How Copilot in SharePoint is Redefining and Transforming Modern Workplace

Microsoft SharePoint is trusted by organizations for storing, managing, and sharing content. Creating and managing content on SharePoint can often be complex and time-consuming with growing content repositories, which is why Microsoft introduced Copilot for SharePoint last year and recently too, the capability to create custom Copilot in SharePoint in May 2024.

Since its release, Copilot has helped organizations reimagine how sites, pages, and new types of content are created in SharePoint and even transform how users manage and interact with content and data. This allows your employees to focus on strategic initiatives rather than mundane tasks, offering personalized recommendations, automating routine processes, and facilitating real-time collaboration.

Integrating Copilot in your SharePoint environment is not merely an enhancement. Copilot agents in SharePoint make it easy to scale knowledge, enhance team collaboration, and drive operational efficiency to transform your SharePoint environment into an intelligent workspace that drives efficiency in the modern workplace.

In this blog, we explore the crucial role of Copilot in SharePoint,  its benefits, incredible features, and use cases to enhance and optimize your SharePoint experience.

Table of Contents

• Understanding Copilot’s Role in SharePoint
• Key Benefits of Using Copilot in SharePoint
• Key Features of Copilot for SharePoint
• Top Use Cases of Copilot in SharePoint
• How Can We Help You Harness the Full Potential of SharePoint with Copilot?
• Frequently Asked Question

Copilot is integrated into SharePoint to enhance user experience and productivity. It is transforming how users interact with SharePoint. By integrating NLP and generative AI capabilities, it helps in:

• Streamlining workflows by automating routine tasks and processes within SharePoint, such as file organization, approval workflows, and others.
• Making it easier for users to create, edit, and collaborate on SharePoint pages.
• Improving productivity and ensuring that the content generated aligns with organizational standards and branding.

How to Use Copilot in SharePoint?

Copilot functions as a stand-alone tool to enable users to build custom Copilots through Copilot Studio as well as an extension of various Microsoft 365 apps, including SharePoint. To use Copilot in SharePoint, you need access to a SharePoint environment supporting the Copilot feature.

• Access SharePoint: Log in to your SharePoint environment.
• Identify Copilot Integration: Look for Copilot features or commands within SharePoint.
• Interact with Copilot: Type commands, ask questions, or generate content.
• Explore Capabilities: Experiment with different Copilot features.
• Be Specific and Provide Context: Give clear prompts for accurate results.
• Leverage Learning: Copilot’s capabilities improve with usage.

Microsoft Copilot introduces a range of innovative capabilities to SharePoint. Let’s look at some key benefits of Copilot in SharePoint that help you focus on strategy rather than routine tasks.

Streamlined Site Creation and Management

Copilot for SharePoint simplifies the process of creating new SharePoint sites. Users can generate sites quickly by providing simple prompts, allowing for rapid deployment without extensive training. This feature saves time and ensures that sites are created with consistent branding and formatting aligned with organizational standards.

Enhanced Collaboration

Copilot allows teams to collaborate effectively by facilitating real-time editing and feedback. Users can interact with Copilot using prompts to refine content, ensuring that it meets their needs and aligns with brand standards.

Automation of Mundane Tasks

It automates repetitive tasks such as data analysis and document organization, data extraction and analysis to help eliminate mental bandwidth for employees to focus on high-value activities. This is particularly beneficial in environments where time management is a challenge.

Data Insights and Governance

Whether improving site performance or suggesting improvements, the Copilot provides detailed insights to the organization with the data stored in SharePoint. It also supports content governance by offering recommendations that help maintain compliance with company policies.

Seamless Integration with Microsoft 365

This latest iteration of Copilot in SharePoint seamlessly works within the broader Microsoft 365 ecosystem, enhancing productivity across Teams, Word, and Outlook applications. This integration allows for a more cohesive workflow across different platforms.

Enhanced Content Interaction

With Copilot in SharePoint, users can easily access and interact with data stored in SharePoint. It allows anyone in the organization to locate content through conversational queries rather than manual searches. This capability enables efficient data retrieval and enhances productivity by minimizing the time spent on information discovery.

With recent upgrades from Microsoft, Copilot brings a range of innovative capabilities to SharePoint. Let’s look at some prominent features of Copilot in SharePoint.

Simplified Site Creation

Copilot allows users to create SharePoint sites and pages effortlessly by using natural language prompts.

• Natural Language Processing: Users can simply enter a prompt using Copilot’s chat feature to describe the site or page, and then Copilot in SharePoint will create a starter site, bringing in information from across the organization as needed and automatically aligning the site with the organization’s branding guidelines. For instance, a prompt like “Create an employee onboarding site” will initiate the site creation process, integrating relevant data automatically.
• Enhanced Page Authoring: It assists authors in converting existing documents or presentations into visually appealing SharePoint pages. Copilot can also help rewrite text to improve engagement and ensure the tone aligns with the intended audience.

Collaboration Features

Collaboration is at the heart of SharePoint, and Copilot enhances this aspect by providing tools that facilitate teamwork and knowledge sharing.

• Co-authoring Capabilities: Multiple users can work on the same page in real-time, making collaboration seamless and efficient.
• Content Recommendations: The tool provides suggestions for relevant content based on users’ work to facilitate better knowledge sharing within the team.

