Microsoft Business Applications Podcast

Mark Smith [nz365guy]

The Microsoft Business Applications Podcast is an education, technology, business and career podcast for the Power Platform, Dynamics 365, and those that work with these digital transformation tools. The format is guest interviews with Microsoft, Community, and experts who work with Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI, Dataverse and Power Virtual Agents. The podcast has three shows that are released twice weekly. #Power365Show #PowerPlatformShow #MVPShow https://podcast.nz365guy.com

  • 29 minutes 7 seconds
    Build AI Agents Overnight: Prompt-to-Prototype

    Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVMĀ 
    Ā 
    Simon Doy and Mark Smith explore the rapid shift from experimentation to production use of AI agents. The conversation focuses on practical agent design, Copilot Studio, RAG quality, and where automation fits better than full agents. Simon shares real client work in the NHS, small business realities, and how partners deliver Copilot adoption and agent-led transformation. A recurring theme is choosing the right level of AI, from automation with AI sprinkles to long running agent workflows, while staying pragmatic about cost, governance, and user experience.Ā 

    šŸŽ™ Full Show Notes
    https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/814

    šŸ‘‰ What you’ll learnĀ  Ā  Ā 

    • How agentic workflows are moving from demos into real production useĀ 
    • When simple SharePoint grounding is enough and when Azure AI Search is requiredĀ 
    • How to combine automation and agents to avoid slow, interactive AI experiencesĀ 
    • Practical approaches to Copilot adoption for leaders and teamsĀ 
    • Why token usage, orchestration, and model choice are becoming operational concernsĀ 

    āœ… HighlightsĀ  Ā  Ā 

    • ā€œOn Friday, I let Claude Opus go and build me a Teams agent overnight.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œThe agentic side and being able to have these long running tasks is really shifting things.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œCustomers are now getting much more open to trying things out.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œCopilot Studio is the first port of call.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œYou don’t get the quality back from the agent that you need with complex content.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œHow you chunk it is so important for RAG.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œNot everything needs to be a full on agent.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œAutomation with AI sprinkles is sometimes the better option.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œMy world is fast becoming measured by tokens.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œYou don’t have to use the most expensive model on everything.ā€Ā 

    🧰 Mentioned     

    āœ… KeywordsĀ  Ā  Ā Ā 
    ai agents, copilot studio, microsoft 365, automation, rag, azure ai search, sharepoint, claude opus, agentic workflows, copilot adoption, power automate, tokensĀ 

    Microsoft 365 Copilot Adoption is a Microsoft Press book for leaders and consultants. It shows how to identify high-value use cases, set guardrails, enable champions, and measure impact, so Copilot sticks. Practical frameworks, checklists, and metrics you can use this month. Get the book: https://bit.ly/CopilotAdoption

    Support the show

    If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

    Thanks for listening šŸš€ - Mark Smith

    1 April 2026, 5:00 pm
  • 28 minutes 43 seconds
    Copilot Chaos: A Simple Map of Microsoft's AI

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    Dani Kahil breaks down the growing complexity of Copilot and AI agents in the Microsoft ecosystem and how practitioners can make sense of it. The conversation focuses on practical mental models, minimum viable agents, and real-world use cases, including document-heavy processes in higher education. The core insight is that successful AI adoption depends less on tools and more on clear roles, scoped responsibilities, feedback loops, and realistic expectations of non-deterministic systems.
    Ā 
    šŸ‘‰ Full Show Notes
    https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/813

    šŸŽ™ļø What you’ll learnĀ  Ā 

    • How to distinguish between Copilot experiences, products, and build tools across Microsoft platformsĀ 
    • Why diagrams and visual models help reduce AI and Copilot confusion for teams and leadersĀ 
    • How to define a minimum viable agent to prevent scope creepĀ 
    • Why treating agents like junior co-workers improves outcomesĀ 
    • How feedback loops and incremental task expansion make agents useful in productionĀ 

