So, you’ve heard of Microsoft Copilot. You’re intrigued by how AI can help your team work faster and smarter. But here’s the catch: success with Copilot isn’t automatic.
Like any powerful tool, Copilot requires planning, preparation, and people who are ready to embrace it. At Information Systems of Montana (ISM), we’ve seen too many businesses rush into AI without a solid game plan, only to stall out with low adoption, poor results, or serious security concerns.
This blog lays out the right way to implement Copilot, step-by-step, so your business gets real results with minimal risk.
Step 1: Assess Your Readiness
Before you deploy anything, take a step back.
A successful Copilot implementation starts with a Copilot Readiness Assessment, which evaluates:
- Organizational culture and change management
- Employee skills and training gaps
- Data security and governance policies
- Technical infrastructure and compatibility
This step is essential to avoid the “unknown unknowns” that derail so many AI rollouts. ISM’s assessment gives you a tailored roadmap to get from where you are to where you need to be.
Step 2: Build Support from the Top Down
AI adoption isn’t just an IT initiative; it’s an organizational shift.
- Do your leaders understand what Copilot can do?
- Are they prepared to communicate its value to employees?
- Is there a strategy in place to manage change?
Without leadership support, adoption lags. ISM helps executive teams align on messaging, goals, and timelines so your Copilot rollout is driven by strategy, not panic.
Step 3: Upskill and Support Your Teams
Even the best AI tools fall flat if your team doesn’t know how to use them.
With Copilot, you don’t need to be a developer, but your people do need to learn how to interact with AI prompts, review Copilot output, and trust the tool.
ISM can help you:
- Deliver role-specific training (e.g., finance, HR, marketing)
- Launch internal pilot groups
- Offer live or self-paced learning
- Create feedback channels for improvement
Step 4: Review Your Data & Security Framework
Copilot draws from your Microsoft 365 environment to generate responses. That means:
- If your files are messy, so are your results.
- If your data is overexposed, so is your risk.
Before launching Copilot, ISM reviews your:
- SharePoint and OneDrive structures
- File labeling and sensitivity tagging
- Access permissions
- Compliance settings
We make sure your data is ready for AI, without exposing sensitive information to the wrong people.
Step 5: Start Small, Then Expand
Our recommendation? Don’t launch Copilot for the entire company on day one. Instead:
- Select a department or pilot team
- Set measurable goals (e.g., time saved, tasks automated)
- Collect feedback
- Iterate based on real-world usage
- Then expand to other teams with confidence
ISM guides this process to keep things smooth, efficient, and outcome-focused.
With ISM, Implementation Isn’t Guesswork
As your local Microsoft partner and trusted technology guide, Information Systems of Montana makes Copilot adoption easier, safer, and more strategic.
We’ve helped businesses across industries, from real estate to agriculture to professional services, map out the exact steps they need to start using Copilot productively.
Final Takeaway
AI is only as smart as your plan.
Microsoft Copilot can transform how your business works, but only if you implement it with clarity, strategy, and the right support. ISM is here to make that easy.
Experience AI in Action; Locally!
All of this builds toward our Whiskey & Workflows live event:
📅 October 16, 2025
🕒 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
📍 Missouri River Brewing Company – Montana
Join us for a live demonstration on how to build your own Copilot Agent to automate tasks in your business, plus other AI insights. Taste the whiskeys and learn about Copilot in person and RSVP here: https://www.infosysmt.com/upcoming-event-october-2025/
