AI for SMBs: How to "Punch Above Your Weight" with Digital Labour

Introduction
Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) as a strategic asset to level the playing field with larger competitors. In an era where digital labour (AI and automation tools) can handle tasks once requiring additional staff, a lean team can “punch above its weight” – achieving outsized results despite limited resources. By integrating AI solutions like Microsoft 365 Copilot into everyday operations, SMBs are expanding their team’s capacity, boosting productivity, and delivering value that rivals much larger organizations. This report explores how AI serves as a strategic asset for SMBs, explains the concept of punching above your weight with digital labour, highlights Microsoft 365 Copilot’s capabilities for SMBs, and provides real-world examples, best practices, and considerations for successful AI adoption.

AI as a Strategic Asset for SMBs

For SMBs, AI is no longer a luxury – it’s a critical strategic asset driving competitive advantage. AI technologies can automate routine work, uncover business insights, and enhance decision-making, allowing small businesses to operate smarter and faster. Key benefits of AI for SMBs include:

Increased Productivity and Efficiency: AI tools handle repetitive tasks and streamline workflows, freeing employees to focus on more valuable work. In a recent survey, 42% of SMBs were already using AI, and over three-quarters of employees reported enhanced productivity as a result[1]. Many companies have seen time savings translate directly into getting more done each day. For example, Cisco reports that 40% of SMBs observed higher productivity with AI-assisted tasks[2]. AI-driven automation (like generating reports or managing schedules) accelerates processes that used to consume hours of manual effort.
Cost Savings: By automating labour-intensive processes, AI helps small businesses do more with fewer resources. Over half of SMBs using AI report financial savings from its adoption[1]. Whether it’s cutting operational costs through process efficiencies or reducing errors, these savings can be re-invested into growth. One analysis found that even saving as little as 2 hours per employee per month can yield over 100% ROI on tools like Microsoft 365 Copilot[3]. Early adopters of Copilot have noted that about 1 in 3 users saved over 30 minutes daily by using AI assistance, illustrating how quickly small time savings add up[3].
Better Decision-Making: AI empowers smarter decisions by analyzing data and generating insights that might be hard for a small team to produce manually. SMB leaders see AI as a path to stronger data analysis and information access, which in turn leads to more informed strategic decisions[4]. For instance, AI can digest sales trends or customer behaviours and present actionable insights, helping business owners make evidence-based decisions rather than relying on guesswork. These data-driven insights, once available only to large enterprises with dedicated analysts, are now accessible to SMBs through AI tools.
Improved Customer Experience: AI enables personalized, responsive customer service that can enhance satisfaction and loyalty. AI-powered chatbots and virtual agents allow an SMB to provide 24/7 customer support and rapid inquiry resolution without requiring a round-the-clock staff[5]. This means even a small company can meet growing customer expectations for instant responses. Moreover, AI can personalize marketing and recommendations (e.g. suggesting products based on customer behavior), which helps SMBs engage customers in a way that rivals larger competitors[5]. By leveraging AI in customer service and marketing, small businesses can foster the kind of tailored, efficient experiences that drive revenue growth.
Innovation and Agility: Adopting AI can foster a culture of innovation. Because AI tools can handle groundwork tasks, teams have more bandwidth for creative thinking and strategic projects. SMBs are often more agile than big corporations, and with AI, they can experiment with new ideas quickly. In fact, 55% of SMB leaders say AI will be critical to their business’s success in the next two years[2], indicating that many see AI as essential for staying agile and competitive. From generative AI tools that assist in brainstorming new product ideas to predictive analytics that spot emerging market trends, AI serves as a catalyst for innovation.

Importantly, AI isn’t just about efficiency – it’s a long-term strategic investment in growth. A Microsoft-commissioned study by Forrester Consulting projects that over three years, Microsoft 365 Copilot can deliver a return on investment (ROI) between 132% and 353% for SMBs[6]. This underscores that AI, when implemented well, becomes a foundational asset much like high-performing talent or advanced machinery, driving both top-line and bottom-line improvements. As one business technology executive put it: “Upskilling on AI now is absolutely critical… In five years, running a business without Copilot would be like trying to run a company today using typewriters instead of computers.”[6]. In short, AI is cementing itself as a strategic resource that can define an SMB’s success trajectory.

“Punching Above Your Weight” with Digital Labour

“Punching above your weight” is a boxing metaphor that means performing beyond your expected capacity – and for SMBs, digital labour powered by AI is the key to doing exactly that. Digital labour refers to AI agents and automation performing work alongside the human team, effectively acting as a digital workforce. By utilizing digital labour, a small business can take on tasks and projects at a scale that would normally require a much larger team.

AI enables a small team to achieve big-team results. According to Microsoft’s Work Trend Index, nearly half of SMB leaders (45%) say expanding team capacity with digital labour is a top priority in the next 12–18 months[7]. This isn’t just about saving time on routine tasks – it’s about unlocking capabilities that were previously out of reach for smaller firms. With AI “agents” providing on-demand, expert-level support, “a five-person team can operate with the scale and sophistication once reserved for companies ten times their size.”[7] In other words, digital labour lets a handful of people manage workloads and complexity that would traditionally demand dozens of staff.

How does AI make this possible? Consider that AI agents can act as research assistants, data analysts, project coordinators, or creative contributors whenever needed[7]. Instead of hiring separate specialists for each function, SMBs can deploy AI tools that generate reports, write content, analyze large data sets, even create marketing materials automatically. This on-demand expertise allows small businesses to scale their operations without proportional headcount growth. In fact, business leaders are already noticing tangible impacts. One small startup, Industrialized Construction Group, used AI for tasks ranging from construction simulations to market research and managed to boost profit margins by 20%[7] – a remarkable efficiency gain that helps them compete with bigger players. These kinds of results illustrate why embracing digital labour is akin to giving your team a powerful force-multiplier.

SMBs can effectively compete with larger companies by leveraging AI-driven digital labour. Freed from many manual burdens, employees can focus on strategy, creativity, and personal touch – areas where small businesses often shine. The agility of SMBs is an advantage here: with leaner structures and fewer bureaucratic hurdles, small firms can adopt AI faster and reconfigure workflows more fluidly than large enterprises[7]. As a result, we’re seeing the emergence of what Microsoft calls “Frontier Firms” – businesses built around AI-on-tap and flexible human-AI collaboration. Early data shows 24% of SMBs are already using AI agents in some capacity, and 79% plan to implement them within the next 12–18 months[7], signaling that this trend of augmenting teams with digital labour is rapidly gaining momentum.

Case in Point – Competing with the Giants: Newman’s Own, a specialty food company, provides an excellent example of punching above your weight with AI. Despite being a household-name brand, Newman’s Own is run by a team of just 50 people – tiny compared to the multinational conglomerates it competes against. “We’re 50 people running a very big business,” says David Best, the company’s CEO. “Copilot helps us compete with multinational conglomerates in a much more effective way.”[8] By embracing digital tools, Newman’s Own can manage a broad product portfolio and robust marketing campaigns with a skeleton crew. This resourcefulness is part of their culture: “Finding ways to make a large impact without large teams and budgets.” Microsoft 365 Copilot, referred to internally as “our new associate,” assists every department – from Marketing and Operations to Finance and HR – saving time and money on countless tasks[8]. For example, in marketing, the team used Copilot to automate social media content creation and campaign planning. Riley McCarthy, a social media manager at Newman’s Own, found that tasks which once took hours (like drafting influencer briefs and replies to customer emails) could be done in a fraction of the time with Copilot, freeing her to focus on the creative work she loves[8]. In fact, Copilot has enabled Newman’s Own to triple the number of marketing campaigns it runs each month[8] – a dramatic increase in output without adding headcount. This case illustrates how even a small, resource-constrained team can “do big things with the right people and the right tools”[8]. By thoughtfully deploying AI as digital labour, SMBs like Newman’s Own are leveling the playing field and thriving against much larger competitors.

In summary, digital labour allows SMBs to amplify their impact. It’s about working smarter, not just harder. With AI as an ever-ready junior teammate handling the heavy lifting of data-crunching, paperwork, and initial drafts, a small business can project the power and reach of a far bigger organization. This is the essence of punching above your weight in the digital age: using intelligence and automation to overcome limitations of size.