    Ā āœ… HighlightsĀ 

    • ā€œIt took me a lot of time to kind of process the information.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œI always like visuals and kind of diagrams.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œThere are so many different versions of the different copilots.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œThese are completely separate products.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œI started looking at them as roles and job functions.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œTreat your agent like a co-worker.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œIn two minutes, you can build an agent, and it’s useless.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œStart with a very simple instruction at the beginning.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œIt will never be 100%. That’s the nature of generative AI.ā€Ā 

    🧰 Mentioned 

    āœ…KeywordsĀ  Ā 
    copilot, ai agents, power platform, microsoft 365, copilot studio, agent builder, azure foundry, power apps, automation, generative ai, minimum viable agent, ai adoptionĀ 

    Microsoft 365 Copilot Adoption is a Microsoft Press book for leaders and consultants. It shows how to identify high-value use cases, set guardrails, enable champions, and measure impact, so Copilot sticks. Practical frameworks, checklists, and metrics you can use this month. Get the book: https://bit.ly/CopilotAdoption

    Support the show

    If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

    Thanks for listening šŸš€ - Mark Smith

    30 March 2026, 5:00 pm
  • 31 minutes 34 seconds
    AI Adoption Isn’t IT: Exec Alignment Comes First

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    In this episode of AI Unfiltered, Kristen Perdue explains why AI adoption fails when leaders treat it like standard software instead of a fundamental shift in how organisations operate. The conversation focuses on executive mindset, cultural alignment, and communication gaps that quietly derail AI initiatives. Kristen shares how to prioritise the right use cases, close AI literacy gaps, and re‑engineer processes so AI drives growth rather than amplifying broken workflows.Ā 

    šŸ‘‰ Full Show Notes
    https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/812 Ā 

    šŸŽ™ļø What you’ll learnĀ 

    • Why AI adoption is a leadership and culture challenge, not an IT rolloutĀ 
    • How executive misalignment undermines AI strategy and executionĀ 
    • How to prioritise AI use cases based on real operational bottlenecksĀ 
    • Why overconfidence in AI skills creates risk across organisationsĀ 
    • When process re‑engineering must happen before automationĀ 

    āœ… HighlightsĀ 

    • ā€œAI is a different way of doing business. It’s not really a tool.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œIt doesn’t work like software. It is a completely new way of doing business.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œMost approached it going, well, should I roll out AI?ā€Ā 
    • ā€œWe started throwing darts at a dart board anywhere it landed.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œAI multiplies good and it multiplies bad.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œOnly 21% of the companies deploying AI even touched re‑engineering their processes.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œThat lack of communication is the reason initiatives fail.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œPeople are confident, but they score 40 out of 100.ā€Ā 

    🧰 Mentioned 

    āœ…KeywordsĀ 
    ai adoption, executive alignment, ai strategy, generative ai, ai literacy, change management, process re-engineering, business transformation, leadership mindset, ai governance, organisational culture, applied aiĀ 

    Microsoft 365 Copilot Adoption is a Microsoft Press book for leaders and consultants. It shows how to identify high-value use cases, set guardrails, enable champions, and measure impact, so Copilot sticks. Practical frameworks, checklists, and metrics you can use this month. Get the book: https://bit.ly/CopilotAdoption

    Support the show

    If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

    Thanks for listening šŸš€ - Mark Smith

    29 March 2026, 5:00 pm
  • 22 minutes 22 seconds
    From AI Fear to Daily Habit: The 90-Day Playbook

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    šŸŽ™ Full Show Notes
    https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/811
    Ā 
    This episode explores how organisations can move from AI curiosity to real, everyday value through the practical adoption work of Carina de Vries. Drawing on hands-on experience, it reframes AI from a tool conversation to a problem-first mindset. The focus is on building trust, improving quality, and creating small habits that stick. Listeners will learn why one-off training fails, how behaviour change really happens, and how to design an AI adoption journey that fits daily work rather than disrupting it.Ā 

    šŸ‘‰ What you’ll learnĀ  Ā  Ā 

    • How to shift AI conversations from tools to real user problemsĀ 
    • Why small, repeatable habits matter more than broad AI trainingĀ 
    • How to design an adoption journey that builds trust and confidenceĀ 
    • Ways AI can improve both productivity and quality of workĀ 
    • How to help people move from experimentation to daily AI useĀ 

