Ambassadors Assemble: How Daiwa Institute of Research Ltd. Turned Copilot into a Company-Wide Game Changer

Daiwa Institute of Research Ltd. (DIR) is a think tank and system development company under the Daiwa Securities Group, headquartered in Koto-ku, Tokyo, with approximately 1,800 employees.

Challenge

In January 2024, DIR introduced 300 Copilot licenses, initially distributing them to AI-related team members and interested users for evaluation. While early feedback showed promise, several significant challenges emerged:

• Low usage frequency and continuity: Less than one-third of users utilised Copilot daily, with most adoption limited to Teams and Outlook. Inactive licenses had to be reclaimed and redistributed.
• Difficulty addressing users’ operational challenges: It was challenging to fully grasp the diverse, specific tasks of each employee and deliver tailored use cases and prompts.
• Increased administrative burden: The DX Promotion Department, leading the rollout and adoption efforts, faced resource constraints as they balanced education, platform management, and keeping pace with Copilot’s rapid feature updates.

Recognising that a top-down deployment alone wouldn’t achieve meaningful cultural and operational transformation, DIR sought a more people-centric, scalable strategy.

Solution

To address these challenges, we designed and implemented a user-centric promotion system anchored by an Ambassador Program — putting people, not just technology, at the heart of digital transformation. This included:

1. Understanding Usage and Selecting Ambassadors: Putting our “people-friendly technology”  tagline at the core of the engagement, we conducted detailed usage analyses and user interviews to gather both quantitative and qualitative feedback. With strong leadership from Executive Director, Nakamine, ambassadors were carefully selected through consultations with division heads and administrative teams, ensuring alignment with on-the-ground needs.
2. Ambassador Activation Workshops: To foster ownership and active participation, we facilitated in-person workshops. These sessions not only introduced the benefits of Copilot but also encouraged collaborative discovery of use cases and prompt development through group exercises. The workshops helped break down departmental silos and built meaningful cross-departmental connections.
3. Scheme Development for Ambassador Autonomy: To support ongoing collaboration between the administrative team and ambassadors, we established operational schemes and introduced Viva Engage as a community platform for knowledge sharing and peer support. Early concerns about Copilot’s accuracy were addressed through feedback loops, surveys, and active promotion of success stories.
4. Adapting Licensing and Promotion Strategy: As interest grew and usage patterns evolved, we introduced policies to reclaim unused licenses and redistribute them to enthusiastic users, ensuring licenses were actively utilised. Additional licenses were purchased to meet growing demand, accompanied by targeted adoption strategies beyond the early user base.
5. Leveraging Community Engagement to Drive Adoption: The Ambassador-led initiative sparked a surge in Viva Engage activity. Ambassadors rapidly turned the Copilot community into the company’s most dynamic internal space, regularly sharing practical tips, success stories, and creative use cases. This grassroots movement became the driving force behind the organisation’s growing Copilot adoption.

Results

Through this engagement, DIR has successfully expanded Copilot adoption from an initial 300 licenses to 750 licenses, with a waiting list of over 150 employees.

Key results include:

• Significant efficiency gains: An estimated 15 hours of operational efficiency gained per user, per month.
• Vibrant internal community: The Copilot Viva Engage community became the most active and engaging in the company, fostering knowledge-sharing and peer-driven support.
• Cultural transformation: The Ambassador Program encouraged a bottom-up movement for digital innovation, with active Champions driving awareness, adoption, and practical use case development across the business.
• Sustained growth and momentum: The success of the program prompted multiple rounds of additional license procurement and ongoing community-driven initiatives.

DIR’s Copilot journey is just getting started. They’re committed to evolving their adoption strategies, bringing Copilot’s benefits to even more roles, and building a culture where innovation is led by their people.

This case stands as a powerful example of how technology paired with a people-first approach can achieve measurable business impact — transforming not just how work gets done, but how employees engage with technology and each other.