Artificial intelligence can only be as smart as the data it’s fed.
That’s why one of the biggest risks we see when implementing Microsoft Copilot isn’t technical, it’s governance. Without clean, secure, and properly structured data, your business is setting itself up for confusion, compliance gaps, and potentially costly mistakes.
At Information Systems of Montana (ISM), we help local organizations prepare their data the right way so Copilot becomes a true asset, not a liability.
What Is Data Governance?
Data governance is the set of policies, processes, and controls that define:
- Who can access what
- How data is labeled, stored, and protected
- How long data is kept
- What rules apply for compliance (e.g., HIPAA, GDPR, SOC 2)
It’s like your company’s rules for managing digital knowledge, so that it’s safe, usable, and ready for automation.
Why Copilot Needs Clean, Governed Data
Copilot doesn’t generate ideas from the internet. It pulls from the data and content inside your Microsoft 365 environment, your emails, your Word docs, your Teams conversations.
If that content is poorly organized or overly exposed, you’re at risk for:
- Copilot hallucinating or giving bad suggestions
- Sensitive data being surfaced to the wrong people
- Inaccurate summaries or insights
- Compliance violations
In short, without good governance, Copilot can turn your internal chaos into external risk.
Common Data Problems That Hurt AI Adoption
Here’s what we often find during Copilot Readiness Assessments:
- Overly permissive file access (anyone can see everything)
- Unlabeled sensitive documents (Copilot can’t tell if it’s confidential)
- No content lifecycle rules (outdated files surface in AI results)
- Inconsistent folder structures
- Lack of MFA or conditional access policies
When Copilot draws from disorganized data, it reflects that disorganization in its output.
How ISM Helps You Fix It
Before you launch Copilot, we’ll help you:
- Review access control policies
- Implement sensitivity labels in Microsoft Purview
- Optimize your SharePoint and OneDrive architecture
- Apply data retention and deletion policies
- Enforce MFA and compliance protections
Our team has deep experience working with organizations that need practical governance, not big-city complexity.
What Happens When You Get It Right
When your data is governed correctly:
- Copilot produces more accurate, relevant responses
- Sensitive data stays protected
- Your organization can scale AI with confidence
- You avoid compliance risks while boosting productivity
Think of data governance as laying the tracks, Copilot is the high-speed train that runs on them.
Final Sip: Good AI Requires Good Data
Microsoft Copilot is powerful, but it needs structure, security, and clarity to perform at its best.
Let ISM help you build the foundation that makes Copilot a success story, not a security headache.
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/