    āœ… HighlightsĀ  Ā  Ā 

    • ā€œI discovered ChatGPT and it helped me get back to work in just an hour a day.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œIt’s just another tool in the toolbox, so what do you want it to deliver to you?ā€Ā 
    • ā€œWe talk too much about the tool instead of a daily problem a user can relate to.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œPeople are already in a mindset that the current tool they’re using is better.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œIt’s about building the habit, not just doing a one-off training.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œMake it small, because we tend to tell everything about the product all at once.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œIf you can continue it another 30 days, then it’s going to be a habit.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œI wouldn’t know what to do without it because it’s saving me so many hours a week.ā€Ā 

    🧰 Mentioned     

    āœ… KeywordsĀ  Ā  Ā Ā 
    ai adoption, copilot, chatgpt, user adoption, habit building, productivity, ai literacy, change management, microsoft 365, prompts, workplace ai, digital transformationĀ 

    Support the show

    If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

    Thanks for listening šŸš€ - Mark Smith

    25 March 2026, 5:00 pm
  • 32 minutes 1 second
    Compliance as a Growth Lever: Close Enterprise Deals

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    In this episode, Mark Smith speaks with Caleb Mattingly about how startups and enterprises should approach AI governance, compliance, and risk as AI adoption accelerates. The conversation focuses on ISO 42001, common misconceptions about AI security, and why compliance is less about badges and more about trust, data quality, and long term viability. You will hear practical perspectives on when compliance becomes essential, how it functions as a sales enabler, and why human oversight still matters more than autonomous agents in high risk environments.Ā 

    šŸ‘‰ Full Show Notes
    https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/810Ā  Ā 

    šŸŽ™ļø What you’ll learnĀ 

    • How ISO 42001 differs from traditional security standards like ISO 27001Ā 
    • Why AI compliance is primarily about data quality, bias, and risk anticipationĀ 
    • When compliance becomes a sales lever rather than a legal checkboxĀ 
    • Why most organisations are not ready for autonomous compliance agentsĀ 
    • How startups should time compliance investments without killing runwayĀ 

    āœ… HighlightsĀ 

    • ā€œISO 42001 does not prove that your AI system is secure at all.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œMost of it is not security related, it’s about data quality and bias.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œAI is only as good as the data that you give it.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œCompliance acts as a sales lever before it acts as a security guarantee.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œAI can make a lot of mistakes very quickly.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œMost companies are not ready for AI agents with admin access.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œSOC 2 in two weeks is not a thing.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œCompliance and security are not one to one.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œEnterprises care about whether you handle their data securely.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œIt takes a minimum of five months to get SOC 2 done properly.ā€Ā 

     🧰 Mentioned 

    āœ…KeywordsĀ 
    ai governance, iso 42001, ai compliance, startup compliance, data privacy, soc 2, iso certification, ai risk management, enterprise sales, ai regulation, security and privacy, responsible aiĀ 

    Microsoft 365 Copilot Adoption is a Microsoft Press book for leaders and consultants. It shows how to identify high-value use cases, set guardrails, enable champions, and measure impact, so Copilot sticks. Practical frameworks, checklists, and metrics you can use this month. Get the book: https://bit.ly/CopilotAdoption

    Support the show

    If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

    Thanks for listening šŸš€ - Mark Smith

    22 March 2026, 5:00 pm
  • 21 minutes 16 seconds
    Pro-Code Agents Beat Low-Code: Here’s Why

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    This episode explores how AI coding agents are reshaping how software is built, through the practical experience of Vardhaman Deshpande. The core insight is that pro-code developers using natural language with modern AI models can now build features and agents faster than many low-code tools. The conversation examines velocity gains, trade-offs between pro-code and low-code, and what this shift means for professionals building AI-powered solutions.
    Ā 
    šŸŽ™ļø Ā Full Show Notes
    https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/809

    šŸ‘‰ What you’ll learnĀ  Ā  Ā 

    • When pro-code plus AI is faster than low-code toolsĀ 
    • How natural language is becoming a new interface for software developmentĀ 
    • Where Copilot Studio fits, and where it may slow teams downĀ 
    • How AI agents accelerate feature delivery and testingĀ 
    • What skills matter as AI-driven development maturesĀ 

