I've lost count of the Copilot demonstrations where someone produces a polished report in under two minutes. It's an impressive trick. It also tells you almost nothing about what happens when that same tool is pointed at your business instead of a carefully prepared example.
What the demo never shows you is the work that came before it. The years spent deciding where information should live. The judgement calls about who gets access to what. The slow, unglamorous process of getting a business organised enough that a new tool actually has something useful to work with.
We've worked with businesses at both ends of that spectrum. Some had already done that groundwork, often without ever thinking of it as preparation for AI, and adopting a tool like Copilot was straightforward. Others hadn't, and the results were far less impressive than anything in a Microsoft video.
The difference rarely comes down to the technology. It comes down to what the technology is being asked to work with.
Think about what you'd expect from a new senior hire. You'd want them to have accurate information, a clear view of how the business runs, and a proper understanding of what's confidential and what isn't. Nobody would expect them to perform well without that. AI tools are no different, even though we tend to judge them by a different standard.
Before Copilot or any AI tool gets anywhere near your business, a few questions are worth asking honestly. Is your information stored somewhere consistent, or is it scattered across drives, inboxes and personal folders. Do people have access to only what they need, or has that drifted over time without anyone noticing. And is the technology you're already paying for, Microsoft 365 in particular, actually being used as intended, or has it quietly become an expensive place to store email attachments.
None of that is exciting to think about. It's also, in our experience, the biggest factor in whether a business gets real value from AI or ends up disappointed by it.
The businesses seeing genuine results from Copilot right now aren't necessarily the most tech-forward. They're the ones who took the time to get their own house in order first. If you're weighing up whether your business is ready for that step, it's worth a proper conversation before you commit to anything.
In this article, Tom explores how the right technology can remove daily frustrations, boost productivity, and help your team do their best work with confidence.
