Avanade Australia launches Microsoft Copilot services

Microsoft partner Avanade Australia has launched six new services to help organisations understand the benefits of Microsoft 365 Copilot and integrate the technology.

The creation of the services follows Avanade's testing of Copilot, which began in February after it was selected by Microsoft to be part of its private preview and Early Access Program.

The testing resulted in Avanade's employees saving up to two hours per day within six weeks of using Copilot.

Avanade has so far engaged 70 clients globally with the services, including several Australian financial services and resources industry companies, and is working with over a dozen clients on rolling Copilot out.

Avanade's new Copilot services include:

• Readiness Assessment: Prepares clients for Copilot adoption, delivering a governance framework for optimising workplace technology and utilising generative AI.
• Value Framework: A four-week program to align business objectives with Copilot's capabilities, prioritise new work methods and create metrics to track progress.
• Information Management: Over four weeks, Avanade assesses data governance, identifies risks and recommends governance models. This involves setting up security measures, connectors and information architecture.
• Change Enablement: Ensures workforce readiness to adopt new ways of working, with guidance covering proof of value to implementation.
• Transformation: Covers people readiness, business engagement and platform readiness, preparing clients for the future of work in line with Copilot's capabilities.
• Extensibility: Helps clients create and deploy custom Copilot extensions via learning sessions and a development phase to deliver connectors and plugins.

Avanade research reveals that 79 per cent of employees anticipate generative AI like Microsoft 365 Copilot will impact up to 20 hours of their work week.

However, about half (49 per cent) do not have utmost confidence their organisation’s risk management processes are adequate for an enterprise-wide technical integration of generative AI; only 48 per cent of organisations have established comprehensive guidelines and policies for responsible AI.

“The general availability of Microsoft 365 Copilot couldn’t have come at a better time as organisations in Australia start to embark on their journey to integrate artificial intelligence across the business, and more importantly, redesign work in a way that will uplift productivity and improve employee wellbeing,” Avanade Australia's modern workspace solution area lead Russell Todd said. 

“We can all agree that working longer and harder is not a sustainable or viable solution for people and organisations."

"With the responsible use of technology and harnessing the tools at our fingertips such as Microsoft 365 Copilot, we can empower the Australian workforce to find the much-needed balance between productivity and flexibility.”