Microsoft 365 Copilot – A Game Changer for Small Businesses

One of the most talked-about AI tools for businesses today is Microsoft 365 Copilot. Copilot is an AI assistant integrated throughout the Microsoft 365 suite (including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, and more) that can help users with content generation, data analysis, and automation of routine tasks. For SMBs, Microsoft 365 Copilot represents a powerful yet accessible AI solution to enhance productivity and creativity across the organization.

Key capabilities of Microsoft 365 Copilot include:

Content Generation and Editing: In applications like Word and Outlook, Copilot can draft emails, write reports or proposals, and even adjust the tone or length of text based on your instructions. Instead of starting from scratch, users can ask Copilot to create a first draft of a blog post, marketing email, or business plan, which they can then refine. This dramatically reduces the time spent on writing tasks. For example, Newman’s Own employees use Copilot to generate initial drafts of marketing content and correspondence, saving hours of writing time each week[8]. Such capabilities allow a small team to produce polished documents and communications at the volume and speed of a much larger staff.
Data Analysis and Insights: In Excel and other data-centric apps, Copilot can analyze data sets, create charts, and even build reports. An SMB can ask Copilot questions about sales data or financial figures in plain language (“Which product line grew the fastest last quarter?”) and get answers or visuals generated instantly. Copilot can pull together information from documents and spreadsheets and present trends or anomalies in easy-to-understand formats[6]. This helps SMB teams derive insights without needing a dedicated data analyst. Faster analysis means quicker decision-making – critical when a small business needs to respond swiftly to market changes.
Meeting and Email Summaries: Integrated with Outlook and Teams, Copilot can summarize long email threads or the key points and action items from meeting transcripts. This feature is especially valuable for SMB employees who often juggle many roles and meetings. Copilot’s summaries ensure no important detail is missed and reduce the time spent reviewing communications. As an example, the AI Assistant in Cisco Webex (comparable in concept to Copilot for Teams) can take notes and send meeting recaps automatically[2], illustrating how AI can lighten the load of administrative follow-up. Microsoft 365 Copilot brings similar capabilities into the Microsoft ecosystem, meaning a small business owner can rely on the AI to keep track of conversations and tasks, even when the team is moving fast.
Creative support in PowerPoint and beyond: Copilot can help create PowerPoint presentations by turning a simple outline or even a Word document into a slide deck complete with suggested images and formatting. It also can generate imagery or visuals (leveraging OpenAI’s DALL-E in some cases) to include in documents and presentations. For SMBs that may not have graphic designers, this kind of creative assistance makes it possible to produce professional marketing materials and decks in-house. In the Newman’s Own example, the team has begun using Copilot to brainstorm fresh campaign ideas and draft presentation slides for internal meetings, accelerating their creative process[8].
Cross-application Orchestration: Because Copilot works across the Microsoft 365 apps, it can perform multi-step tasks that involve different tools. For instance, you could ask Copilot: “Analyze our sales this month and draft a one-page summary in Word, then prepare a 5-slide presentation of the key points.” It can pull data from Excel, generate the written summary, and outline the slides in PowerPoint. This kind of orchestration is like having a virtual business assistant who knows how to use all your office software together effectively. It’s particularly advantageous for small business teams where each person has to cover many bases – Copilot becomes a versatile helper that connects the dots between different workloads.

Why is Microsoft 365 Copilot well-suited for SMBs? First, it’s integrated into the tools many small businesses already use daily. As industry analysts note, the easiest and often most productive way for SMBs to adopt AI is by using it as part of the applications they already use every day[4]. Since Copilot is built into Microsoft’s ubiquitous productivity suite, users don’t need to learn a brand-new system or have specialized AI expertise – they can simply invoke Copilot within Word, Excel, or Teams via natural language prompts. This lowers the barrier to AI adoption. Laurie McCabe of SMB Group emphasizes that embedding AI into familiar software provides a seamless experience and is likely the safest approach for most SMBs[4].

Second, Microsoft 365 Copilot benefits from Microsoft’s enterprise-grade security and compliance, which are extended to SMB customers. All the organization’s data stays within the Microsoft cloud environment with the same permissions and access controls. For small businesses concerned about data privacy or regulatory compliance, using an AI tool that inherits Microsoft 365’s security and privacy safeguards is reassuring[9].

Third, Microsoft has tailored Copilot’s availability and pricing to be SMB-friendly. It can be added on to Microsoft 365 Business Standard or Premium subscriptions for a monthly fee (approximately $30 per user as of early 2024)[3]. There is flexibility to pilot it with just a subset of users – Microsoft even removed minimum seat count requirements, so a tiny company can start with only a few licenses to test value[3]. This allows SMBs to dip their toes in AI without a massive upfront commitment. And as discussed earlier, the potential ROI is significant: early studies show gains in revenue and cost reduction that far outstrip the subscription cost if the tool is used effectively[6][3].

Finally, Microsoft 365 Copilot is positioned not just as a productivity booster but as a strategic enabler for SMB growth. Microsoft’s research with early adopters revealed improvements such as a 6% increase in net revenue, 20% reduction in operating costs, and 25% faster onboarding of new employees when using Copilot, on average[6]. Those are game-changing outcomes for a small business. With Copilot shouldering routine tasks and surfacing insights, teams can respond faster to opportunities (for instance, launching new products more quickly – some Copilot users cut time-to-market by over 15%[6]) and provide better service to customers, all contributing to growth.

In summary, Microsoft 365 Copilot acts like a versatile digital team member embedded in the apps SMBs use, capable of drafting emails, analyzing data, summarizing meetings, brainstorming ideas, and more. It amplifies what each employee can do. By adopting Copilot, an SMB gains a scalable AI assistant that helps every individual work at their best, thereby elevating the performance of the whole company. This makes Copilot a compelling tool for any small business aiming to punch above its weight in terms of output and innovation.

Expanding Team Capacity with AI: Real-World Examples

We’ve touched on how AI enables small businesses to do more with less. Let’s look at a few real-world examples and scenarios that illustrate how SMBs are expanding their team capacity with AI:

Newman’s Own – 50 People, Infinite Possibilities: As described earlier, Newman’s Own has only 50 employees but competes against huge corporations in the food industry. By integrating Microsoft 365 Copilot, each department at Newman’s Own effectively gained a “digital assistant”. The marketing team, for example, was able to triple their monthly social media campaigns output[8] because Copilot automates content drafting and campaign planning. In operations and finance, Copilot helps quickly summarize reports and perform data analysis, tasks that might have required additional analysts or coordinators. Newman’s Own leaders credit Copilot with helping them achieve big-company outcomes without big-company resources: “Copilot helps us compete… in a much more effective way,” says CEO David Best[8]. This example shows an SMB scaling its capacity in all directions (marketing, operations, HR, etc.) by deploying AI broadly.
Industrialized Construction Group – Boosting Margins with AI: This small startup in the construction sector used AI tools to handle complex tasks like running construction simulations and conducting market research. These are labour- and data-intensive jobs that might ordinarily require specialized staff or outsourcing. By relying on AI, Industrialized Construction Group achieved a 20% increase in profit margins[7]. In effect, the AI acted as a highly skilled extension of their team – doing in hours what might take humans days – allowing the company to take on more projects and optimize costs. For a small firm, higher margins provide crucial capital for growth, demonstrating how AI-driven efficiency directly strengthens the bottom line.
“Frontier” SMBs Embracing AI Agents: According to Microsoft’s 2025 Work Trend Index, a growing cohort of forward-looking SMBs are organizing their work around “human-agent teams.” One cited example is an agency called Supergood, which designed its workflow such that AI agents are embedded in every team as research and strategy aides[7]. Their employees have tools that put “decades of strategic research” at their fingertips, eliminating the need to always have a senior strategist in every meeting[7]. By democratizing expertise through AI, Supergood’s small teams can tackle large-scale client projects with agility. This model hints at the future of small business operations: a fluid collaboration between human creativity and AI computation, where each employee is empowered to achieve more because they effectively manage a mini “staff” of AI helpers.
Every Employee Becomes an “Agent Boss”: As AI adoption grows, SMB employees are beginning to manage AI agents much like they would junior staff. In fact, 81% of SMB leaders believe that this year is pivotal for rethinking roles and operations with AI[7]. Some small companies are even creating new roles like AI Workforce Manager or AI Specialist to oversee the integration of AI into teams[7]. This forward-thinking approach ensures that the human team members are directing the AI effectively – assigning tasks to AI, reviewing outputs, and training the AI systems to better fit the business needs. When done right, even a solo entrepreneur can delegate many tasks to AI services (for example, using AI to handle bookkeeping, customer inquiries, marketing campaigns, and more), essentially multiplying their capacity without hiring. This concept of “every employee an agent boss” highlights how integrating AI can transform team dynamics and output: people focus on higher-level decisions while their AI “staff” works on the minutiae[7].