    āœ… HighlightsĀ  Ā  Ā 

    • ā€œMy workflow is actually faster than doing something in a low-code, no-code environment.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œPro-code plus AI coding agents might actually be faster to build than low-code.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œRecent models are amazing at translating natural language to code.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œEarlier something that took weeks I can probably do in a couple of days now.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œThe velocity of creating features for products is going to explode.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œWhy do you need that middleware?ā€Ā 
    • ā€œPrompting rather than configuring is the transition we’re starting to see.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œHow much of pro-code versus low-code is realistic remains to be seen.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œThings which were prohibitively time-consuming have become possible now.ā€Ā 

    🧰 Mentioned     

    āœ… KeywordsĀ  Ā  Ā Ā 
    ai agents, pro-code, low-code, github copilot, copilot studio, microsoft foundry, azure ai, natural language coding, software velocity, ai development, microsoft ecosystem, automationĀ 

    Support the show

    If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

    Thanks for listening šŸš€ - Mark Smith

    18 March 2026, 5:00 pm
  • 21 minutes 52 seconds
    Your First AI Win: Automate What You Hate

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    In this episode, Esther Angell shares a grounded approach to adopting AI without hype or overwhelm. The conversation focuses on starting with real business problems, using the tools you already have, and improving efficiency without losing trust or human connection. Esther explains where AI delivers real value for small teams, the risks of misuse, and why culture matters as much as capability. The core message is simple: solve the work nobody wants to do, move fast, and stay purposeful as AI adoption accelerates.

    šŸ‘‰ Full Show Notes
    https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/808

    šŸŽ™ļø What you’ll learnĀ  Ā 

    • How to identify the right problems before introducing AIĀ 
    • Where small businesses can gain real efficiency with AIĀ 
    • Why overusing AI can damage trust and customer experienceĀ 
    • How to reduce risk when using free and built-in AI toolsĀ 
    • Practical ways to start small and fail fast with AI initiativesĀ 

    āœ… HighlightsĀ 

    • ā€œYou can't be in a state of curiosity and judgment at the same time.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œAI shouldn’t be your decision-making platform.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œWe still have people making those buying decisions.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œMost folks are using it, but at a preference level.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œWhat tools do you own, and are you using them?ā€Ā 
    • ā€œContent is great, but it can get you into trouble.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œPeople are doing business with a small business because they feel connected.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œMost AI projects are not successful.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œStart with the thing nobody really wants to do.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œSmall businesses can be more nimble.ā€Ā 

    🧰 Mentioned 

    āœ…KeywordsĀ  Ā 
    ai adoption, small business ai, automation, efficiency, digital transformation, crm, power platform, entrepreneurship, ai risk, ai culture, process improvement, human centred aiĀ 

    Support the show

    If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

    Thanks for listening šŸš€ - Mark Smith

    16 March 2026, 5:00 pm
  • 32 minutes 54 seconds
    Agentic AI: From Hype to Real Work Done

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    Ā 
    This episode features a conversation with Daniel Cohen‑Dumani on why many organisations feel stuck on AI despite rapid advances. The discussion focuses on agentic AI, the growing gap between consumer and business adoption, and why strategy matters more than experimentation. You will hear practical guidance on narrowing AI efforts to real business problems, building organisational memory for reliable agents, and avoiding paralysis caused by hype and fear. The conversation also challenges traditional systems like CRM and reframes AI as a tool to learn, not shortcut, building sustainable capability inside organisations.

