Microsoft Copilot with Outlook - Streamline Your Email Workflow

Jonathan Edwards
5 Apr 202414:26

TLDRThe video discusses the capabilities of Microsoft 365's Co-Pilot, a tool designed to assist with email management in Outlook. It highlights features like drafting and replying to emails, summarizing email content, and coaching for improving email tone and clarity. The video also touches on the cost of Co-Pilot, which, while beneficial, may not be a necessity for all users due to its $30 per user per month pricing and the need for an existing Microsoft 365 business license.

Takeaways

  • 📢 Introduction to Co-Pilot in Microsoft 365, released publicly in November 2023.
  • 💡 Co-Pilot works across the entire Microsoft 365 ecosystem, including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Microsoft Teams.
  • 📈 Co-Pilot for Microsoft 365 is priced at $30 per user per month, requiring an annual commitment and payment, in addition to an existing Microsoft 365 business license.
  • 📧 Co-Pilot can assist in drafting emails in Outlook, with options to generate different email lengths and tones, and even create a poem.
  • 🔄 Co-Pilot offers a 'Generate' feature to produce an email based on the input provided by the user, with the ability to keep, discard, or regenerate the email.
  • 🔄 Responding to emails is simplified with Co-Pilot, which can generate responses in various tones and lengths, and is available on smartphones and tablets for on-the-go email management.
  • 📊 Co-Pilot can summarize emails, providing a quick overview of the content, which can save time by allowing users to decide whether to read the full email or discard it.
  • 🤝 Co-Pilot has a 'coaching' feature that analyzes the tone and clarity of an email and provides tips for improvement.
  • 📅 Co-Pilot can help prepare for meetings by providing relevant information from the calendar invite, and it can also assist in searching and summarizing emails within Outlook.
  • 👥 Co-Pilot can summarize a person's recent activities across the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, offering a quick catch-up on their work.
  • 💬 Despite Co-Pilot's capabilities, the presenter finds it challenging to break the habit of writing emails manually and is unsure if the tool's features will change their email writing process.

Q & A

  • What is Co-pilot in Microsoft 365 and its primary function?

    -Co-pilot in Microsoft 365 is an AI assistant that works across the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Microsoft Teams, to assist users in managing tasks such as drafting emails, summarizing content, and preparing for meetings.

  • When was Co-pilot from Microsoft 365 released to the public?

    -Co-pilot from Microsoft 365 was released to the public in November 2023.

  • What is the cost of Co-pilot for Microsoft 365 per user per month?

    -Co-pilot for Microsoft 365 costs $30 per user per month, with an annual commitment and payment required upfront, resulting in a total of $360 per user.

  • Is it necessary to have a Microsoft 365 business license to use Co-pilot?

    -Yes, to use Co-pilot for Microsoft 365, a Microsoft 365 business license is required, as Co-pilot needs to be added onto that.

  • Can Co-pilot in Outlook assist with drafting emails? If so, how?

    -Yes, Co-pilot in Outlook can assist with drafting emails by allowing users to feed it with content they wish to include. Co-pilot then generates an email based on the input, which can be adjusted for length, tone, and other preferences.

  • Does Co-pilot offer assistance in replying to emails? How does it work?

    -Yes, Co-pilot assists in replying to emails by allowing users to draft a response with AI assistance. Users can set the response's tone and length, and Co-pilot generates a suitable reply based on the input.

  • Can Co-pilot summarize emails? Provide an example of its application.

    -Yes, Co-pilot can summarize emails to save time. For instance, it can provide a summary of marketing emails or detailed email chains, allowing users to quickly understand the content without reading the entire message.

  • How does Co-pilot integrate with the Microsoft 365 ecosystem beyond Outlook?

    -Beyond Outlook, Co-pilot integrates with the Microsoft 365 ecosystem by offering features such as meeting preparation, email search and summarization, and updates on colleagues' activities across Microsoft 365 apps, accessible through the Microsoft 365 portal.

  • What unique features does Co-pilot provide for managing meetings?

    -Co-pilot offers features to help prepare for meetings by summarizing the meeting's purpose, participants, and content, even if there isn't much information in the calendar invite. It helps users get a quick overview of upcoming meetings.

  • What is the 'coaching' feature of Co-pilot, and how does it improve email communication?

    -The 'coaching' feature of Co-pilot analyzes emails for tone and clarity, offering suggestions to make the email more polite, considerate, and clear. This helps improve communication and ensures the message is conveyed effectively.

Outlines

00:00

📝 Introduction to Co-Pilot in Microsoft 365

The video begins with an introduction to Co-Pilot in Microsoft 365, highlighting its release in November 2023 and its functionality across the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Microsoft Teams. The speaker, Jolian Edwards from Integral IT, expresses curiosity about Co-Pilot's potential to manage emails in Outlook, a task that consumes a significant portion of many people's workdays. The video aims to explore whether Co-Pilot can effectively aid in email management. The pricing is mentioned as $30 per user per month, requiring an annual commitment and a pre-existing Microsoft 365 business license. A live demonstration of Co-Pilot's email drafting feature is provided, showcasing its ability to generate emails based on user input, with options to adjust length, tone, and even format.