These examples underscore a fundamental point: AI isn’t here to replace SMB employees; it’s here to elevate them. In all cases, the companies expanded capacity not by piling more hours on their people, but by handing off parts of the work to AI tools and thereby amplifying what each person could achieve. The result is often business growth – more projects completed, more customers served, or faster innovation – without a commensurate increase in labour costs or burnout. It’s like having an elastic workforce that can stretch to meet demand. For instance, when Newman’s Own tripled their campaigns, it wasn’t because the social media manager started working 3x longer hours; it was because Copilot made her 3x more efficient in executing campaigns[8]. The ability to scale output on demand is a competitive advantage that traditionally only huge companies enjoyed. AI is making that advantage available to even the smallest of businesses.

Challenges and Considerations in Implementing AI

While AI offers tremendous opportunities, SMBs must navigate certain challenges and considerations when implementing these technologies. Adopting AI is not as simple as flipping a switch – it requires planning, training, and thoughtful change management. Here are some key challenges SMBs might face and ways to address them:

Workforce Skills and Training: One of the biggest hurdles is ensuring that employees have the skills and confidence to use AI tools effectively. Many small businesses have started experimenting with AI, but only about 52% of SMBs that use AI have provided any formal training to their employees in these technologies[1]. Not surprisingly, over half of workers feel they need more training, and only about one-third feel fully confident in their AI skills[1]. This skills gap can limit the value an SMB gets from AI – if staff don’t know how to leverage the tools, the tools may go underutilized. Overcoming this challenge: Invest in training and change management. Even if the AI tools are “user-friendly,” providing tutorials, workshops, or peer coaching can accelerate adoption. Encouraging a culture of learning and experimentation with AI is crucial. The payoff for training is high: notably, 90% of employees who did receive AI training reported improved performance at work[1]. So, SMBs should view training not as an optional expense but as an essential part of the AI adoption process. Additionally, identify AI champions within the team who can lead by example and help others – this peer influence can boost overall confidence.
Employee Concerns and Change Management: AI’s entrance into the workplace can spark anxiety about job security or changes in role. When ChatGPT first emerged, there were widespread fears among workers about being displaced by machines[1]. In small businesses, employees often wear many hats, and they might worry that if an AI takes over part of their role, their value to the company could diminish. Addressing this: Leadership should communicate clearly that AI is meant to augment, not replace, the human team. It’s important to involve employees in the AI adoption journey – gather their feedback, address their concerns, and highlight how AI will remove drudgery and enable them to focus on more rewarding work. As noted in Microsoft’s Work Trend Index, being an “agent boss” (one who manages AI helpers) is about “doing more of what matters, not doing less”[7]. Emphasizing this positive framing and perhaps realigning job roles to incorporate oversight of AI can turn a potential threat into an exciting growth opportunity for employees. A transparent dialogue about how AI will change day-to-day work goes a long way in easing fears.
Data Privacy and Security: Using AI often involves feeding corporate data into cloud-based tools or AI models. SMBs may be concerned about the security of their sensitive information and customer data when using these tools. There’s also the issue of compliance with regulations (like GDPR, etc.) if AI handles personal data. Mitigation: Choose AI solutions with strong security and compliance credentials. For example, Microsoft 365 Copilot inherits the existing security, privacy, and compliance protections of Microsoft’s cloud[9], meaning data is not leaving the trusted environment and access controls remain in place. SMBs should also establish clear policies on what data can or cannot be processed by external AI services. Conducting a privacy impact assessment and consulting with IT experts or solution providers can help ensure that the chosen AI tools meet the necessary security standards. Essentially, treat AI with the same rigor as any enterprise software – ensure it’s secure and that you have agreements in place (like confidentiality clauses) if using third-party AI services.
Quality and Trust of AI Outputs: AI tools, especially generative ones like Copilot or ChatGPT, can sometimes produce incorrect or nonsensical results. They may also carry inherent biases based on their training data. Relying blindly on AI outputs could lead to mistakes in business content or decisions. For a small business, a critical error (say an AI-generated financial report with inaccuracies) could be costly. Solution: Maintain a human-in-the-loop approach. Think of AI’s outputs as drafts or suggestions, not final answers. Establish verification steps for important AI-generated content – e.g., have an employee review that client email Copilot drafted before hitting send, or double-check the summary it created of a contract. By treating the AI as an assistant that still requires supervision, SMBs can benefit from speed without sacrificing accuracy. Over time, as trust in the tool’s reliability grows, these processes can be streamlined, but it’s wise to start with checks and balances. Additionally, keep AI usage within domains where mistakes are low-risk at first, then expand as confidence builds.
Cost and ROI Concerns: SMBs operate on tight budgets, so any new technology expense must be justified. While AI tools like Copilot promise high ROI, the upfront cost (e.g., $30/user/month for Copilot) and implementation effort might give some businesses pause[3]. SMB owners might ask: will this really pay off for us? Approach: Start small and measure impact. Many experts suggest piloting AI adoption in a focused area rather than a big-bang implementation[3]. For example, an SMB might start using Copilot just for the sales team to automate proposal writing and email follow-ups, then evaluate time saved or deals closed in that period. If the results show a clear benefit (which can be quantified, like hours saved or increased sales leads), it builds the business case to extend AI to other departments. Microsoft now allows SMBs to trial Copilot with a handful of users[3] – taking advantage of such flexible licensing can keep costs low while you prove out the value. Moreover, calculating a simple ROI can help: if an employee’s time is worth $X/hour, and Copilot saves them Y hours per month, how does that compare to the $30 monthly fee? Research suggests the break-even is roughly 1 hour saved per user per month, and many users are saving much more than that[3]. By closely tracking these metrics, SMBs can ensure the investment is delivering returns and make an informed decision about scaling up.
Ethical and Responsible AI Use: AI introduces ethical considerations such as ensuring fairness, avoiding misuse, and maintaining transparency. SMBs implementing AI for hiring, customer service, or decision support should be mindful of bias (e.g., an AI-trained on biased data could yield biased suggestions). Moreover, using AI to interact with customers (like chatbots) should be done transparently – customers should know they are interacting with an AI, for trust reasons. Guideline: Adhere to responsible AI practices from the start. Use AI tools from reputable providers that publish information about how they mitigate bias and protect user data. Set internal guidelines for AI usage – for instance, you might decide that final hiring decisions will not be made by AI alone, or that any automated customer communication gets a human review if it’s sensitive. Keeping a human touch in areas that require empathy or complex judgment is wise. Also, be clear in customer-facing scenarios: if you deploy an AI chatbot on your website, have it introduce itself as a virtual assistant. Ethical deployment not only avoids potential pitfalls but also builds trust with both employees and customers that the AI is being used thoughtfully and responsibly.

In tackling these challenges, strong leadership and change management are key. Leadership should champion the AI initiative, as engaged executives dramatically increase the odds of success (studies show engaged employees are 2.6× more likely to fully support an AI transformation when leadership is visibly on board[9]). SMB owners and managers should take an active role in communicating the vision, providing resources for training, and celebrating early wins with AI to build momentum. By addressing the human side of AI adoption (skills, trust, culture) and the technical side (security, cost-benefit) in tandem, small businesses can overcome these challenges and smoothly integrate AI into their operations.

