Innovation Heroes: Expert tips for your Copilot user adoption strategy

AI is here, and the pressure is on for IT leaders to turn it into real business value. Microsoft Copilot promises to revolutionize productivity, but many organizations are still figuring out how to implement it effectively. The challenge? Adoption isn’t automatic, and without a clear plan, even the most powerful AI tools can sit underutilized.

So, what does it take to drive real adoption, prove ROI, and ensure Copilot fits seamlessly into existing workflows?

That’s exactly what we tackle in the most recent episode of Innovation Heroes, in which host Ed McNamara sat down with three Microsoft and SHI experts who are helping organizations make Copilot work — Carrie Randolph, Michael Heath, and Dominick Raimato.

“So many IT departments, I watch them buy ten licenses and give them to the wrong people,” said Raimato, a Sr. Solutions Architect and Microsoft MVP. “They usually give them to IT people or C-suite executives who don’t have the time or the right use cases. If you want a successful pilot, you need a diverse group using the tool.”

Why Copilot adoption isn’t plug-and-play

Many organizations fall into the trap of thinking simply deploying Copilot will lead to immediate gains. But without a structured approach, they struggle to see meaningful results.

“A lot of people still have this notion that Copilot and AI is a magic trick,” said Heath, SHI’s ASG Technical Solutions Engineer – Power Platform. “And it really isn’t — it’s like a muscle. If you just try it here and there with no plan, no strategy, you won’t get results.”

While Copilot has been widely marketed as a game-changer, organizations quickly learn it requires more than just flipping a switch. The biggest barriers? Behavioral shifts, governance concerns, and a lack of structured use cases.

In the public sector, for example, security and compliance remain top priorities.

“The biggest challenge for government entities is fear — understanding what’s needed to be cautious but also ready,” said Randolph, Public Sector Field Technical Strategist at Microsoft. “Good public servants have always been looking for efficiency, but they also won’t jump on the latest trend without a plan.”

For IT leaders, this means balancing innovation with risk management. Copilot can be a powerful asset, but without governance policies in place covering access controls, data security, and compliance, it can introduce more complexity than value.

The smartest way to start: Selecting the right users

One of the most common mistakes in rolling out Copilot is focusing too much on leadership and IT teams when the real opportunity lies in operational teams.

Instead of limiting your pilot to the C-suite or technical staff, experts recommend identifying high-impact personas — employees who interact with large amounts of information daily and would benefit most from automation.

“If you’re looking at your group and it’s mostly IT and leaders, you’re not going to have a successful pilot,” Raimato said. “Get out there, find those functional areas in your organization — HR, finance, legal — that deal with data-heavy workflows. That’s where you’ll start seeing value.”

Building a responsible adoption plan

Adoption isn’t just about selecting the right users — it’s about guiding them through the transition.

“Like with any new project, the best thing you can do is get away from the fear and start doing — but in a responsible, secure way,” Randolph said. “Whether that’s using a sandbox environment or targeting a very specific dataset, you need an adoption plan.”

That plan should include:

• A structured rollout that starts with small test groups before scaling across departments.
• Use case alignment to focus on real-world tasks in which Copilot can save time and effort.
• Security and compliance readiness that ensure governance is in place before expanding use.
• Education and support that encourage engagement via training and adoption resources.

Need expert guidance? SHI’s Microsoft Copilot Enablement Workshop can help

For IT leaders looking to make the most of Microsoft Copilot, here’s what matters most:

• Adoption takes more than licensing. Choose the right users, not just executives.
• Governance is key. Don’t overlook security, compliance, and data integrity.
• Start with a structured plan. Train users, track progress, and refine use cases.

To truly unlock the power of AI, IT leaders need more than just software — you need a clear strategy for implementation. SHI’s Microsoft Copilot Enablement Workshop is designed to do just that.

This hands-on session helps align Copilot with your business goals, evaluate AI use cases, and establish a framework for adoption — all while maintaining security, compliance, and governance best practices.

The AI transformation isn’t coming — it’s already here. The question is: How will you make it work for your organization?

Listen to the full conversation here. You can also find episodes on SHI’s Resource Hub, Spotify, and other major podcast platforms, as well as on YouTube in video format.

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