    šŸ‘‰ Full Show Notes
    https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/807Ā 

    šŸŽ™ļø What you’ll learnĀ 

    • How agentic AI is shifting from demos to real work executionĀ 
    • Why many businesses are still years behind practical AI adoptionĀ 
    • How to identify one business problem where AI can move the needleĀ 
    • What organisational memory is and why agents depend on itĀ 
    • How to use AI to learn skills rather than replace thinkingĀ 

    Ā āœ… Highlights Ā 

    • ā€œThere’s not going to be a slowdown. I think this is just a new normal.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œI think business are more lost than ever.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œWe live in a bubble, but businesses are still two years back.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œ2026 is really the year where we’re going to see business start knocking off things using agentic AI.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œEvery business today have to be driving a bus on the highway and changing the wheels.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œAI is going to disrupt your business. That is a fact.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œContext is the key to having reliable agents.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œAn agent without memory is nothing.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œInnovation has to come from the bottom up.ā€Ā 

    🧰 Mentioned 

    āœ…KeywordsĀ 
    agentic ai, ai adoption, organisational memory, business strategy, ai agents, knowledge graph, crm systems, enterprise ai, ai learning, automation, digital transformation, ai disruptionĀ 

    Microsoft 365 Copilot Adoption is a Microsoft Press book for leaders and consultants. It shows how to identify high-value use cases, set guardrails, enable champions, and measure impact, so Copilot sticks. Practical frameworks, checklists, and metrics you can use this month. Get the book: https://bit.ly/CopilotAdoption

    Support the show

    If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

    Thanks for listening šŸš€ - Mark Smith

    15 March 2026, 5:00 pm
  • 33 minutes
    Why AI Fails Without Governance and Information Architecture

    Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVMĀ 
    Ā 
    Simon Hudson explores how organisations can build real AI capability by grounding Copilot and AI tools in strong information architecture, governance, and canonical knowledge. He discusses using SharePoint as the brain of the business, the limits of today’s agent hype, and why AI should be treated like essential infrastructure rather than a bolt-on. The conversation highlights practical patterns for reducing hallucinations, improving productivity, and using AI to support executive and ethical decision-making.Ā 

    šŸŽ™ Full Show Notes
    https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/806Ā 

    šŸ‘‰ What you’ll learnĀ  Ā  Ā 

    • How to use SharePoint and metadata to create a canonical source of truth for AIĀ 
    • Why good governance and information architecture are prerequisites for effective AIĀ 
    • Practical ways to reduce AI hallucinations through grounding and authoritative recordsĀ 
    • How role-based AI assistants differ from narrow task-based agentsĀ 
    • Why AI adoption should be treated as core business infrastructure, not optional add-onsĀ 

    āœ… HighlightsĀ  Ā  Ā 

    • ā€œIf you haven’t got good governance and good information architecture, you cannot have good AI.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œI came up with this concept using SharePoint to create the brain of the business.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œIt’s the authoritative record, and in it, it is fully human legible.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œWe’re really doing is creating virtual employees or virtual staff.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œI don’t like the word agent. I think it’s too tech.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œAI is more like electricity.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œPeople think they’re using Copilot, but they’re not talking about the same thing.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œMost organisations don’t really know what their ethical position is.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œThe AI is completely impartial. It goes, yeah, but you said.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œThat knowledge bank enables people to be much more productive.ā€Ā 

    🧰 Mentioned     

    āœ… KeywordsĀ  Ā  Ā Ā 
    ai governance, microsoft copilot, sharepoint, information architecture, metadata, business productivity, ai agents, canonical data, digital workplace, executive decision making, ethics in ai, knowledge managementĀ 

    Microsoft 365 Copilot Adoption is a Microsoft Press book for leaders and consultants. It shows how to identify high-value use cases, set guardrails, enable champions, and measure impact, so Copilot sticks. Practical frameworks, checklists, and metrics you can use this month. Get the book: https://bit.ly/CopilotAdoption

    Support the show

    If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

    Thanks for listening šŸš€ - Mark Smith

    11 March 2026, 5:00 pm
  • 32 minutes 43 seconds
    Build an AI-Ready Culture Without the Hype

    Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVMĀ 
    Ā 
    Sam Fankuchen shares how organisations can move beyond AI hype to build real capability. The discussion focuses on creating an AI-ready culture, using AI agents with human oversight, and adopting AI responsibly in regulated environments. Sam explains why transparency, ethics, and experimentation matter, and why delaying adoption carries its own risks. The conversation is grounded in practical experience, showing how AI can scale human impact while keeping people, trust, and quality of life at the centre.Ā 

