Microsoft 365 & Copilot

Microsoft 365 is Microsoft's cloud-based subscription platform that combines the Office applications you already know — Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, OneNote — with enterprise-grade cloud services, security, and AI. It is far more than a productivity suite: it is a complete digital workplace that includes:

• Microsoft Teams — chat, video meetings, calls, and real-time collaboration in one application
• SharePoint — secure centralised file storage, document management, and intranet capabilities
• Power Automate — workflow automation to remove bottlenecks and automate repetitive processes
• Microsoft Copilot — AI assistance embedded across every app to help staff work faster and smarter
• OneDrive — personal cloud file storage accessible from any device
• Exchange Online — enterprise email with advanced security and compliance controls
• Built-in security — Microsoft Defender, Intune, and Conditional Access across all plans

Microsoft Copilot is AI assistance built directly into Microsoft 365 — available inside Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, PowerPoint, and other apps your staff already use daily. It does not require a separate tool or workflow change; it works inside the familiar Microsoft environment.

In practice, Copilot helps your team:

• Create content faster — draft emails, reports, proposals, and presentations from a brief prompt
• Summarise automatically — meeting recordings, long email threads, documents, and chats condensed to key points and actions
• Analyse data — ask questions of your spreadsheets and business data in plain English and receive instant analysis
• Automate repetitive tasks — routine actions across apps triggered by natural language instructions
• Work smarter in Teams — catch up on missed meetings, get answers from conversation history, and track actions without manual note-taking

The productivity gains are measurable and immediate for most users — particularly in roles with high volumes of email, meetings, and document production.

Microsoft 365 Business plans are designed for organisations with up to 300 users. The three main tiers differ primarily in app access and security depth:

• Business Basic — web and mobile versions of Office apps, Teams, Exchange, SharePoint, and OneDrive. No desktop Office apps. Entry-level security. Lowest cost per user.
• Business Standard — everything in Basic plus full desktop Office apps (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) and additional features including webinar hosting and video editing tools.
• Business Premium — everything in Standard plus enterprise-grade security: Microsoft Defender for Business, Intune device management, Azure AD Premium, and advanced data protection. The recommended plan for most SMEs concerned about security and compliance.

Microsoft Copilot is available as an add-on licence across all Business plans. Advantage advises on the right plan for each client's size, security requirements, and budget — ensuring you are not paying for features you do not need or missing capabilities that matter.

Microsoft 365 Backup is a data protection service that provides point-in-time restore for SharePoint, OneDrive, and Exchange content — enabling fast recovery of deleted files, corrupted data, or accidentally overwritten documents without lengthy manual restoration processes.

This matters because Microsoft's standard retention policies are not a substitute for a proper backup. If a file is deleted and the retention window passes, or if ransomware encrypts your Microsoft 365 data, recovery without a backup service can take over six hours per document and cost more than a full year of backup services. Advantage makes Microsoft 365 data protection simple, secure, and cost-effective as part of a comprehensive managed service.

SharePoint is Microsoft 365's document management and collaboration platform — providing a secure, centralised hub for sharing files, knowledge, and ideas across the organisation. It replaces shared network drives and email attachments with a structured, version-controlled, permission-managed content store that is accessible from any device.

SharePoint integrates directly with Teams so document libraries appear within Teams channels, keeping files in context alongside conversations. It also powers intranet sites and news hubs for internal communications — giving organisations a single place for both document management and staff engagement. Advantage configures SharePoint as part of every Microsoft 365 deployment, including information architecture design, permissions structure, and Teams integration.

Power Automate is Microsoft 365's workflow automation tool — enabling businesses to automate routine processes between applications without writing code. Common use cases include:

• Automated approval workflows for invoices, leave requests, purchase orders, and expense claims
• Notifications and alerts triggered by events in SharePoint, Teams, or Dynamics 365
• Data synchronisation between Microsoft 365 and line-of-business systems
• Automated document generation and routing
• Email triage and response automation using AI

For SMEs with lean teams, Power Automate can recover significant staff time from repetitive administrative tasks — freeing people for higher-value work. Advantage designs and builds Power Automate workflows as part of Microsoft 365 implementations and as standalone automation projects.

Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365 are designed to work together as a single connected Microsoft platform. Key integrations include:

• Outlook integration — Dynamics 365 customer records, emails, and activities are accessible directly within Outlook, enabling sales and service staff to track communications without switching applications
• Teams integration — Dynamics 365 records can be shared and discussed within Teams channels, and Teams calls can be logged as Dynamics activities automatically
• Copilot across both platforms — Microsoft Copilot in Dynamics 365 uses the same AI foundation as Copilot in Microsoft 365, providing consistent AI assistance across CRM, ERP, and workplace productivity tools
• SharePoint document management — documents attached to Dynamics 365 records are stored in SharePoint, accessible through both platforms
• Power Platform — Power Apps, Power Automate, and Power BI connect Microsoft 365 data with Dynamics 365 data for cross-system automation and reporting

Advantage provides end-to-end Microsoft 365 migration services for organisations moving to Microsoft 365 for the first time or modernising an existing environment. The QuickStart migration service ensures the Microsoft 365 configuration is current, secure, and optimised from day one — covering:

• Email migration from on-premise Exchange, Google Workspace, or other platforms
• SharePoint and OneDrive migration from network drives and legacy file stores
• Teams deployment and configuration
• Security baseline configuration including Defender, Intune, and Conditional Access
• User onboarding, training, and adoption support

Migrations are planned to minimise disruption — with parallel running periods for critical email systems and phased user onboarding where appropriate.

For most UK SMEs, the choice comes down to three considerations: whether you need desktop Office apps, what level of security is required, and whether you need Copilot AI capabilities.

• If your team primarily works in a browser and security requirements are basic — Business Basic may be sufficient.
• If your team needs full desktop Office apps — Business Standard is the right starting point.
• If you handle sensitive client data, need device management, or want enterprise-grade security — Business Premium is the recommended choice and represents strong value when the security tools it includes are costed separately.
• For organisations over 300 users or with advanced compliance requirements — Enterprise E3 or E5 plans should be evaluated.

Advantage provides licensing consultancy as part of every engagement — ensuring clients are on the right plan without overpaying. The wrong licence choice is a common and costly mistake for SMEs.

Deployment and adoption are not the same thing. Advantage ensures both through its Analyse, Activate, Aftercare approach:

• Analyse — assessing the current environment, identifying the right Microsoft 365 configuration, and evaluating Copilot readiness including data governance and security posture
• Activate — deploying Microsoft 365 and Copilot with a structured rollout plan, security baseline, and user onboarding — not just switching licences on
• Aftercare — ongoing adoption support, training, licence optimisation, and proactive managed services to ensure the platform continues to deliver value as the business evolves

Specific Copilot adoption support includes Copilot readiness workshops, use case identification by role, and adoption measurement. Contact the team, call 020 3004 4600, or email hello@advantage.co.uk.