You can boost productivity with AI

A mining company recognized the opportunity to use Microsoft 365 Copilot, an advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool, to enhance employee productivity. By leveraging Copilot, the company aimed to empower employees with advanced AI capabilities and automate repetitive tasks to improve operational efficiency.

Selected for a Microsoft early adopter program (EAP), the company initially allocated 300 licenses to a group of internal pilot participants. Despite initial enthusiasm, only a small number of the licenses were being used, leading to a concerning level of underutilization. This was due to several factors, including insufficient onboarding, lack of training, and Copilot wasn’t integrated into existing workflows.

The company also found that their data governance was not adequately managed, which risked exposing sensitive information to the tool. This limitation further restricted the potential uses of Microsoft Copilot.

As a result, many employees either didn’t know what the tool could do or felt they didn’t have the skills to use it effectively. This slowed down expected productivity gains and prevented full adoption of the technology. The company was eager to expand its use of Copilot, but first needed to resolve these issues. Without addressing them, they knew their return on investment and potential efficiency gains would remain limited.

KPMG initiated a survey and interviews with early adopters and power users to evaluate how well Copilot was working and to identify any issues. Findings showed that roles involving high collaboration and repetitive tasks, such as HR, Finance, and Administration, benefited significantly from Copilot, while field-based roles found less value.

Based on this feedback, KPMG identified 28 high-value personas and developed tailored use cases for each of them. Function-specific training sessions and 34 bite-sized "Day in a Life" guides were created to help users integrate Copilot into their workflows.

Project milestones included:

• Assessing Copilot usage among the early adopter group and the organization’s overall readiness for responsible AI adoption.
• Determining which roles would gain the most from Copilot licenses.
• Creating 34 user personas and tailored use cases to ensure proper license allocation.
• Implementing a change management program, including a “Copilot Champion Network,” conducting training sessions, and developing 88 “Day in the Life” guides.

The mining company also leveraged KPMG’s Copilot Trailblazer solution, which includes apps to track Copilot use cases and calculate their ROI in time and dollars, and to monitor Copilot adoption across various departments, roles, and tasks.

Once high-value personas were identified and trained, an initial phase of 1,000 licenses were allocated, ensuring they went to employees who would benefit the most and were ready to use the tools effectively.

The client’s Copilot adoption rate rose to 87% among those with licenses. Over the final 28-day period of the project, Copilot was used 13,387 times across Microsoft 365 applications, resulting in an estimated 1,531 hours saved and a financial impact of USD $122,500 (CAD $172,000) in productivity gain. KPMG also successfully shifted licenses from underutilized users to those more inclined to leverage the tool, enhancing adoption rates and leading to further cost savings.

Targeted training for specific roles helped users adopt the tool, with the tracking app and surveys showing increased productivity. KPMG also conducted a legal assessment for governance needs and suggested updating the client’s information protection policies to prepare for broader Copilot adoption.

KPMG's engagement not only addressed immediate challenges related to Microsoft Copilot implementation but also laid the groundwork for future AI integration.

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