Advanced Automation Options

With advanced automation options, Copilot streamlines workflows and enhances productivity by minimizing manual tasks.

• Integration with Power Apps: Users can leverage Copilot alongside Power Apps to create applications that collect and manage data stored in SharePoint.
• Task Automation: It offers advanced automation options allowing users to create and edit SharePoint sites, align content to brand guidelines, and intelligent data extraction from documents and forms apart from automating routine tasks—like file organization, content tagging, and approval workflows—Copilot allows employees to focus on more strategic activities. This saves time and reduces the cognitive load associated with repetitive tasks.

Customization and Branding

This feature allows anyone in your organization to create custom copilots from SharePoint which enhances functionality in a few clicks. Copilot in SharePoint ensures that organizations can maintain their unique identity while utilizing SharePoint effectively.

• Consistent Branding: Copilot ensures that all generated sites maintain a consistent look and feel aligned with the company’s branding guidelines. A centralized feature for managing branding elements like fonts and colors across all SharePoint sites to ensure consistency with organizational identity.
• Adaptive Design Suggestions: It suggests layouts and design elements based on user preferences and content type, enhancing the overall user experience.

Enhanced Knowledge Sharing with Copilot Agents

Copilot introduces agents that facilitate knowledge sharing across teams by summarizing information and answering queries based on scoped content.

• Copilot Agents: New features allow users to create agents to answer questions about specific content or summarize information, further enhancing team collaboration.
• Enhanced Collaboration: These agents foster collaboration by providing insights that help teams make informed decisions based on current data.

From drafting initial site layouts based on simple prompts to refining existing content into visually engaging pages, Copilot acts as a collaborative partner that streamlines workflows. Let’s delve into some practical use cases of how Microsoft Copilot in SharePoint is transforming the workplace.

• User Training and Onboarding: Copilot serves as an AI-powered tutor for new users, helping them understand SharePoint’s features effectively. This reduces the learning curve and ensures that all team members can fully utilize the platform’s capabilities.
• Project Management Support: In project management, Copilot assists users by generating task lists, providing templates for documentation, and aiding in creating project reports. This support streamlines project workflows and enhances organizational efficiency, making it easier for teams to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Intranet Development: For organizations looking to enhance their intranet experience, Copilot simplifies workflow management by automating routine tasks and suggesting best practices for intranet development. This capability ensures that employees have a seamless experience while accessing company resources.

At Rishabh Software, we specialize in maximizing business productivity and collaboration by integrating Copilot into your Microsoft SharePoint workflows. Our seasoned SharePoint consultants and Microsoft experts ensure a seamless integration process, enabling you to leverage SharePoint’s vast features for document management, business process automation, and collaboration.

As a Microsoft Gold Partner, our  SharePoint Development Services help you set up tools and solutions, including co-authoring features, project management dashboards, and custom workflows that ensure everyone is on the same page. Our experts offer ongoing assistance across all key aspects, from security and data protection to governance, to help you prepare for the future of work.

Q: What are the best practices for effectively using Copilot in SharePoint?

A: Here are some standard best practices that you need to keep in mind while using SharePoint Copilot:

• Understand Copilot’s Capabilities: Clearly define tasks and scenarios where Copilot can provide value.
• Provide Clear Prompts: Use concise and well-defined prompts for accurate responses.
• Leverage Metadata: Ensure content is well-organized with relevant metadata.
• Maintain Data Quality: Regularly review and update content for accuracy and relevance.
• Experiment and Iterate: Try different prompts and approaches to find the most effective usage.
• Consider Privacy and Security: Be mindful of sensitive data and adhere to privacy and security policies.
• Train Copilot: Provide specific examples or training data to improve understanding.
• Use Copilot as a Tool: Use human judgment and expertise to review and refine outputs.
• Stay Informed: Keep up-to-date with the latest Copilot features and capabilities.
• Provide Feedback: Share experiences and suggestions to help improve Copilot and its integration with SharePoint.

Q:  Can I create custom agents with Copilot in SharePoint?

A: Yes, users can create custom agents using Microsoft Copilot Studio, allowing for tailored experiences that can assist with specific tasks or projects without requiring coding skills.

Q: What security measures are in place for using Copilot in SharePoint?

A: Various security measures as those mentioned below are in place to mitigate potential vulnerabilities:

• Encryption of data in transit and at rest
• Role-based access control
• Microsoft Purview data classification and sensitivity labels,
• Copilot is integrated with Azure Active Directory (AAD) to leverage SSO and multi-factor authentication (MFA)
• User permissions based on their access rights,
• Continuous threat monitoring and adherence to data privacy regulations like GDPR, ensuring that only authorized users can access sensitive information

These security measures ensure that organizational security policies are respected while using AI features.

Q: What are the future trends of Copilot in SharePoint?

A: Future trends include more profound integration of AI capabilities for personalized user experiences, enhanced automation features, and expanded functionalities through ongoing updates to Copilot and SharePoint Premium offerings.

Q: What are the prerequisites for using Copilot in SharePoint?

A: Here are some prerequisites that you need to keep in mind before using Microsoft Copilot in SharePoint.

• Active Microsoft 365 License (including Copilot)
• SharePoint Online License
• Azure Active Directory Account
• OneDrive Account
• Latest Software Versions of Microsoft applications
• Required Permissions for SharePoint Site Access
• Knowledge of Activation and interaction with Copilot