A $27M Business Case for AI-Powered Productivity with M365 Copilot

Our client is one of Australia and New Zealand’s largest home improvement and garden retailers, operating hundreds of warehouse-style stores across both countries. They are widely recognised as a household name, offering a broad range of tools, hardware, and outdoor products while driving innovation in retail and digital transformation.

Challenge

Our client’s commitment to AI was clear: they established a dedicated Generative AI team, focused on transforming the workplace. But before expanding Copilot to thousands of users, they needed more than anecdote, they needed proof:

Their outcome of this engagement was clear:

• Quantify Copilot’s real productivity and financial impact during the pilot
• Benchmark results against other early adopters
• Build a compelling ROI case to justify a wider rollout
• Map a strategic, scalable adoption plan to sustain momentum

Delivering this within a tight timeline of 5 weeks posed several challenges:

• Time pressure: With pilot licenses expiring soon, the window for collecting data, performing analysis, and producing a business case was just weeks, requiring razor-sharp focus and agile execution.
• Measuring impact of a new tool: Copilot’s benefits weren’t just numbers, they included improved employee experience and cultural shifts. We had to translate these emerging, qualitative gains into credible, quantifiable value.
• Data complexity: We gathered insights from diverse sources, usage telemetry, user surveys, focus groups, and leadership interviews. Coordinating these rapidly and ensuring data quality meant working hand-in-hand with their team.
• Linking to business outcomes: The case had to do more than assess pilot success, it needed to present a clear, actionable expansion strategy that would drive adoption and maximise ROI at scale.
• Benchmarking for confidence: They wanted to know how they stacked up against peers in the Copilot EAP. Adding industry context and learnings from other early adopters was critical to building a persuasive, confidence-inspiring case.

The challenge for out client soon moved to a challenge for Engage Squared. We had to rapidly quantify and articulate Copilot’s value in a data-driven way, and to do so convincingly enough that executives could confidently decide on further investment. We also needed to turn a pilot’s worth of mixed feedback and data into a clear story of impact and opportunity.

Our solution

We tackled the challenge with a sharp, mixed-method approach blending deep data analysis with powerful stakeholder insights. Our solution unfolded in three focused phases, delivering a compelling, data-driven story that not only proved Copilot’s value against key benchmarks but also mapped a clear, strategic path forward.

Data gathering (quantitative & qualitative): We started by capturing a complete picture of Copilot’s usage and sentiment during the pilot:

• Usage analytics: We partnered with our client’s IT team to extract adoption and usage data via the Copilot Premium Dashboard in Viva Insights. Tracked how often Copilot was used across M365 apps, establishing a baseline 300 licenses with ~50% active usage (key for ROI modelling).
• Surveys & focus groups: Ran an end-of-pilot survey and focus groups with users to capture time savings, productivity gains, pain points, and success stories. Many reported faster task completions and more time for higher-value work.
• Stakeholder interviews: Spoke with key leaders, including the Head of GenAI, to understand strategic priorities, leadership expectations, and what success would look like at scale, ensuring the business case addressed the right outcomes.

Analysis & modelling: With data in hand, we conducted a thorough impact analysis and built the financial model for the business case:

• Copilot impact analysis: We quantified Copilot’s pilot impact calculating hours saved, time per user, and employee sentiment. Results showed 3,240 hours saved (worth ~$324k) and over 65% of users reporting increased productivity and more time for high-value work.
• ROI & scaling forecasts: Using pilot data, we modelled ROI scenarios for scaling Copilot to 1,000–5,000 users. Projections showed significant upside, potentially delivering ~$27M in annual productivity gains at 3,500 users, even after factoring license and support costs.
• Benchmarking: Compared results to anonymised data from other Copilot EAP adopters. Findings confirmed performance was on par, or stronger in key areas like active usage (~50%) and time saved.
• Risk & sensitivity analysis: Modelled risks like adoption drop-offs, showing even a 10% decline could dent ROI. Reinforced the need for strong enablement, governance, and adoption strategies as Copilot scales.

Strategy recommendations: Beyond the numbers, our business case delivered actionable recommendations for Copilot’s future:

• Copilot rollout roadmap: Proposed a phased expansion to all 3,500 staff, starting with 500–1,000 users, alongside licensing, training, and workflow integration with adoption and value tracked at each stage.
• Governance framework: Recommended a governance model covering license management, data security, policy compliance, and an “Evergreen” process to manage updates, risks, and AI ethics as Copilot scales.
• Adoption & change management: Delivered a change plan to sustain and grow adoption continuing the Champions program, targeted training, success-story comms, and support tools like FAQs and help channels.
• Executive-ready deliverables: Packaged findings into a clear, visual, C-suite-ready presentation with headline metrics, ROI forecasts, rollout recommendations, and a one-page executive summary backed by detailed appendices.

Result

Engage Squared delivered a powerful, executive-focused business case that became the definitive guide for our client’s leadership team. Designed to clearly articulate the value and ROI of Copilot, the report earned formal sign-off from their Head of GenAI in October 2024, setting the foundation for confident, data-driven decision-making across the organisation.

Key highlights included:

• 3,240 hours saved during the pilot, translating to approximately AUD $324,000 in time value
• 71% of users reported meaningful reductions in repetitive tasks, driving increased productivity and job satisfaction
• Compelling user testimonials underscored the cultural shift, such as: “Copilot lets me complete tasks faster and focus on higher-value work”

The financial modelling made a compelling case for enterprise-wide adoption:

• Projected $27 million in annual productivity gains by scaling Copilot to 3,500 users
• Returns that significantly exceed license and support costs, giving leadership and finance teams the confidence to approve a full-scale rollout

Beyond the numbers, Engage Squared provided a strategic roadmap to sustain momentum covering governance structures, targeted training, and proactive change management. Our client’s IT and project teams swiftly mobilised, launching a Copilot Centre of Excellence and comprehensive training programs to support adoption at scale.

Critically, the business case secured strong executive sponsorship by directly addressing leadership concerns around value, cost, and risk. This clarity enabled their Head of GenAI and sponsors to gain executive committee approval, with CFO and senior leaders recognising Copilot’s alignment with corporate goals around efficiency and employee experience transforming what could have been a risky investment into a strategic advantage

Following the engagement, our client rapidly expanded Copilot licenses. By early 2025, the scaled rollout was delivering sustained benefits, positioning them as a standout AI success story in the region. The CTO publicly highlighted that “89% of staff saved 2–5 hours per week thanks to Copilot,” underscoring the tangible impact on everyday work and the organisation’s future-ready workforce.