05:00

💌 Drafting and Replying to Emails with Co-Pilot

This paragraph discusses the use of Co-Pilot for drafting and replying to emails. The speaker demonstrates how Co-Pilot can assist in creating new emails from scratch, using basic input from the user to generate a fully formed message. The feature is also shown to be helpful in replying to received emails, with Co-Pilot offering a casual and medium-length response to a sample email. The convenience of Co-Pilot's availability on smartphones and tablets is noted, emphasizing its utility in managing emails on the go. Additionally, the speaker touches on Co-Pilot's summarization feature, which condenses email content for quick review, aiding in decision-making on whether to read the full message or discard it.

10:01

🔍 Co-Pilot's Advanced Search and Summarization Features

The speaker delves into Co-Pilot's advanced search and summarization capabilities within Outlook. It is highlighted that Co-Pilot can help users find specific emails and summarize the content, saving time and effort. The demonstration includes searching for emails from a specific sender and summarizing a chain of correspondence related to recruitment. The video also explores Co-Pilot's integration with the Microsoft 365 portal, where users can access a central hub for Co-Pilot features, including preparing for meetings, searching for emails, and summarizing recent activities of colleagues within the organization. The speaker emphasizes the time-saving potential of these features and their usefulness in managing the overwhelming flow of information in a typical work environment.

🤖 Co-Pilot's Coaching Feature and Final Thoughts

The final paragraph of the video script focuses on Co-Pilot's coaching feature, which analyzes the tone, clarity, and content of manually written emails to provide suggestions for improvement. The speaker tests this feature by sending a simple email request to a colleague and receives feedback on how to make the tone more polite and the request clearer. The video concludes with the speaker's personal reflections on Co-Pilot's usefulness across the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, acknowledging its potential to streamline email management and other tasks but also expressing personal reservations due to the cost and habit of writing emails independently. The speaker invites viewers to look forward to future content, leaving them with a comprehensive understanding of Co-Pilot's capabilities and considerations.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡AI assistant

An AI assistant refers to an artificial intelligence system designed to perform tasks and provide assistance, typically through voice or text interactions. In the context of the video, the AI assistant helps manage emails and other tasks within Microsoft 365, streamlining the user's workflow and improving efficiency.

💡Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 is a subscription-based service that offers a suite of productivity tools developed by Microsoft, including applications like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. It is designed for both individual and business use, providing collaborative features and regular updates.

💡Co-pilot

Co-pilot, in the context of Microsoft 365, is an AI-powered tool that assists users in various tasks across the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, such as drafting and managing emails, summarizing content, and providing meeting preparations.

💡Email management

Email management refers to the process of organizing, sorting, and responding to incoming and outgoing emails in a systematic and efficient manner. It is crucial for maintaining productivity and communication in a business environment.

💡Outlook

Outlook is an email client and personal information manager developed by Microsoft, included in the Microsoft 365 suite. It provides features for email management, calendar organization, and contact management.

💡Drafting emails

Drafting emails involves creating and writing the content of an email before sending it. This process can be time-consuming, especially when crafting professional or detailed messages.

💡Summarizing emails

Summarizing emails is the process of condensing the content of an email into a shorter, more digestible format, allowing the recipient to quickly understand the main points without reading the entire message.

💡Tone

Tone in communication refers to the attitude or emotion conveyed through language. In the context of emails, a polite and professional tone is often preferred to maintain a positive and respectful business relationship.

💡Clarity

Clarity in communication means expressing ideas or information in a way that is easy to understand, avoiding ambiguity or confusion. Clear communication is essential for effective interaction and understanding.

💡Co-pilot pricing

Co-pilot pricing refers to the cost associated with using the AI assistant feature within Microsoft 365. The pricing structure can affect the decision of individuals or businesses to adopt and utilize the service.

💡Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is a platform that combines chat, video meetings, and file storage into one collaborative space. It is part of the Microsoft 365 suite and is designed to facilitate teamwork and communication within an organization.

💡Coaching

In the context of the video, coaching refers to the AI-powered analysis and feedback provided by co-pilot on the quality of an email's tone and clarity. This feature aims to improve communication skills and email etiquette.

Highlights

Co-pilot in Microsoft 365 was released to the public in November 2023.

Co-pilot works across the entire Microsoft 365 ecosystem including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Microsoft Teams.

The cost of Co-pilot is $30 per user per month, requiring an annual commitment and payment, in addition to a Microsoft 365 business license.

Co-pilot can assist in drafting emails in Outlook by generating content based on user input.

Users can choose the length and tone of the email generated by Co-pilot, including options like direct, neutral, casual, or even poetic.

Co-pilot provides a summary feature for emails, allowing users to quickly understand the content without reading the full message.

Co-pilot can help users prepare for meetings by providing an overview of the meeting details and agenda.

An email search feature within Co-pilot can find specific emails and summarize them for easier review.

Co-pilot can generate a list of recent activities for a specific person within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, aiding in catching up on colleague's work.

Co-pilot offers a coaching feature that analyzes the tone and clarity of an email and provides tips for improvement.

Despite Co-pilot's capabilities, the presenter finds it challenging to break the habit of writing emails manually and questions the value of the tool due to its cost.

Co-pilot is available on Microsoft 365 apps across different devices, including smartphones and tablets, making it convenient for email management on the go.

The presenter demonstrates the use of Co-pilot in replying to an email, showcasing how it can generate a casual and medium-length response.

Co-pilot's ability to draft emails and suggest improvements saves time for users, although it requires initial input from the user.

The video provides a live demonstration of Co-pilot's features, showing how it can assist with email management in Outlook and the broader Microsoft 365 ecosystem.

The presenter highlights the convenience of using Co-pilot for email management, especially when responding to a high volume of emails.