Best Practices for Integrating AI into SMB Operations

Implementing AI in a small or medium business can be transformative, but it requires a strategic approach. Here are best practices and tips for SMBs to successfully integrate AI and maximize its benefits:

Align AI Projects with Business Goals: Start with the “why.” Before deploying any AI tool, clearly identify the business outcomes you aim to achieve. Whether it’s reducing customer support response times, increasing online sales, or improving operational efficiency, define the KPIs or success metrics upfront. This focus will guide you to the right AI solutions and use cases. As Cisco’s SMB advisors put it, “determine your destination before adopting AI tools”[2]. For example, if your goal is to improve marketing effectiveness, you might prioritize an AI that analyzes customer data for better targeting. If your goal is to free up 10 hours a week of administrative time, you might implement an AI meeting summarizer or automated reporting. By tying AI initiatives directly to business objectives, you ensure the technology serves your strategy (and not the other way around).
Start Small with High-Impact Use Cases: Rather than rolling out AI broadly on day one, pick one or two pilot areas where AI can quickly demonstrate value. This could be something like using an AI chatbot to handle common customer inquiries, or using Microsoft 365 Copilot for a month in the finance team to automate parts of financial reporting. Choose a scenario that is manageable in scope but meaningful in impact (e.g., it consumes significant employee time or has direct cost implications). Run a time-boxed pilot and evaluate the results. This incremental approach is recommended by experts and allows you to showcase early “quick wins”[3]. Success in a pilot (say, customer emails are now answered 2x faster, or the finance team saved 30% time on report prep) will build confidence across the company and justify expanding AI to other functions.
Engage and Train Your Team: As highlighted in the challenges, training is essential. Involve your team members from the beginning – possibly even in selecting which AI to use. Provide hands-on workshops and create open forums for employees to ask questions and share tips about using the AI tool. Encourage a mindset of experimentation. One idea is to establish an “AI Champions” group: a few tech-savvy or enthusiastic employees from different departments who learn the AI tool deeply and volunteer to assist their colleagues. This peer learning can accelerate adoption. The goal is to make employees comfortable co-working with AI, understanding its strengths and limits. Microsoft’s adoption guidance for Copilot, for example, stresses preparing users with basics like how to write effective prompts and how to interpret AI outputs[9]. The more users feel confident, the more they will leverage the tool in creative ways.
Integrate AI into Existing Workflows: Meet your employees where they work. It’s usually most effective to choose AI solutions that plug into the tools and processes your team already uses, rather than forcing an entirely new workflow. If your company lives in email and spreadsheets, an AI that augments Outlook and Excel (like Copilot) will see better uptake than an isolated AI app that requires exporting data. This integration reduces friction – AI becomes a help, not a hurdle. As noted, SMBs find success with AI when it’s a “seamless experience” embedded in everyday apps[4]. Work with your IT provider or vendor to smoothly integrate the AI and test it within your environment. Also, define clear processes: e.g., “After each client meeting, we’ll use the AI to generate a summary and to-do list, then store that in our CRM.” Embedding AI into standard operating procedures ensures it’s consistently used and adds value.
Monitor Impact and Iterate: Once AI is in use, actively measure its impact against the metrics you set. Use analytics tools or simple tracking: How much time is being saved? Are customer ratings improving? If using Copilot, Microsoft provides a Copilot dashboard (via Viva Insights) that can show adoption rates and even what types of prompts are popular[3]. Gather feedback from users: what is working well, what challenges remain? You may find, for example, that the AI is great at drafting emails but occasionally makes mistakes in data analysis – such insight lets you refine usage guidelines (maybe heavier review for certain outputs). If the results are positive, document those success stories (e.g., “saved X hours, increased Y% in sales in pilot”) – they will be useful in getting buy-in for further AI initiatives. If results are below expectations, analyze whether it’s due to low adoption, a poor fit of tool to task, or insufficient training, and adjust accordingly. AI capabilities evolve quickly, so stay updated with new features (vendors often release improvements). Treat AI integration as an ongoing process, not a one-time project: keep fine-tuning how you use it to extract maximum value.
Foster a Culture of Collaboration Between Humans and AI: Ultimately, the most successful SMBs will be those that create a harmonious “human + AI” workflow. Encourage employees to view AI as a teammate. This can be done by setting the example from leadership – for instance, a manager openly praising how an employee used AI to produce a great result, thereby signaling that using AI is not “cheating” but rather smart work. When people see AI as a helpful partner, they will explore its capabilities more. It’s also important to clearly delineate responsibilities: define what the AI will do and what the human will do in a given process. For example, “AI will draft the customer proposal, and then our sales rep will customize it and finalize the pricing.” This clarity avoids confusion and ensures accountability. Celebrate joint successes (“Thanks to Jane and Copilot, we closed this client deal with an excellent proposal!”). By normalizing AI collaboration, you embed it into the company’s DNA.
Ensure Leadership and Stakeholder Buy-In: Small businesses might not have layers of management, but they often have very hands-on owners or a tight leadership team. It’s vital that the decision-makers in the business are convinced of AI’s value and remain supportive. Leaders should champion the AI project publicly, allocate necessary budget, and not waver at the first minor setback. Consider creating an AI roadmap or including AI initiatives in your strategic plan for the year. Communicate to any external stakeholders (investors, board members) how AI investments are expected to improve business performance. Having leadership committed will also reassure employees that AI isn’t a fad but a strategic priority. Some SMBs form a small “AI task force” or an AI council (even if just 2–3 people) that meets periodically to oversee progress and make decisions (as suggested in Microsoft’s adoption framework[9]). This keeps the implementation disciplined and aligned with business goals.
Plan for Scale and Long-Term Evolution: After initial successes, plan how you will scale AI usage. This could mean rolling out the tool to more employees or finding new use cases in different departments. Leverage resources from providers – for instance, Microsoft provides a Copilot Success Kit for SMBs with technical and adoption guidance[9]. As you scale, keep an eye on how roles may evolve. If certain tasks are fully handled by AI, think about how employees’ job descriptions might change to focus on higher-level functions. Proactively consider if new roles (like an AI administrator or data steward) are needed as your usage grows, or if you might consolidate some roles. Be open to re-structuring workflows; AI might uncover more efficient ways to organize work (recalling the Work Trend Index insight that AI can lead to teams forming around outcomes rather than rigid departments[7]). Also, stay agile: the AI field is fast-moving, and new tools or better techniques will emerge. Periodically assess if the solutions you chose are still best-in-class and be willing to adopt improvements. The idea is to keep pushing the frontier – once you’ve integrated one level of AI help, look for the next opportunity where AI can add value.

By following these best practices, SMBs can integrate AI in a way that is controlled, beneficial, and sustainable. The overarching theme is intentionality: use AI with purpose, guide your people through the change, and continuously align it with your business mission. When done right, even a modest AI implementation can yield substantial competitive advantages, from happier customers to a more efficient operation and motivated employees.

Measuring Success of AI Initiatives

How can SMBs know if their AI adoption is truly successful? It’s important to define and track metrics that capture the value AI brings to the business. Here are some approaches and metrics for measuring the success of AI initiatives in an SMB context:

Productivity Metrics: Since one major promise of AI is time savings, measure productivity in terms of time or output. For example, track how long certain processes take before and after AI implementation (e.g., “time to produce monthly sales report” or “number of customer support tickets one agent closes per day”). If you introduced a Copilot feature to summarize meetings, estimate how many minutes it saves each meeting, and multiply by number of meetings – this gives a concrete value of time saved. Many early adopters report significant time savings; as mentioned, one analysis found that saving just 54 minutes per employee per month could justify the cost of Copilot, and many users are saving well above that threshold[3]. Also consider output metrics: e.g., Newman’s Own tracked number of campaigns run per month and saw it triple with AI help[8] – that’s a clear output improvement. Identify the outputs that matter in your business (content created, customers served, leads generated) and see if AI allows you to increase those without extra staff.
Financial Impact (ROI): Wherever possible, tie AI results to financial outcomes. This could include cost savings (e.g., reduced outsourcing costs because AI handled a task internally, or lower overtime expenses due to efficiency), as well as revenue growth (e.g., more sales closed thanks to AI-augmented marketing efforts). A comprehensive way is to perform an ROI analysis: compute the monetary value of benefits (time saved * average employee cost, plus any additional revenue or cost reductions) and compare against the cost of the AI tools. Microsoft’s commissioned Forrester study provides a model here – it projected benefits like increased revenue by 6% and operating cost reduction by 20% for Copilot users, which translated into a very high ROI over three years[6]. SMBs can do a scaled-down version of this analysis with their own data. For instance, if an AI chatbot deflects 100 customer calls a month and each call costs $5 of support staff time, that’s $500/month saved – weigh that against the bot’s subscription cost. Over a few quarters, you should see a net positive if the initiative is working. Achieving a positive ROI (benefits exceeding costs) is a strong indicator of success.
Quality and Customer Satisfaction: Evaluate whether AI is improving the quality of work and customer experiences. Collect feedback: are customers happier with faster responses or more personalized service thanks to AI? Many companies use customer satisfaction (CSAT) scores or Net Promoter Score (NPS) – watch if these rise after implementing AI in customer-facing roles. Similarly, internal quality metrics like error rates can be telling. If you use AI to draft communications or to assist in data entry, check if the error rate in those areas has dropped. AI’s consistency can often reduce mistakes. Another angle is speed: e.g., time to resolve customer issues – has AI (through better information or automation) shortened the resolution timeline? Success can be seen in delighted testimonials (like a client saying, “Wow, your team is so responsive now!”) or in reduced churn rates for customers. These qualitative improvements, though sometimes harder to put in numbers, are crucial outcomes to capture.
Employee Engagement and Satisfaction: Since AI is meant to augment and not frustrate your workforce, monitor how your team feels about it. You might conduct a simple survey a couple of months post-adoption asking employees if they feel more productive, and if the AI helps them do their job better. High positive responses mean the tool is being embraced. Also pay attention to retention – the Forrester study noted an 18% average increase in employee satisfaction and up to 20% reduction in employee churn in organizations using Copilot[6]. Happier employees who are less bogged down by drudge work is a big win. If you see a boost in morale or a decrease in overtime hours (without loss of output), those are signs the AI is effectively easing workloads. Conversely, if some employees are not using the AI or find it cumbersome, that’s valuable feedback to address through additional training or tweaking the implementation.
Innovation and Growth Indicators: AI might help you launch initiatives that were previously not feasible. Keep track of any new products, services, or campaigns that you were able to execute because AI freed up capacity or provided new insights. For instance, maybe your team finally had time to target a new customer segment, or you used AI analytics to identify a market gap and create a new offering. These innovation outcomes – new revenue streams, entering new markets, faster product development cycles – are longer-term success markers. Essentially, they show that AI isn’t just doing the same work faster, but enabling you to do new things. A concrete measure could be time to market for new offerings – as noted earlier, some companies saw a ~15% improvement in time to market with AI[6]. If your business can now develop or respond quicker than before, that agility is a competitive success attributable to AI.
KPIs and OKRs: Many businesses manage by Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) or Objectives and Key Results (OKRs). Integrate AI-related improvements into your regular KPI reviews. For example, if one of your KPIs is “customer support tickets resolved per week,” see how AI changes that number. If an objective for the quarter is “increase sales by 10%,” evaluate how AI tools contributed (did they generate more leads or help close deals faster?). It might even make sense to set a specific OKR around AI, such as “Automate 20 hours of manual work per month using AI by Q4” with key results tracking the hours automated. By formally measuring AI’s contribution in your performance dashboards, you keep focus on its impact.

When measuring success, it’s important to take a holistic view. Some benefits of AI are directly quantifiable (like hours saved), while others are indirect (improved employee creativity or customer goodwill). Combine hard data with qualitative insights. Over a reasonable period (3–6 months of usage), you should be able to tell a cohesive story: e.g., “After implementing AI, our team’s output increased by X%, we saved $Y in costs, our customer satisfaction went up, and our employees report less stress in doing repetitive tasks.” If the story is positive and backed by data, your AI initiative is succeeding. If not, use the data to pinpoint issues – maybe the adoption is low or the use case chosen wasn’t the most impactful – and iterate on your approach as discussed.

Remember, the ultimate measure of success is whether AI is helping your business achieve its strategic goals and operate at a higher level of performance than before. If your SMB is delivering better results, delighting customers, and enabling employees to do their best work with the help of AI, then you truly are punching above your weight.

Conclusion
AI technology has reached a point where it’s abundant, affordable, and scalable on-demand, available to companies of all sizes[7]. For small and medium businesses, this represents a watershed opportunity to transform how they work and compete. By treating AI as a strategic asset, SMBs can augment their human talent with digital labour, effectively multiplying their capacity and capabilities without multiplying costs at the same rate. This fusion of human creativity and AI efficiency enables even a tiny team to deliver big results, whether it’s through faster innovation cycles, superior customer experiences, or smarter decision-making.

Tools like Microsoft 365 Copilot are leading the way in democratizing AI for SMBs, embedding advanced intelligence into everyday tools and making it easy to adopt. We’ve seen that Copilot and similar AI solutions can drive substantial ROI, boost productivity, increase employee satisfaction, and level the playing field with larger firms[6][6]. Perhaps most importantly, they free the people in an organization to focus on what humans excel at – creative thinking, relationship-building, and strategic planning – while the AI handles the grind and complexity behind the scenes.

However, reaping these benefits requires more than just buying a subscription. Successful AI adoption involves thoughtful implementation: aligning with goals, training your team, addressing cultural and ethical considerations, and continuously measuring impact. SMBs must be proactive in upskilling their workforce and evolving their processes to integrate AI effectively. The journey may have challenges – from initial skepticism to trial-and-error in finding the best use cases – but the evidence increasingly shows that the journey is worth it. As one small business leader advised, “Upskilling on AI now is absolutely critical…in five years, running a business without [AI] will be like using typewriters instead of computers.”[6] In other words, AI will likely become as commonplace and necessary as email or spreadsheets in the very near future.

In conclusion, AI allows SMBs to punch above their weight by expanding what their teams can accomplish. It turns limitations into strengths: lack of manpower is offset by automation, lack of in-house expertise is supplemented by on-demand intelligence, and lack of time is remedied by efficiency. By leveraging AI and tools like Microsoft 365 Copilot responsibly and strategically, a small business can not only compete with the giants, but also thrive, carving out its own space with agility and innovation. The message to SMBs is clear – it’s time to embrace AI as your digital teammate. Those who do so thoughtfully will find themselves more resilient, more capable, and ready to seize opportunities in a fast-evolving business landscape, truly punching above their weight every step of the way. [7][8]

References

[1] AI Boosts Small Business Productivity, But Employee Training Lags …

[2] How AI Innovation Will Elevate SMB Business Outcomes

[3] Can SMB’s afford Microsoft 365 Copilot? | ROI breakdown – T-minus365

[4] AI Tools for Small Business in 2025: Stay Ahead of the Curve | BizTech …

[5] AI as the Catalyst for SMB Growth in 2025 – vendasta.com

[6] Microsoft 365 Copilot drove up to 353% ROI for small and medium …

[7] 2025 Work Trend Index Highlights the Rise of Frontier Firms—Here’s Why …

[8] Newman’s Own: How a small company uses Copilot to make a big impact

[9] Microsoft 365 Copilot for Small and Medium Business – Microsoft Adoption

Introducing the CIAOPS AI Dojo: Empowering Everyone to Harness the Power of AI

We’re thrilled to announce the launch of the CIAOPS AI Community — a dynamic new space designed to help IT professionals, end users, and managers alike unlock the full potential of artificial intelligence in their daily work.

Unlike traditional tech communities that cater solely to technical audiences, the CIAOPS AI Community is built for everyone in the workplace. Whether you’re a seasoned IT expert, a business manager, or someone simply looking to work smarter, this community is your go-to hub for practical, real-world AI knowledge.

What makes this community different?

Inclusive by Design: We believe AI should be accessible to all. That’s why our content and discussions are tailored to a broad audience — from frontline staff to C-suite leaders.
Small Business Focus: We understand the unique challenges and opportunities small businesses face. Our community is geared toward helping smaller teams do more with less using AI.
Cross-Platform Coverage: While we have deep expertise in Microsoft technologies, we also explore non-Microsoft AI services — from open-source tools to third-party platforms — to give you a well-rounded view of what’s possible.
Wide-Ranging Topics: From boosting productivity with AI-powered tools to building custom agents that automate repetitive tasks, we cover it all.
Real-World Impact: Learn how to apply AI to streamline operations, improve decision-making, and enhance customer experiences — no PhD required.

Why Join?

AI is no longer a futuristic concept — it’s a practical tool that can transform how you work today. By joining the CIAOPS AI Community, you’ll gain:

Actionable insights on using AI to save time and reduce manual work.
Step-by-step guides for creating intelligent agents that automate common business processes.
Peer support and expert advice from a growing network of professionals who are passionate about making AI work for them.
Exposure to a variety of AI tools and services, helping you choose the right solution for your business needs — whether it’s Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, or something entirely different.

Whether you’re looking to automate document workflows, analyze data faster, or simply stay ahead of the curve, the CIAOPS AI Community is here to help you make AI part of your everyday toolkit.

You are invited to the first session for free!

To kick things off, we’re hosting an open introductory meeting for anyone interested in learning more about AI in small and medium businesses — with a special focus on Microsoft Copilot and how it fits into the broader AI landscape.

