Managing the rollout of Microsoft 365 Copilot: A practical guide for organisations

As organisations increasingly explore the transformative potential of Microsoft 365 (M365) Copilot to enhance productivity, critical security and governance considerations are shaping deployment strategies. While the excitement around generative AI tools is undeniable, scaling M365 Copilot effectively demands a structured approach to mitigate risks that could impede adoption and expose vulnerabilities.   

What is Microsoft 365 Copilot? 

Microsoft 365 Copilot integrates generative AI into familiar tools like Word, Excel, Teams, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Acting as an intelligent assistant, it helps to:   

- Summarise lengthy documents and emails.   

- Automate data analysis in Excel.   

- Draft content in Word and PowerPoint.   

- Provide real-time insights during Teams meetings.   

By streamlining repetitive tasks, Copilot empowers organisations to enhance productivity and enables employees to focus on strategic and creative work.   

The State of M365 Copilot Deployments 

According to Gartner’s 2024 Impact of GenAI in the Digital Workplace Survey, organisations are adopting a cautious approach to M365 Copilot deployments:   

- Limited Rollouts: 57% of organisations have restricted Copilot access to low-risk or trusted users.   

- Deployment Delays: 40% have postponed implementation by three months or more due to security and governance concerns.   

- Governance Gaps: Organisations with weak information management practices report low adoption rates and declining engagement.   

These findings underscore the complexities of securing M365 Copilot at scale, particularly given its decentralised administration controls and overly permissive default configurations.   

Key Risks in M365 Copilot Deployments 

Gartner identifies five primary risks organisations face when deploying M365 Copilot:   

1. Information Oversharing: Misconfigured permissions in SharePoint, Teams, and OneDrive can expose sensitive data through Copilot responses.  
2. Response Inaccuracy: Outdated or irrelevant data sources may produce misleading output, reducing trust in the tool.  
3. External Data Leakage: Poor vetting of third-party extensions and web queries sent to Bing can lead to compliance and data protection issues.   

4. New Attack Vectors: Threat actors may exploit Copilot to identify sensitive data or deploy prompt-based attacks to mislead employees.  
5. Agent Sprawl: Uncontrolled proliferation of custom agents across Teams and SharePoint creates governance challenges.  

How to Improve Your Microsoft 365 Copilot Deployment 

Deploying Microsoft 365 Copilot effectively requires more than just enabling the feature—it demands a well-prepared environment that addresses critical security, governance, and operational challenges. Organisations looking to maximise the value of Copilot must start with a clear readiness strategy that aligns with their unique needs and ensures a smooth adoption process. 

Steps to Achieve Copilot Readiness 

• Review workload configurations to ensure they align with best practices for security and governance. 

• Evaluate existing information architecture, including content management and access controls, to avoid data leakage. 

• Identify potential gaps in compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements. 

• Implement robust access control policies for tools like SharePoint, Teams, and OneDrive. 

• Audit permissions across content repositories to ensure sensitive data is protected. 

• Establish ongoing governance frameworks to manage data sharing and collaboration effectively. 

• Align content libraries and workflows with organisational objectives to support automation and AI-driven enhancements. 

• Explore tools like Microsoft Syntex and Power Platform to improve document lifecycle management. 

• Monitor M365 updates to address potential disruptions or emerging vulnerabilities. 

• Provide continuous support to ensure optimal performance and rapid incident resolution. 

Advanced Support with bluesource  

Our Advanced Support Service ensures your M365 environment remains secure, compliant, and prepared to maximise AI capabilities like Copilot. This includes: 

1. Proactive Monitoring and Investigations  

   - Continuous monitoring of M365 services and applications.   

   - Incident reporting, investigation, and collaboration with Microsoft to address issues.   

2. Proactive Out-tasking  

   - Regular analysis of tenant updates to identify and prioritise impactful changes.   

   - Expert guidance to minimise disruption and maintain optimal configurations.   

3. Global Support

   - Comprehensive support across time zones to ensure consistency and minimise delays.   

   - Collaboration with Microsoft on escalations to streamline issue resolution.   

4. Regular Posture Assessments

   - Ongoing reviews of security, compliance, and licensing configurations.   

   - Actionable recommendations to enhance adoption and governance.   

5. On-demand Activities

   - Support for non-standard changes and feature implementation.   

   - Technical briefings and proactive engagement to address emerging needs.   

Conclusion  

With the right support, rolling out Microsoft 365 Copilot can be a smooth and efficient process. By prioritising a readiness assessment and leveraging our Advanced Support service, you can ensure a secure tenant, a well-governed environment, and a successful Copilot deployment that drives productivity and innovation across your organisation.