a comprehensive roadmap designed to maximise the value of Copilot within the organisation. This roadmap encompassed various initiatives aimed at driving adoption and proficiency among employees.

Guided by the plan, we equipped pilot users with a series of tools & resources and facilitated a number of education sessions to help them understand how copilot could enable them in their day-to-day work.

Finally, we worked with our client to assist in information gathering & analysis to help gain an understanding of a Copilot user experience within their organisation, the adoption rates, and the potential opportunity Copilot presents.

Training 

Central to this strategy was the delivery of targeted training sessions tailored to each scenario, ensuring that employees possessed the requisite skills and knowledge to tackle identified challenges effectively. Additionally, we created ‘day in the life’ guides for each scenario, providing employees with a roadmap for implementation and practical insights into real-world application. 

To enhance accessibility and engagement, we developed a Copilot educational video, serving as visual aids to reinforce learning and demonstrate best practices. Furthermore, we provided Copilot prompt training sessions to familiarise employees with the platform’s features and functionalities. 

In conjunction with these efforts, we curated Copilot M365 app-specific training decks, offering detailed instructions and tips for utilising relevant tools and technologies within each scenario. These resources empowered employees to maximise the potential of Copilot in their daily workflows. 

Moreover, we integrated weekly scavenger hunts into our strategy to add gamification elements into our project, and better engage the pilot business unit users. These scavenger hunts presented fun and interactive challenges related to Copilot usage, encouraging active participation and exploration of the platform’s features. 

Communications 

Additionally, we implemented various communication strategies to address important topics such as Copilot security protocols for files and SharePoint sites. Detailed communications covering all identified scenarios were disseminated to ensure clarity and understanding among employees, fostering a culture of transparency and accountability throughout the implementation process. 

In conclusion, we ensured ensure that both our client and the pilot group were informed, educated, and well-prepared to utilise Copilot effectively to achieve their unique business unit goals and overcome their pain points. we empowered employees to be more productive, efficient, and creative in their daily workflows. By fostering a culture of continuous learning, collaboration, and transparency – through a dedicated Viva Engage community – we laid the foundation for successful Copilot integration and organisational transformation.

Results

By combining qualitative feedback from focus groups with quantitative data from the Copilot dashboard, Engaged Squared comprehensively evaluate the impact and value of Copilot on employee productivity, collaboration, and overall organisational effectiveness.  

This concurrent initiative underscored the team’s commitment to thorough assessment and informed our client’s business case regarding the future adoption of Copilot across the organisation. 

Feedback

The thorough assessment of both qualitative and quantitative feedback, acquired through surveys, focus groups, and analysis of the Copilot dashboard, consistently revealed positive sentiments. Additionally, informal feedback from customers and the pilot group throughout the project further reinforced this positivity.

Our meticulous approach not only validated the effectiveness of Copilot but also highlighted its tangible benefits across various Business Units within the organisation. By showcasing Copilot’s capacity to streamline processes and bolster productivity, we played a pivotal role in advancing our client’s overarching objectives.

This pilot initiative transcended mere testing; it laid the groundwork for constructing a robust business case. Armed with compelling evidence and real-world experiences, our client is now better equipped to make informed decisions regarding the wider integration of Copilot across the organisation.