✅ No membership required
✅ No obligations
✅ Just a chance to explore, learn, and ask questions

Whether you’re curious about what AI can do for your business or looking for practical ways to get started, this session is the perfect place to begin.

3rd July 2025
09:30 – Sydney Australia time

Developing Engagement and Adoption of Microsoft Teams in a Small Business

Introduction
Implementing Microsoft Teams in a small business can transform how employees communicate and collaborate. However, successful adoption requires careful planning, leadership support, and a focus on people and culture. Rolling out Teams isn’t just a technical deployment – it involves driving a change in work habits and making Teams the central hub of your organisation’s daily workflows[1]. In a small business (typically under 100 users), you have the advantage of close-knit teams and agility, which you can leverage to quickly build enthusiasm for Teams. Below, we outline specific strategies and key steps to boost engagement and make Microsoft Teams the center of your small organisation.

1. Secure Leadership Buy-In and Set a Vision

Engage your leaders as champions for Teams from the start. Executive sponsorship is critical for any new tool adoption. Have a senior leader (owner, CEO or principal) endorse the move to Teams and articulate the vision for how it will improve the business. This sponsor should communicate the purpose and benefits of Teams to all staff – for example, faster decision-making, less email, and better support for remote work. Leadership should not only talk about using Teams, but actively use it daily, setting an example for everyone[2][3]. Microsoft’s adoption best practices highlight the importance of recruiting executive sponsors who can promote the change and encourage others to get on board[3]. When employees see management embracing Teams (posting updates, responding in Teams instead of email), they’ll be more inclined to follow. Establish a clear vision: e.g. “We’re adopting Teams to centralise our communication and collaborate more effectively as we grow.” This vision creates a sense of purpose and urgency for adoption.

2. Plan the Rollout with Clear Goals

Don’t launch Teams without a plan. Create an adoption plan that defines success criteria, timeline, and responsibilities. Start by setting measurable goals: for example, “Within 3 months, 90% of internal communications should occur in Teams channels, and daily active use of Teams should reach at least 80% of employees”. Defining such success metrics up front will guide your efforts and let you track progress[4]. Microsoft recommends establishing what success looks like in terms of user adoption and business outcomes[4]. Identify a project leader or “Teams success owner” – someone in the company responsible for driving the adoption plan[3]. This person (or small task force) will coordinate training, gather feedback, and monitor usage. Include milestones in your plan: for instance, Month 1: Teams pilot and setup; Month 2: Company-wide launch; Month 3: Review usage metrics and collect feedback. Having a clear plan and goals ensures you’re not just introducing Teams and hoping for the best, but actively managing the change.

3. Identify Use Cases Relevant to Your Business

Technology adoption is most successful when it addresses real business needs. Identify the specific scenarios and workflows in your small business where Teams can add value, and focus on those first[5][4]. For example, if project coordination is a pain point, use Teams to create a Project channel for sharing updates and files in one place. If your sales team travels often, use Teams chat and mobile app to keep them connected. By targeting a few high-impact use cases, you give employees a clear answer to “Why should I use Teams?” rather than leaving it abstract. Microsoft’s guidance for small businesses is to define an experience you want to improve that aligns with your business needs, then use Teams to address it[5]. Common use cases for Teams in small organisations include:

Team/Department Communication: Replace long email threads with Teams channels (e.g. a “Marketing” channel for campaign discussions).
Project Collaboration: Create a Team for each key project, so members can chat, share documents, and track tasks (integrating Planner or To Do).
Remote Meetings and Client Calls: Use Teams Meetings for virtual meetings with staff and customers, consolidating conferencing in one tool.
File Sharing and Co-Authoring: Store important documents in Teams (via SharePoint) so everyone works off the same files with version control.

By prioritizing a couple of these scenarios at launch, you demonstrate quick wins. For each use case, communicate the benefit (e.g. “Use the Project X channel so all notes and files are in one place – no more digging through emails.”). This alignment with real needs will drive organic adoption because Teams is solving daily problems, not just adding another app.

4. Line Up Stakeholders and Champions

Involve key stakeholders and enthusiastic users early on. In a small business, this might include team leads, IT staff (if any), or tech-savvy employees from different departments. These people will act as your champions – they’ll help promote Teams and assist their peers. Microsoft’s adoption literature suggests empowering champions who can model the new way of working and support their colleagues[3]. Identify a handful of “power users” – those who are quick to adopt new tech – and include them in an early pilot or planning session[2]. For example, invite them to start using Teams a couple of weeks before the official launch, so they can learn the ropes and populate some channels with content. Encourage these champions to share tips, answer questions, and generally cheerlead the platform[2]. Having internal advocates across the organisation creates peer influence: others are more likely to try Teams when they see their coworker using it effectively.

Also line up any other stakeholders needed for a smooth rollout, such as your IT support (even if external) to configure settings or HR/communications to help announce the change. In a partner-developed 7-step adoption guide, the first step is to “line up stakeholders” – from an executive sponsor to project lead and helpdesk coordinator[4]. Ensuring everyone knows their role in the Teams rollout will make the deployment cohesive. With a group of engaged stakeholders and champions in place, you have a built-in support network to drive engagement.

5. Configure Teams and Start with a Pilot (if feasible)

Before company-wide deployment, take time to set up the Teams environment tailored to your organisation. This includes creating Teams and channels structure, setting permissions, and integrating key apps. For a small business, you might start with a few core teams (one per department or project) and a standard channel setup (e.g. a “General” channel for each team plus additional channels for specific topics or workflows). Populate Teams with initial content – add some files, wikis, or notes relevant to that team. A populated, organised workspace invites employees to engage, whereas an empty Teams environment can confuse new users.

If your organisation is around, say, 50–100 people, you may consider a short pilot phase: roll out Teams to a small group first, such as the champions or one department, to test your configuration and gather feedback[2]. This pilot group can validate that Teams is set up in a user-friendly way and help spot any issues (for example, permissions errors or missing features) before the full launch. They essentially become early adopters who can demonstrate success to others. In very small businesses (e.g. 10–20 people), a formal pilot might not be necessary – but you can still have an informal trial with a few users to build familiarity.

During this setup phase, ensure essential technical preparations are done: everyone has Teams installed on their devices, accounts are licensed and enabled, and any needed policies (like external access settings, meeting policies) are configured. By the time you’re ready to launch company-wide, Teams should be ready for use with no technical blockers. Having a well-configured environment and a few experienced users will make the broader introduction go much more smoothly[2].

6. Launch with Training and Communication

When you roll out Teams to all employees, support it with effective training and clear communication. Don’t assume people will just “figure it out” – provide guidance to build confidence. Start by announcing the launch via email or a kickoff meeting, explaining why the company is moving to Teams and the expected benefits (reiterating the vision from leadership). Emphasize that this is the new central way to communicate and collaborate.

Provide hands-on training opportunities: Consider a live demo session (in-person or via a Teams meeting) to show basic features: how to post messages, tag colleagues, share a file, join a meeting, etc. Encourage questions and even do a live Q&A. Additionally, leverage Microsoft’s free training resources – for example, interactive workshops or the Microsoft Learn portal – which are readily available for Teams users[3]. You can curate a list of short tutorial videos or create a quick “Teams how-to” guide focusing on the common tasks relevant to your staff. The goal is to make sure everyone knows how to get started on Day 1. Microsoft’s End User Adoption Guide suggests creating a training plan and accessing available training resources to ensure users are prepared[3].

Customize training to your workflows if possible. Show scenarios employees will actually encounter: “Here’s how we’ll use Teams to submit weekly reports” or “Here’s how to @mention the warehouse team for a quick question.” This makes training immediately relevant. It can also help to train in small groups (department by department) so you can address specific use-case questions and use the language of their daily work[2].

At launch, also provide a support mechanism. Let everyone know who they can ask for help (e.g. our champion users, or a specific point person). You might set up a “Teams Help” channel where people can post questions as they begin using the platform. As communications experts advise, a strong communications and training plan is a key part of driving adoption[4]. By educating users and making help readily available, you reduce frustration and accelerate the comfort level with Teams.

