Valto

Valto’s Early Adoption of Copilot for Microsoft 365

Project Type:

Our Customer

As a leading Microsoft partner, Valto has always strived to stay on the cutting edge of technology to provide its clients with the best possible guidance.

When Microsoft 365 Copilot became available, Valto saw a unique opportunity. Not just to streamline internal processes, but to be one of the first to adopt the AI-powered tool. By learning the product ahead of our customers, we aimed to educate them on best practices, foster smooth adoption, and help them avoid potential pitfalls.

This case study outlines Valto’s journey as a “Customer Zero”  of Copilot for Microsoft 365, detailing the challenges we faced, the solutions we implemented, and the measurable results we achieved.

Their Challenges

During Valto’s adoption of Copilot for Microsoft 365, the company encountered several key challenges.

First, there was a learning curve for AI, as employees had to adapt to a new way of interacting with a user interface via prompts, which required a shift from their usual ways of working. Additionally, managing expectations became an issue, with some employees expecting Copilot to fully automate tasks, leading to frustration when manual intervention was still necessary.

Another challenge was ensuring consistent adoption across departments, as different departments used Microsoft 365 tools in varying ways, leading to inconsistent uptake of Copilot’s features. Integration with existing workflows also posed a challenge, as teams were concerned that introducing a new AI tool could disrupt established processes.

Finally, identifying the right use cases for Copilot was difficult initially, as it wasn’t immediately clear which tasks would benefit the most from the AI capabilities and how Valto should prioritise them.

Challenges

  • Managing expectations of users
  • Consistency across departments
  • Integrating with current workload
  • New ways of working
  • Prioritising use cases to adopt

Our Solution

To overcome these challenges, Valto implemented several key strategies.

To address the learning curve, the company organized comprehensive internal training sessions and workshops. Including a mixture of in-person training to provide hands-on experience with Copilot and virtual drop in sessions to answer questions quickly.

To manage expectations, leadership, clearly communicated Copilot’s role as a tool to support, not replace, human expertise, helping teams understand its capabilities and limitations.
This was backed up by an extensive communications plan that involved frequent posts into Microsoft Teams, competitions such as “prompt of the week” and creation of an adoption community within Microsoft Viva Engage.

To drive consistent adoption across teams, Valto introduced a phased rollout, starting with our CTO evaluating the new product set to identify quick wins and use cases. Then moving to a “Copilot Champions” campaign within each department to demonstrate the tool’s benefits and encourage widespread use. We quickly found that we needed both feedback from the departments most eager technical minded staff but also those that are not so comfortable with new technology. That way we could adjust our strategy to ensure that employees of all technical levels bought in and increased our adoption rate sooner.

For integration with existing ways of working, Valto took a gradual approach, starting with small, repetitive tasks and slowly incorporating Copilot into more complex processes to prevent disruptions.

Lastly, to solve the challenge of identifying the right use cases, Valto conducted an internal assessment of workflows to pinpoint areas where Copilot could add the most value. We sat down with each of the departments to identify use cases. We then scored the use cases based on how complex it would be to integrate Copilot and the value it would return. This was then used to calculate the priority to approach the adoption of each use case.

Focusing on tasks like report generation, data analysis, and document summaries. This strategic focus ensured that Copilot was applied where it had the greatest impact to increase ROI.

Results, Return on Investment and Future Plans

The adoption of Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 quickly paid dividends for Valto in several ways.

Results:

  • 30% Reduction in Time Spent on Routine Tasks: Teams reported significant time savings by automating document drafting, data entry, and other administrative tasks. This freed up employees to focus on higher-value work, such as client strategy and innovation.
  • Improved Employee Efficiency: The consistent use of Microsoft 365 features through Copilot ensured that employees were using the full capabilities of the platform. This led to faster project turnarounds and reduced errors in documentation.
  • Increased Employee Satisfaction: By reducing manual workloads, employees experienced less burnout and had more time for creative and strategic tasks.

Return on Investment:

The investment in Copilot rapidly yielded tangible benefits:

  • Faster Project Completion: With routine tasks automated, the average project completion time decreased by 20%, resulting in increased client satisfaction and higher revenue potential.
  • Enhanced Decision-Making: Copilot’s data analysis capabilities provided quicker insights, enabling leadership to make better-informed business decisions, improving both operational efficiency and client outcomes.
  • Strengthened Position as a Microsoft Partner: By being an early adopter of Copilot, Valto showcased its commitment to innovation, reinforcing its credibility and expertise when advising clients on Microsoft 365 products.

Quote From Customer

Valto’s journey as a “Customer Zero” for Microsoft 365 Copilot highlights the transformative impact AI can have on internal workflows. The adoption not only helped Valto overcome operational challenges but also solidified its position as a forward-thinking leader in Microsoft solutions.

“Implementing Copilot internally allowed us to prove firsthand how powerful these tools can be. It’s not just about saving time, it’s about enhancing the quality of work we deliver to clients, while also improving the internal work experience for our teams.” – Robert Thomas, Head of Modern Workplace

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