A Journey with Jay Ball on Microsoft 365 CoPilot

Join Jay Ball, CEO of Flotek Group, on a Journey with Microsoft 365 CoPilot

Hello there! I'm Jay Ball, the CEO of Flotek Group, and I'm thrilled to talk about something that's creating waves in the tech world – the Microsoft 365 CoPilot. Many of you might have already experienced the magic of AI tools like ChatGPT (if you haven't, I highly recommend trying out a free ChatGPT bot to see how it can revolutionise your business content!). The year 2024 is shaping up to be a landmark year in tech, and I'm determined to position Flotek Group at the forefront, helping our customers leverage AI to enhance productivity like never before.

So, What's the Buzz About Microsoft 365 CoPilot?

Imagine a world where your natural creativity and innovation aren't bogged down by mundane tasks. That's the kind of world Microsoft 365 CoPilot aims to create. It's not just about improving how we work; it's about transforming our approach to work altogether. 

As of January 15th, Microsoft has rolled out CoPilot to Business Premium and Business Standard subscribers as Microsoft has rapidly upgraded their data centres globally to meet the anticipated high demand. 

The Integration of CoPilot into Microsoft 365

CoPilot integrates seamlessly into the Microsoft 365 applications we use daily – Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, and more. It's designed to spark creativity, boost productivity, and elevate skills. Beyond working alongside these apps, CoPilot will deeply integrate with your data, including calendars, emails, chats, documents, meetings, and contacts. This integration enables unprecedented capabilities, like crafting updates based on your morning's meetings, emails, and chat threads with simple natural language prompts.

In this CoPilot-led future, you remain in the driver's seat. You have the freedom to choose what to keep, modify, or discard. Whether it's enhancing creativity in Word, diving deeper into data analysis in Excel, expressing yourself more vividly in PowerPoint, staying on top of things in Outlook, or fostering teamwork in Teams – CoPilot is there to elevate your experience.

Check out some video examples below on how CoPilot integrates to your favourite apps

Powerpoint

Outlook

Teams Meetings

Teams Recap

Teams Chat

Overview

Jay's Closing Insights

Observing CoPilot in action within Outlook, Word, Teams, Excel, and the whole 365 ecosystem, it's evident that we're on the cusp of achieving more in less time. Microsoft's announcement of CoPilot pricing at about £30 per user did raise eyebrows in the SME sector, as the cost for smaller businesses, say 20 users, adds up to an extra £600 monthly. This seems steep, especially for a product yet to establish its value. 

However, I believe it's essential to consider the potential return on investment (ROI). Take, for instance, a solicitor who can now draft responses rapidly instead of spending hours, or a personal assistant who can create presentations in minutes from existing data, rather than dedicating a whole day. The time savings are substantial, and it's the outcome that should be our focus, rather than the upfront cost. 

Yet, I often notice businesses with Microsoft 365 subscriptions using less than 5% of the available features, sticking with traditional communication methods like old phone systems and WhatsApp. In contrast, forward-thinking businesses are adopting Teams, SharePoint, and preparing for the CoPilot revolution. Unfortunately, this means the gap will continue to widen between businesses that embrace technology and those that don't, leaving the latter behind. 

At Flotek Group, we're not just spectators; we're active participants in this shift. We're investing significantly in our operations, systems, and team. We're introducing a Bot named Wyatt, designed to provide instant support to our customers 24/7 by accessing our Knowledge base. Additionally, we're planning to enhance our customer service by using AI to reframe our ticket responses. This means our engineers can provide quick updates without worrying about tone or familiarity – the AI will handle that, ensuring a more friendly and engaging interaction with our clients. 

Experience the future today by optimising and streamlining your company's workflows with Microsoft CoPilot. Elevate your business efficiency, and prepare to be amazed!