7. Foster a Teams-Centric Culture (Encourage Adoption Behaviors)

Training alone isn’t enough – you need to encourage new habits so that using Teams becomes the norm. This is where company culture and day-to-day practice come in. Encourage employees to default to Teams for communication. A useful tactic (borrowed from Microsoft’s own Teams adoption team) is to “bring every conversation back to Teams.” If someone emails you a question that could have been a chat, reply in Teams or gently nudge them to continue the discussion there. If they stop by your desk for a status update, follow up by posting it in the relevant Teams channel. By always redirecting interactions to Teams, you signal that “Teams is where our conversations live”[6]. Soon, people will realize that Teams is the best way to reach colleagues – because that’s where everyone is engaged[6].

Another specific strategy: use @mentions to draw people into Teams. For example, instead of waiting for Bob to check a channel, type @Bob in a message so Bob gets a notification. This both alerts him and pulls him into the Teams dialogue. Users tend to respond to seeing their name highlighted, and it trains them to keep an eye on Teams notifications[6]. Over time, they’ll form the habit of checking Teams frequently, knowing important mentions or information will be there.

Celebrate and reinforce the behavior you want. If a team reaches a milestone of “no internal emails for a week, all comms in Teams,” call that out and applaud it. Consider fun incentives: perhaps a friendly contest for which team can most increase their Teams usage or share a success story of a problem solved thanks to Teams collaboration. Make it part of the routine to use Teams in meetings (e.g. during staff meetings, pull up the Teams channel and walk through updates posted there). The more you integrate Teams into everyday work rituals, the more it becomes ingrained.

Remember that building a new culture takes time and consistency. Lead by example (especially champions and leaders) – always use Teams yourself, even if it feels easier to shoot a quick email like you used to. Over a few weeks, these practices will catch on and the company mindset will shift to “Teams first” for collaboration.

8. Make Teams the Hub of All Work

To truly make Microsoft Teams the center of your organisation, integrate it into all key workflows and replace fragmented tools. The idea is to turn Teams into the “single pane of glass” where employees find everything they need to do their jobs[5]. Here are specific strategies to achieve this:

Conduct meetings via Teams: Schedule all meetings as Teams meetings (in Outlook, always click “Teams Meeting” for invites) so that joining happens in Teams by default[6]. This ensures that even if some attendees are remote, everyone meets on one platform. It also saves the hassle of separate dial-ins and makes it easy to share recordings or chat follow-ups in the meeting thread. Making Teams your standard meeting solution reinforces its central role.
Share and store files in Teams: Encourage staff to upload files to Teams (into the relevant channel) instead of emailing attachments. Files shared in Teams are available to everyone in that team and appear in the Files tab, creating a central file repository[6]. This way, documents aren’t lost in individual inboxes; they’re accessible and editable by the group. Over time, employees will know “to find a file or collaborate on a document, go to Teams.” It also provides version control and eliminates duplicate copies.
Bring other apps and workflows into Teams: Take advantage of Teams’ ability to integrate apps. Many apps your organisation already uses (OneNote, Planner, Trello, GitHub, Adobe, etc.) can be added as tabs in Teams or connected via integrations[6]. For example, if you use a task management tool, pin it as a tab so people manage tasks without leaving Teams. If you track customer leads in an Excel sheet, put that Excel in a Teams channel tab. By consolidating tools within Teams, employees spend less time switching contexts. Microsoft calls this “consolidating the tools you use most in a single pane of glass” – an advantage of Teams for SMBs[5]. In a small business, even simple workflows like approvals or forms can be moved into Teams via Power Automate or Forms apps, making Teams a process hub as well.
Use Teams for cross-company announcements and information: Instead of bulletin boards or all-company emails, use a Team (or the General channel of a company-wide Team) to post announcements, policy updates, or kudos. This turns Teams into the central source of truth for company news. Employees learn to check Teams (or Activity feed) for updates rather than relying on email or separate portals.
Invite external partners into Teams when appropriate: If you work closely with clients or contractors, consider using Teams’ guest access to bring them into specific teams or channels. This can consolidate external collaboration into the same interface, further making Teams the core platform. (Do this with security in mind – only in dedicated channels and with proper access controls).

In summary, whenever someone asks “Where do I find this?” or “How do I do that process?”, the answer should increasingly be “In Teams.” By having all conversations, meetings, documents, and apps in Teams, you create a true digital workspace. When employees see that “Teams is where the action is,” they naturally gravitate towards it[6]. This step is vital to cement Teams as not just another tool, but the central hub of work in your organisation.

9. Measure Adoption and Celebrate Successes

As you implement these strategies, keep an eye on adoption metrics to gauge progress. In Office 365’s admin center, you can find usage reports for Microsoft Teams – for instance, number of active users, messages posted, or meetings held. Track these metrics against the goals you set earlier. For example, if your goal was 80% active usage and you’re only at 50%, you know to intensify your efforts or identify barriers. Microsoft even provides an Adoption Score dashboard to help monitor user engagement with its services[7]. Regularly reviewing metrics like how many teams are created, how frequently channels are used, or how many chats vs. emails are sent can quantify the cultural shift.

Equally important, gather qualitative feedback. Talk to employees or send a quick survey about their experience with Teams. Are there any challenges or hesitations? What do they find most helpful about Teams? This feedback can highlight success stories to amplify, as well as areas needing adjustment or additional training. For instance, you might discover one department is lagging – perhaps they need a refresher session or haven’t found a compelling use for Teams yet.

When you start seeing positive results – celebrate them. Share success stories across the company. For example: “The Support team reduced their email volume by 60% last month by moving conversations to Teams[3], leading to faster response times for customers – great job!” Or, “Our first fully virtual All-Hands meeting on Teams had 100% attendance and lots of great questions in the chat – thank you for making it a success.” This kind of recognition reinforces the value of Teams and motivates continued use[3]. It also helps skeptics see real evidence of improvement.

Finally, be ready to iterate on your adoption strategy. Use the data and feedback to adjust your approach. If certain features of Teams are underutilized (e.g. no one is using the Planner tab you added), maybe users need more awareness of it or it’s not the right fit – and that’s okay. Continuously refine the setup, training, and policies around Teams to better suit how your employees actually work. Adoption is an ongoing process, not a one-time project[2][3]. By measuring and iterating, you ensure Teams truly becomes embedded in your organisation’s way of working for the long run.

10. Address Challenges and Support Users

During the adoption journey, you’ll likely encounter some challenges – that’s normal. The key is to address issues proactively and support your users through the change. Common challenges in a small business Teams rollout include: initial resistance to change (“why can’t I just email like I always have?”), confusion about how to do certain tasks in Teams, or simply forgetting to use Teams in the hustle of work. Here’s how to tackle them:

Handle resistance with empathy and clarity: Some employees, especially those used to certain routines, may be hesitant. Listen to their concerns – they might say Teams feels overwhelming or they don’t see the benefit. Respond by acknowledging the learning curve, then highlighting how Teams will specifically help them (for example, “I know it’s new, but using Teams means you won’t have to juggle dozens of emails anymore, which I think will save you time”). Reinforce that this is a company priority, backed by leadership. Often, demonstrating patience and providing one-on-one help for the first few weeks can convert resisters as they start to experience the advantages.
Provide ongoing help and resources: Even after initial training, keep learning materials available. Create a FAQ document or a Tips & Tricks channel on Teams itself for users to browse. When someone asks a question like “How do I do X in Teams?”, answer it (or have a champion answer) in that public FAQ channel so others can learn too. Encourage a culture where no question is silly – better to ask than to abandon the tool. Microsoft’s support site and community forums are rich with “how to” guidance; surface the most relevant Q&As to your team. Essentially, make sure nobody feels stuck or unsupported as they adapt.
Enforce gently, encourage strongly: In some cases, you might need to set expectations that certain communication must happen in Teams. For instance, you could establish a policy that internal team updates won’t be sent via email anymore. Then if someone sends an email to five colleagues that should’ve been a Teams post, politely reply in Teams and tag those people, modeling the correct behavior. Over time, these gentle nudges and the natural phase-out of old methods will reduce backward steps. Tie this with positive reinforcement – praise teams or individuals who exemplify the desired behavior (as noted in the previous section).
Be open to feedback and adapt: Perhaps a part of Teams truly isn’t working well for your business – for example, maybe you tried having a Team for every tiny client project and employees found it confusing to switch between so many. If users raise such issues, be willing to adjust your strategy or structure. Simplify the channel layout, or provide additional training on how to manage notifications. Showing that you’re responsive to challenges will increase overall buy-in. It tells your people that adoption is a two-way street: you expect them to make the effort, but you’re also listening and making improvements for them.

