Microsoft Copilot & RDS – FAQ

Microsoft Copilot is changing the way businesses work – bringing the power of AI directly into the Microsoft 365 apps your teams use every day. But like any new technology, it raises important questions around readiness, security, user adoption and return on investment.

That’s why we’ve put together this handy FAQ, to help you understand what Copilot can do, how it fits into your organisation and how to get started. Whether you’re exploring it for the first time or planning a wider rollout, you’ll find practical answers tailored to your real-world needs.

1. Are we ready to use Microsoft Copilot, or do we need to prepare our systems first?

Before deploying Microsoft Copilot, it’s important to assess whether your organisation is technically and strategically ready to make the most effective use of Copilot.

At RDS, we carry out a comprehensive Copilot Readiness Assessment to identify any gaps. This includes reviewing your licensing, security permissions, data governance practices and user habits.

Think of it as a digital health check – ensuring your systems are Copilot-ready so you can make the best use of the new technology from day one.

2. How will Copilot work with our existing Microsoft 365 apps like Outlook, Word and Teams?

Copilot is embedded directly into the Microsoft 365 apps your teams already use every day. It appears as a sidebar or assistant panel and responds to prompts in plain English, offering real-time support within the flow of your usual tasks.

For example, in Outlook, Copilot can summarise long email threads or draft replies. In Word, it can help write reports, restructure content or improve tone of voice. Teams users can generate and distribute meeting summaries or action points, within moments of the meeting ending, when everything is still fresh in everyone’s mind.

Copilot is not a separate tool – it’s baked into the apps your people already use, making it easier to adopt and use without disrupting daily workflows.

3. What kind of tasks can Copilot automate or speed up for our teams?

Copilot is designed to handle repetitive, time-consuming tasks so your team can focus on higher-value work. It can automate admin by scheduling meetings, writing emails, creating reports, generating presentation slides, summarising meetings and unearthing relevant documents or data in seconds.

Business leaders can use Copilot for quick summaries, data analysis and decision support. It’s a flexible tool that adapts to each department’s needs, making it far more than just a chatbot – it’s a time-saving productivity engine.

4. Will Copilot help us reduce admin time and improve hybrid working?

Absolutely. Copilot is particularly valuable in hybrid work environments where communication gaps, information silos and digital overload are common. It helps to ensure that everyone – whether in the office or working remotely – has consistent access to insights, summaries and relevant data.

It also significantly reduces admin workload. Instead of trawling through emails or searching for the latest version of a document, users can ask Copilot to do the legwork. It helps cut down the need for extra meetings, it can streamline reporting and free up time previously lost to low-value tasks. In short, it brings clarity and speed to dispersed teams.

5. Is Copilot secure – and how does it protect sensitive data like legal or HR documents?

Yes, Copilot is built with enterprise-grade security in mind. Unlike standalone AI tools, it operates within your Microsoft 365 environment, meaning your data never leaves the Microsoft ecosystem. This is critical for sectors like legal, healthcare and finance, where data protection is non-negotiable.

As made clear here, Copilot respects all existing compliance and governance standards, including GDPR, ISO 27001, SOC 2 and HIPAA (when configured properly). It also works within the parameters of Microsoft’s Enterprise Data Protection model, meaning your prompts and responses are encrypted and auditable, but never used to train foundation AI models. Sensitive data stays exactly where it should – protected within your organisation’s existing policies and infrastructure.

6. Does Copilot respect our existing user permissions and access controls?

Yes. One of Copilot’s key strengths is that it respects your organisation’s existing Microsoft 365 permissions model. That means users can only retrieve or interact with information they’re already authorised to access – Copilot won’t open sensitive files to people who wouldn’t otherwise have access to them.

This ensures data remains protected, while enabling productivity without compromising compliance. Copilot is context-aware and governed by your enterprise’s access rules.

7. Can we customise Copilot for different departments like HR, marketing or finance?

Absolutely. Copilot is highly adaptable and supports department-specific use cases. For example, in HR, it can help draft job descriptions, summarise policy documents and streamline onboarding. In marketing, it can generate campaign copy and automate reporting. For finance teams, it can break down trends in Excel, create charts or assist with forecasting.

Through Copilot Studio, you can go even further – creating tailored agents that tap into specific knowledge bases. RDS can help you create and deploy bespoke department-specific Copilot functions like this, to ensure every team gets measurable value.

8. Will Copilot help us cut costs by reducing manual work or streamlining processes?

In most organisations, Copilot drives significant time savings – which, in turn, reduce operational costs. By automating routine admin and document generation, staff are freed-up to focus on important strategic or client-facing work. This can result in better resource allocation and improved staff productivity.

In addition, by supporting digital-first workflows, Copilot can help reduce over-reliance on printing, accelerate turnaround times and decrease internal meetings. With better access to insights and faster task completion, the benefits quickly become visible. RDS can help you track these gains through built-in analytics and post-deployment reviews.

9. Can Copilot support our sustainability goals by helping us go paperless?

It certainly can. Copilot actively supports sustainability by encouraging digital-first processes. Many clients, especially in sectors like legal and education, still rely on printed documents for meetings, record-keeping or collaboration. With Copilot’s ability to generate, summarise and manage content digitally, the need for unnecessary additional printing can be significantly reduced.

Moreover, Copilot makes digital workflows more accessible and intuitive, helping users move away from outdated, paper-based habits. When paired with RDS’ broader sustainable IT services – like print fleet reduction and our tree-planting incentive, PrintReleaf – Copilot becomes a key part of a more environmentally responsible workplace.

10. How is Copilot different from other AI tools like ChatGPT?

The key difference is that Copilot operates within your Microsoft 365 environment, meaning it has a holistic understanding of your organisation’s data, documents, emails and meetings baked-in. Unlike ChatGPT or other public AI tools, Copilot is grounded in your internal context and respects your security policies.

Public AI tools are useful for general-purpose questions, but they lack integration with your business tools and data. Copilot, on the other hand, delivers actionable insights and automation based on your actual workflows – making it more accurate, secure and business-ready.

11. What ongoing support and training will our team need to use Copilot effectively?

While Copilot’s interface is intuitive, many users benefit from structured guidance to make the most of its features. That’s where RDS steps in. We offer tailored user training, onboarding sessions and adoption planning to ensure uptake is smooth and impactful.

Ongoing support includes performance monitoring, feedback loops and policy adjustments as the end-users’ needs evolve. We also help keep teams up to speed with feature updates, prompt best practices and security governance. The goal isn’t just to install Copilot – it’s to embed it in a way that truly enhances how your people work.

12. How do we get started – what are the first steps to rolling out Copilot with RDS?

It all starts with Tech Check+ – our in-depth audit of your current IT landscape. This assessment looks at your infrastructure, security posture, licensing, compliance readiness and data health. From there, we build a tailored roadmap to ensure you’re set up for success with Copilot.

We then handle deployment, configuration, user enablement and policy alignment, ensuring Copilot is safely integrated with minimal disruption. From setup through to training and optimisation, RDS provides a complete wraparound service so you can realise the benefits of AI quickly, confidently and securely.

Conclusion

Microsoft Copilot has the potential to transform how your organisation works – streamlining admin, accelerating decision-making and supporting secure, sustainable growth. But to get the most from it, you need the right setup, the right strategy and the right support.

As your AI integration partner, RDS is here to help you every step of the way.

You can read our guide to working smarter with Copilot, and/or you can also download our user-friendly brochure (below).

Then get in touch to start your Copilot journey.