    šŸ‘‰ Full Show Notes
    https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/805

    šŸŽ™ļø What you’ll learn Ā 

    • How to build an AI-ready culture without waiting for perfect certaintyĀ 
    • Where AI agents deliver value beyond chatbots in day-to-day workĀ 
    • How human-in-the-loop design reduces risk while increasing speedĀ 
    • Ways regulated industries can innovate responsibly with AIĀ 
    • Why slow AI adoption can be more dangerous than thoughtful experimentationĀ 

    āœ… HighlightsĀ 

    • ā€œWe have more AI agents than we do employees.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œEthics means understanding where we are in the curve of possibilities.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œWe are not going to turn back the clock.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œCompanies that do not figure this out will not be around.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œThere is no such thing as total comfort with AI.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œYou need a safe place where people can share what they are learning.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œAI is an extension of culture, but also something new.ā€Ā 
    • ā€œEvery minute that we wait diminishes value.ā€Ā 

    🧰 Mentioned 

    āœ…KeywordsĀ 
    artificial intelligence, ai agents, ai culture, responsible ai, human in the loop, regulated industries, ai adoption, business transformation, ethics, productivity, collaboration, ai strategyĀ 

    Microsoft 365 Copilot Adoption is a Microsoft Press book for leaders and consultants. It shows how to identify high-value use cases, set guardrails, enable champions, and measure impact, so Copilot sticks. Practical frameworks, checklists, and metrics you can use this month. Get the book: https://bit.ly/CopilotAdoption

    Support the show

    If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

    Thanks for listening šŸš€ - Mark Smith

    8 March 2026, 5:00 pm
  • 25 minutes 49 seconds
    Why Copilot Adoption Stalls and How to Fix It

    Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVMĀ 

    Danny Burlage joins The MVP Show to explore why AI adoption in organisations is stalling and what actually moves it forward. The conversation moves beyond personal productivity to focus on AI as infrastructure, process transformation, and organisational capability. Danny shares what he sees in European enterprises, why Copilot adoption has lagged, and how companies can move from isolated pilots to real business impact by redesigning end to end processes and building AI literacy at scale.

    šŸŽ™ Full Show Notes
    https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/804

    šŸ‘‰ What you’ll learnĀ  Ā  Ā 

    • Why personal productivity gains rarely convince executives to invest in AIĀ 
    • How to reframe Copilot and AI as organisational infrastructure, not a toolĀ 
    • What separates AI proof of concepts that fail from those that reach productionĀ 
    • How gamified training can accelerate AI and Copilot adoptionĀ 
    • Where real AI value emerges through cross functional, end to end processesĀ 

    āœ… HighlightsĀ  Ā  Ā 

    • ā€œWe see adoption of end user or bring your own AI going through the roofā€Ā 
    • ā€œThe whole Copilot experience when they hit the market was not that greatā€Ā 
    • ā€œAt this moment, if I compare ChatGPT towards a Copilot, Copilot is betterā€Ā 
    • ā€œNobody’s interested in saving half an hour per employee per dayā€Ā 
    • ā€œThey’re all interested in how can we improve organisational wide processesā€Ā 
    • ā€œAI has been seen as a nice bit of new tech rather than infrastructureā€Ā 
    • ā€œMost software developers are becoming prompt engineers on steroidsā€Ā 
    • ā€œThat’s where the actual proof of the pudding isā€Ā 
    • ā€œWe’re slowly getting there but we’re not there yetā€Ā 

    🧰 Mentioned     

    āœ… KeywordsĀ  Ā  Ā Ā 
    ai adoption, microsoft copilot, enterprise ai, ai literacy, digital transformation, agentic ai, process automation, copilot training, ai governance, business processes, generative ai, productivity

    Microsoft 365 Copilot Adoption is a Microsoft Press book for leaders and consultants. It shows how to identify high-value use cases, set guardrails, enable champions, and measure impact, so Copilot sticks. Practical frameworks, checklists, and metrics you can use this month. Get the book: https://bit.ly/CopilotAdoption

    Support the show

    If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

    Thanks for listening šŸš€ - Mark Smith

    4 March 2026, 5:00 pm
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