?? Copilot for Microsoft 365 - Users Enablement Approach Blueprint

Enabling Copilot for Microsoft 365 for your users involves more than simply assigning licenses. It requires a strategic enablement approach to ensure users are seamlessly onboarded, equipped with the necessary tools, and continually supported as new features are introduced.

This article briefly outlines a "Users Enablement Approach Blueprint" that you can tailor to your enterprise's needs, focusing on four key steps: Identify, Enable, Engage, and Evergreen (IEEE).

Next, I will explain this approach in more detail, providing more information for each step and the activities associated with them.

1) Identify

The first step in the enablement journey is identifying the users who need to be enabled and who will benefit most from Copilot for Microsoft 365.

Different sources to identify users:

1. Identifying users can begin with those who will be part of the rollout team. The rollout team supports the whole process of rolling out Copilot for Microsoft 365.
2. Aligning user identification with the organization’s vision and key performance indicators (KPIs) ensures that the most impactful users are prioritized.
3. Business unit heads can also nominate users based on departmental needs and objectives, ensuring that critical areas of the business receive support.
4. Additionally, offering a self-nomination process allows enthusiastic and tech-savvy employees to volunteer, fostering a proactive culture towards adopting new technologies.

2) Enable

Once potential users are identified, the next step is to enable them, which may involve a variety of activities to ensure smooth onboarding.

Potential enablement activities:

1. Adopting an agile rollout approach by grouping users into waves allows for a controlled and scalable enablement process.
2. Pre-enablement communication is a must to set expectations, provide required training, and secure the sign-off on terms of use.
3. Utilizing Microsoft 365 groups to manage these waves facilitates the allocation of Copilot licenses, switching users to a supported Office update channel, and assigning the necessary Microsoft Teams policies.
4. Post-enablement communication and training help reinforce learning and address any issues promptly.
5. Mobilizing a dedicated Copilot technical support team ensures that users have access to expert support throughout their Copilot journey.

??Important Note:

You could consider creating some kind of a Copilot for Microsoft 365 custom users inventory with custom UI on top to enable more automation around identifying users, enabling all the prerequisites, sending communications, etc.

3) Engage

Users engagement is a critical step. It ensures that users not only adopt Copilot but also integrate it effectively into their daily workflows.

Potential engage activities:

1. Mobilizing and engaging Copilot Champions enthusiastic users who advocate for Copilot can significantly influence broader user adoption.
2. Adding users to a dedicated Copilot Community, whether on Microsoft Teams or Viva Engage, fosters a collaborative environment where users can share experiences and expertise.
3. Kickoff communications and training plans are essential to inform users about Copilot’s capabilities and best practices.
4. Tracking Copilot adoption and engagement through Microsoft 365 Usage Reports and the Microsoft Copilot Dashboard provides insights into user behavior and areas needing attention.
5. Gathering feedback from users and using it to refine the whole process of rolling out Copilot for Microsoft 365 ensures continuous improvement and responsiveness to user needs.

4) Evergreen

Copilot is an evergreen service, with new features that will arrive every month (Monthly Enterprise Channel), where you will have to evaluate and integrate back.

Potential evergreen activities:

1. Keeping track of updates through the Microsoft 365 admin center and Message center is crucial for staying informed about upcoming changes.
2. The Copilot for Microsoft 365 public roadmap provides a broader perspective on future features developments.
3. Engaging with your Microsoft account team can offer insights into the NDA roadmap, allowing for strategic planning.
4. Assigning part of the rollout team to the Current Channel ensures that new features are tested and evaluated before general rollout, providing a buffer to address any issues. This proactive approach allows for timely updates to training materials, communication plans, and technical configurations, ensuring that the organization remains at the forefront of utilizing Copilot’s evolving capabilities.
5. Incorporate all the new features into the enablement approach by revising aspects such as technical prerequisites, communication & training plan, etc.

Summary

As you see this is not one-size-fits-all approach, but more as a blueprint that you can tailor to your enterprise's needs. Also, I anticipate that the activities in this approach will evolve as we gain more experience with deploying Copilot for Microsoft 365 at more enterprises in the future.

Sharing Is Caring!

#MicrosoftCopilotTips #ModernWorkplaceAI #CopilotForMicrosoft365