How Expert Support Can Help Partners and SMBs Realize the Full Value of AI

AI adoption and implementation can help small to medium businesses (SMBs) realise their full potential, but only if those businesses access the skills and experience to overcome potential barriers to success.

According to leading cloud distribution provider Crayon, managed services providers (MSPs) and cloud solution providers (CSPs) can help SMBs unlock value from tools such as Microsoft’s Copilot, provided they have the right support to navigate the vendor’s rich ecosystem. 

With this support, they can help SMBs establish Copilot as the practical foundation of an AI strategy, serving as an accessible entry point and a catalyst for broader transformation. 

The benefits are fast and measurable; a recent Forrester Total Economic Impact™ study commissioned by Microsoft, revealed SMBs deploying Copilot for Microsoft 365 achieved up to 353% ROI, with payback in under six months. 

Longer-term, SMBs can evolve Copilot from a personal productivity tool to part of a connected AI ecosystem that spans business applications, collaboration platforms, and data analytics. 

However, Crayon’s latest release of its biennial Future of Operations study, commissioned through Forrester Consulting, reveals many SMBs face challenges to AI use, ranging from security and governance to ethics and infrastructure readiness. 

Crayon recommends MSPs and CSPs address these obstacles for SMBs through an enablement strategy built around advisory, implementation and assurance. 

Going beyond transactional activities

In the case of Copilot, this strategy should be executed through an engagement that goes beyond transactional activities such as licences and technical enablement to drive sustained, measurable business outcomes.

“The most effective partners act as business-first technologists, working closely with SMBs to align Copilot to strategic objectives, embed it into daily workflows, and foster adoption across the business,” explains Ksenia Turner, Business Success Manager, Crayon. 

“In practice, this means supporting SMBs as Copilot becomes a catalyst for operational improvement, data-driven decision making, and cultural change.”

Crayon points to partner investments in capability uplift, user training and iterative optimisation as helping customers realise benefits that extend well past the initial deployment.

“Recent independent research shows that when Copilot is embedded thoughtfully, SMBs report productivity gains and a reduction in digital debt, with employees spending less time searching for information and more time on meaningful work,” says Ksenia Turner, Business Success Manager

“This shift often correlates with improved employee satisfaction and retention, as staff feel more empowered and less burdened by routine tasks.”

Navigating the Microsoft ecosystem

However, for MSPs and CSPs, acquiring the skills and capabilities to help SMBs navigate this journey may not be straightforward.

“While Microsoft offers a wealth of technical content, learning paths, and certifications, many partners struggle to navigate this ecosystem or lack the time to contextualise resources for their businesses,” says Ksenia Turner

Crayon helps MSPs and CSPs close the skills gap by curating and interpreting materials, providing updates on the Copilot development roadmap, and opportunities to access funding or promotions.

Crayon’s Technology Advisory Group also provides advice on maximising the prospects of successful, partner-led Copilot engagements with customers, including recommendations to adopt a ‘customer zero’ approach that incorporates a first step of piloting Copilot and generative AI internally to build expertise.

Beyond technical skills, Crayon helps partners through peer learning and community building events and a partner-to-partner network that provides connections to complementary expertise and experience. 

For partners without the bandwidth to deliver advisory or change management services, Crayon’s through-partner offerings enable them to support SMBs on AI projects.

With these capabilities, managed- and cloud-solution partners can establish themselves as trusted advisors early, guiding data readiness, governance and change management and positioning themselves to support customers as they scale, adapt and innovate.  

Discover how expert support helps partners unlock AI’s full potential for SMBs M365 Copilot Hub – Crayon Channel APAC