Published: 8th April 2026
A year ago, Microsoft 365 Copilot felt new…
Today it’s becoming part of everyday work
⬅️ CATCH UP ON DEMAND
Our Year with Microsoft 365 Copilot (WEBINAR)
This session wasn’t about features for features’ sake. It was about what actually makes Copilot stick inside an organisation.
How far Copilot has come – faster than we realise
In just 12 months, Copilot has moved from:
What felt “new” a year ago now feels normal. And that speed matters, because adoption can’t rely on static plans when the product itself is changing monthly.
How we started: imperfect, fast and intentional
Internally, Inform didn’t wait for a perfect rollout plan. We:
The key lesson: You can’t design a perfect Copilot strategy before you’ve used Copilot. You don’t know what matters until you experience the friction.
Everyday use is where belief is built
Adoption didn’t happen because of training decks. It happened because Copilot crept into everyday life:
At a certain point, Copilot stopped being “a tool” and became infrastructure, like search, email, or a calculator. That mindset shift takes time, repetition and permission to play.
Credibility still comes from people
Copilot accelerates thinking. It doesn’t replace it. Its tone is recognisable. Its output needs shaping. And credibility still comes from:
The strongest use cases weren’t “send this as-is”, but rewrite, adapt, condense and reframe, especially across different roles, seniorities and needs.
Copilot doesn’t remove ownership. It amplifies it.
Adoption is a change challenge, not a tech one
The fundamentals haven’t changed:
People don’t avoid Copilot because they dislike it. They avoid it because they’re busy, uncertain, or unsure where it fits. Adoption needs nudges, not pressure.
Brunch clubs, lightweight challenges, shared stories and regular “what’s new” moments made the difference, not one-off training.
Learning culture beats learning events
The organisations that progress fastest treat Copilot as a capability, not a course.
That means:
You don’t need everyone to be an expert. You need enough momentum to make curiosity feel safe.
Agents: less scary, more practical than you think
Agents felt intimidating at first – technical, abstract, expensive. That’s changed.
Today, organisations can start experimenting with lightweight agents that support everyday tasks and workflows. No cost risk. No deep technical skills. Just focused assistance where it adds value. Strategic agents will come later.
For now, the opportunity is simple: reduce friction in everyday work without adding complexity.
The real takeaway
Copilot rewards good Microsoft 365 behaviour. It exposes silos. It amplifies habits – good and bad. Adoption isn’t about speed. It’s about kindness, consistency and meeting people where they are. Even specialists are still learning as Copilot evolves.
