Get More Out of Copilot and Azure AI Search

Today’s companies are under more pressure than ever to increase productivity and efficiency while cutting costs and headcount. They’re turning to AI solutions to accomplish this goal — yet all too often, they fail to maximize the value of their investment.

Research shows that among the many obstacles to AI adoption, the most common include unclear ROI metrics, complex AI systems, and a lack of governance. Some businesses lack buy-in from stakeholders or fail to set clear business objectives, while others have unrealistic expectations about the benefits of AI.

In this blog, we’ll explain why many businesses are struggling to realize the full value of AI tools, then highlight the tools that can help close the gap.

Why are businesses struggling with Gen AI?

The use of generative AI has doubled in 2024, with 75% of global knowledge workers saying they use the technology to keep up with the pace and volume of work. Tools like Copilot for Microsoft 365 can help workers save up to 90 minutes per week, and nearly 70% of users say it improves the quality of their work.

Still, while executives say AI is critical to business success, they struggle to drive impact and show ROI. Many businesses struggle with change management and educating workers on how to best use tools like Copilot and Azure AI Search, focusing more on rules and less on purpose.

Despite the potential of these tools, many teams have trouble accessing and locating the right knowledge at the right time. For example, teams might have a question related to sales data, but if that data is stored in Salesforce, Copilot won’t know where to find it. Likewise, customer service teams might be searching knowledge articles for answers to product questions when the data is actually stuck in tools like ServiceNow.

Generalist AI assistants like Copilot often require additional tools to find answers locked away in other solutions. While tools like Copilot Studio can help build a more integrated and custom Copilot to find information in a greater data ecosystem, connectors are usually required to help fill in the gap between limited out-of-the-box solutions and unique business needs.

The solution: Creating tailored experiences with Rightpoint

Tools like Copilot for Microsoft 365 offer enormous potential for productivity and efficiency gains. But all too often, the scope of the task may be too broad for a simple chatbot, and the context of the answers may be irrelevant to employees’ needs.

To overcome these challenges, businesses should lean into experience-led solutions that focus on the entire content lifecycle, from knowledge creation to harvesting. This approach will allow workers to ingest the right knowledge at the right time, taking context into consideration to deliver relevant answers.

In the ideal world, companies would have time to start small with generative AI, then build toward a larger strategy based on testing and findings. In reality, businesses don’t have that kind of time. They must build a long-term strategy while simultaneously piloting multiple use cases — otherwise, they’ll be left behind, outpaced by the competition.

An experience-led approach helps balance speed and strategy, plan for scalability, and find the right tools for the right users. It allows businesses to enhance and add to AI search tools, rather than be completely replaced. Best of all, it empowers businesses to create specific, tailored experiences using multiple AI tools rather than defaulting to a one-size-fits-all approach.

Azure AI Search provides a platform to index content from your entire ecosystem. This helps solve one of the problems where your systems are missing answers from other platforms. Combine this with a great user experience that blends the best of search and answers in one solution to achieve the results that unlock productivity.

Wave 2 of M365 Copilot: Unleashing Copilot and Azure AI Search

If you’re ready to maximize ROI and unlock knowledge using Copilot and Azure AI, join us on October 15 at our live event, Exploring Wave 2 of M365 Copilot: Unleashing Copilot and Azure AI Search. Rightpoint will be joined by BA Insight and Microsoft to help you delve into the future of technology and master generative AI with a winning data strategy. We’ll help you discover the right AI tools for your needs, share best practices and strategies, and demonstrate what’s possible with Azure AI and Copilot.

Register now for this invite-only event. If you can’t make it, contact us today to see how we can help you drive growth with an experience-led generative AI strategy.