How to measure and maximise M365 Copilot ROI 

Integrated into Office applications, M365 Copilot has the potential to revolutionise the way we work. For example, take something as simple as a monthly meeting with key stakeholders from across the organisation.

• Before: you need to collate data and important updates for your presentation. As well as input into the agenda, and recap on your actions and key discussion points from the previous meeting.
• During: you need to take notes and record actions – potentially share documents or update schedules to reflect progress.
• After: you need to action your assigned tasks by sending follow-up emails, record minutes, and draft updates for your team.

M365 Copilot can do all this (and more!). By removing the administrative burden and drain of manual intervention, now you’re free to focus your efforts on where you add most value.

But what does this benefit equate to in tangible terms?

M365 Copilot’s expected ROI

According to research by Forrester, M365 Copilot’s advanced capabilities, which streamline workflows, improve decision-making, and foster a more engaging work environment, deliver 116% ROI to enterprises, with a payback period of just 10-months. Let’s delve a little deeper into that figure: 

1. Go-to-market benefits: $14.8M over 3-years 

M365 Copilot works according to the guardrails you put in place, which means it’s going to stick to whatever sales process you define. As a result, all opportunities will be followed up in a timely manner and properly qualified before hitting your pipeline. In turn, this improves win rates by 2.5% – as well as increase customer retention by 1%. 

2. Operational benefits: $18.8M over 3-years 

M365 Copilot is built to empower people to do their best work. By transforming administrative tasks, employees can focus on high-value outcomes. Also, automating tasks removes the potential for human error, as well as speeds up the process. The result: a 0.24% decrease in expenditure and a 9-hour saving per M365 Copilot user per month. 

3. People and culture benefits: $3.2M over 3-years 

M365 Copilot just makes people’s lives easier. From accelerating employee onboarding time by 25%, to improving employee retention by 57%, and elevating the employee experience – Copilot improves employee satisfaction by an incredible 70% – there’s no denying all the small ‘wins’ add up to deliver a BIG impact. 

Is M365 Copilot too good to be true?

Despite the benefits on offer, Gartner’s research shows that “significant” ROI is proving elusive for 97% of organisations. So, what’s going wrong? 

Simply buying a M365 Copilot license doesn’t translate into instant benefits. And while it’s designed to integrate with your existing Office apps, M365 Copilot is still like any new tool – it needs to be properly adopted into the business. For example: 

• User training: do people know how to get the best from the tool? And do they know how to use it safely, without compromising security? 

• Leadership buy-in: do functional managers understand why the tool is necessary? And are they championing it within their team? 

• Clear communications: do all users understand why the change is necessary? And are they feeling threatened about giving elements of their role to AI? 

• Phased rollout: do you know what the priority use cases are? And have you determined what success looks like? 

Adopting M365 Copilot is an investment and to realise the significant ROI on offer, you need to manage the change it brings to your organisation. As Microsoft’s #1 Copilot Partner in the UK (and #2 in Europe) for FY25, we have supported 70,000+ users across 178 organisations and 24 NHS Trusts to realise the benefits of M365 Copilot. These are our top tips to maximise your ROI when adopting the tool. 

Five ways to maximise your ROI

1. Start small and scale with confidence

Pilot projects are a practical way to test M365 Copilot’s value. Choose use cases that are low-risk but capable of delivering meaningful results, like meeting preparation. This enables you to refine your approach and communicate a steady stream of ‘success stories’, which build momentum and excitement behind change.

As you scale use cases, encourage different functions to take ownership of the tool. Allow them to choose the use cases they will find most valuable. And establish communication channels to share best practice across the organisation. In each moment you secure more buy-in, and therefore a stronger likelihood that change will be successful and last.

2. Build an AI strategy

Just 6% of organisations have a comprehensive AI strategy in place – 60% have no strategy at all.

Without a clear AI adoption strategy, you could find yourself caught in a cycle of pilot projects that never scale or unlock measurable value. Also, you’re more likely to find yourself chasing trends rather than engaging in initiatives that support your overall organisational objectives. To build your AI strategy:

Define your vision and outcomes: your strategy needs to be clear and have purpose – what exactly do you want AI to achieve?

Assess readiness and capability: you need solid foundations on which to build – like quality data, AI-compatible systems, and trained staff.

Prioritise governance and ethics: your policies around data use, data bias, and decision oversight must ensure AI tools are transparent, fair, and accountable.

3. Learn the art of Copilot prompt engineering

As the saying goes, ‘garbage in, garbage out’. Therefore, if you want M365 Copilot to produce quality outputs, you need to craft the best prompt to tell it exactly what you want. Microsoft recommends using the GCSE framework:

• Goal: what response do you want from Copilot?
• Context: why do you need it and who is involved?
• Source: which information sources should Copilot use?
• Expectations: how should Copilot respond?

If you think your team would benefit from training, why not book our dedicated session on the Copilot Prompting Framework? In it, we cover how to craft effective prompts and use the Prompt Coach to improve results – as well as share live demos across common use cases and top prompting tips.

4. Look beyond KPIs to consider qualitative benefits

Not everything valuable can be measured. For example, one of the big benefits West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service gained from using M365 Copilot, is the support it offered to employees with dyslexia.

In the UK, dyslexia affects 1 in 10 people, with many more undiagnosed. For tasks requiring written skills, it can place a huge mental load on those affected, and even impact an individual’s confidence and self-esteem. With Copilot removing that challenge, work suddenly becomes accessible to all.

5. Use Copilot Analytics

Last year, Microsoft announced that Viva Insights would be included in M365 Copilot as part of the new Copilot Analytics. It means that every IT and business leader can measure adoption and track ROI direct from their dashboard with out-of-the-box functionality.

For best results, use individual-level metrics over company-level metrics, such as:

• Sales: opportunities pursued, deal size, win/close rate
• Marketing: leads generated, lead conversion rate, revenue per lead generated
• Finance: forecast accuracy, timelines for financial reporting, deviation from budget
• Customer service: first call resolution rate, number of cases resolved, customer retention
• Legal: average contract review time, compliance rate, number of disputed
• HR: employee engagement scores, employee onboarding time, employee retention
• IT: IT tickets resolved, NPS score, ticket resolution time