By actively managing these challenges, you prevent small hurdles from derailing the whole initiative. In a small business, you have the advantage of close communication – use that to troubleshoot issues quickly. Provide lots of encouragement and never punish mistakes in usage (everyone is learning). With solid support, even initially reluctant users will gradually feel more comfortable and embrace Teams as the new normal.

11. Ensure Security and Governance (Keep Data Safe)

While driving adoption, don’t overlook security and governance considerations. Small businesses may not have dedicated IT security staff, but it’s still important to protect your data and manage Teams properly. The good news is that Microsoft Teams, as part of Microsoft 365, comes with enterprise-grade security and compliance features by default. All data in Teams (messages, files, attachments) is encrypted in transit and at rest[8], and the platform meets numerous industry standards for security. This means you can confidently make Teams your central workspace without compromising on data protection.

That said, implement a few sensible practices:

Control external access: If you plan to collaborate with external users (guests) in Teams, decide on a policy. Perhaps only specific Teams or channels will include guests, and only after admin approval. This way, you prevent accidental exposure of internal information. In Teams admin settings (or Microsoft 365 admin), you can toggled guest access on/off or restrict what guests can do. For a small company, you might allow external guests for specific client projects but disable them company-wide otherwise for simplicity.
Manage Teams membership and data: Since Teams can become a hub of valuable information, ensure you have a process for offboarding users (e.g., when an employee leaves, promptly remove or block their Office 365 account so they no longer access Teams). It’s wise to periodically review who has access to which Team, especially if you have sensitive business information in certain channels. Teams also inherits your Microsoft 365 data governance policies – for example, if you have retention policies for email, extend those to Teams chats and files as needed[9].
Educate users on good security hygiene: Remind employees that the same common-sense security rules apply on Teams as elsewhere. For instance, they shouldn’t share passwords or sensitive personal data in Teams channels that aren’t secure. If you have private channels for management or HR topics, ensure they know what should be discussed there versus in public channels. Teaching them to use features like private chats for one-to-one sensitive conversations or tagging content with sensitivity labels if you use them can be helpful. Luckily, Teams provides a safe environment compared to shadow IT (like personal chat apps or unmonitored email), so by channeling work into Teams you’re likely improving security overall (less company info floating in personal texts or drives).
Leverage built-in compliance tools if needed: If your industry has compliance requirements (even SMBs might need to retain communications for legal reasons), know that Office 365 Compliance Center can archive Teams messages, and you can perform content searches or legal holds on Teams data just like email. This may be more relevant as you grow, but it’s good to be aware from the start that Teams can be managed in a compliant way as part of Microsoft 365[9].

In summary, making Teams the center of your organisation doesn’t mean taking risks with data. With proper settings and user awareness, Teams can actually enhance your security posture while users collaborate fluidly. Small businesses using Microsoft 365 Business Premium, for example, get advanced security features (like data loss prevention and multifactor authentication enforcement) that extend to Teams. Ensure MFA is enabled for your users – that alone dramatically improves account security for Teams and all apps. By building a secure foundation, users and management will feel comfortable embracing Teams widely.

12. Provide Ongoing Support and Evolve

Adoption is not a one-time event – it’s an ongoing journey. After the initial rollout and surge of usage, keep the momentum by providing continuous support, updates, and improvements. Here are final strategies to sustain engagement:

Keep training and learning ongoing: As Teams introduces new features or as your business processes change, update employees regularly. For instance, if Microsoft releases a useful new feature (like an improved whiteboard or breakout rooms in meetings), highlight it in your Teams Tips channel or a short demo video. This not only educates users but shows that Teams is continuously getting better, giving them more reasons to use it. You might hold “lunch and learn” sessions every few months focusing on advanced Teams tips once basics are mastered. Microsoft offers free live training events and webinars for new features – share these with your team or even attend together[5]. An ethos of continuous learning will help employees get the most out of Teams over time.
Refresh the champions network: Over time, some of your champions may change roles or new enthusiastic users may emerge. Keep the champions group active – perhaps convene them quarterly to discuss how adoption is going and to gather their insights. Encourage champions to mentor any new hires on using Teams from day one, so newcomers immediately adopt the established collaboration style.
Expand Teams’ usage to new areas: After initial success with core scenarios, look for other business activities that you can bring into Teams. For example, if you haven’t yet, consider using Teams for voice calls (with Teams Phone) to unify all communications. Or integrate a simple workflow like expense approvals using a Forms tab or Power Automate. This continuous expansion should always be driven by needs – ask teams, “What’s a tedious process we might simplify via Teams?” Then pilot a solution. By iterating and expanding, you maintain a sense that Teams is growing with your business and always adding value.
Monitor and adjust governance as needed: As usage grows, periodically review if your Teams structure is still optimal. You might find you need to re-organize some channels or archive ones that are no longer active (Teams allows archiving of old teams). Keep things clean and intuitive – this might mean establishing some guidelines, e.g., a naming convention for new Teams or a rule to avoid duplicate team creation. In a small business, governance can be lightweight, but a little tidiness goes a long way in sustaining user friendliness.
Recognize and reward continued use: Don’t stop celebrating successes. Over the long term, you might measure bigger outcomes – e.g., increased customer satisfaction or faster project delivery – that tie back to better collaboration through Teams. When you hit those business outcomes, acknowledge Teams’ role and credit your employees’ effective use of it. This reinforces that adopting Teams wasn’t just an IT whim; it was a strategic move that is paying off for everyone.
Leverage Microsoft and community resources: Microsoft’s ecosystem provides a wealth of support for customers adopting Teams – from the Tech Community forums (where other small businesses share tips) to blogs announcing new features, and the SMB Champions community[5]. Stay plugged into these resources yourself or assign someone to be the “Teams SME” who keeps an eye on updates. This will help you bring in best practices and keep your organisation’s use of Teams fresh and optimized.

By continuously supporting your users and adapting to their needs, you ensure that Teams remains a productive, engaging environment rather than “just another app.” Over time, as employees come and go and as work evolves, your proactive approach will keep the level of Teams engagement high. In a sense, the goal is that Teams becomes an ingrained part of your company’s DNA – much like email or phones, but far more collaborative. When that happens, you’ll truly have made Teams the center of your small organisation.

Conclusion:
Adopting Microsoft Teams in a small business setting involves a multi-faceted approach: strong leadership support, a clear rollout plan with defined goals, user training, cultural change, and ongoing reinforcement. By following the strategies above – from engaging executive sponsors and identifying the right use cases, to encouraging everyday Teams usage habits and integrating workflows – you can drive high engagement with Teams. The result will be a more connected, communicative organisation where knowledge flows freely and people collaborate effectively whether they are in the office or remote. Microsoft Teams will naturally become the central hub of work, as employees discover that it’s the go-to place to get things done together. With careful planning and a people-first approach, even a small company can achieve big gains in productivity and teamwork through successful Teams adoption[1]. Keep measuring progress, listening to feedback, and nurturing the change. Over time, your small business will not only have adopted Teams – it will have embraced a more modern, efficient way of working that can scale as you grow.

References

[1] Microsoft Adoption Guide

[2] Microsoft Teams Adoption Strategy: 5 Critical Considerations

[3] Microsoft 365 User Adoption Guide

[4] 7 Step Guide to Onboarding Customers

[5] Microsoft Teams for small and medium businesses

[6] Get people to join you in Microsoft Teams – Microsoft Support

[7] Microsoft 365 Videos

[8] Why Microsoft Teams Presentation

[9] Modern-Work-Plan-Comparison-SMB

CIAOPS AI Dojo–Teaser 3

Video URL = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdKqO246JaI

CIAOPS AI Dojo – Teaser 2

Video URL = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXUvnLAmLgU

How your business can unlock more potential from Microsoft OneNote

OneNote’s strength lies in its flexibility and integration, making it much more than just a digital notepad.

Here are ways to better leverage OneNote, highlighting commonly overlooked features with detailed examples:

I. Enhancing Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing

Overlooked Feature: Deep Internal Linking (Beyond Basic Page Links)
- What it is: Creating links not just to other pages or sections, but directly to specific paragraphs within a OneNote page.
- Why it’s powerful: Allows for incredibly granular cross-referencing. You can connect specific action items in meeting minutes directly to the relevant background information in a project brief, or link a step in an SOP directly to a detailed explanation elsewhere.
- Detailed Example:
  - Scenario: Your team is working on Project Alpha. You have a central “Project Alpha Overview” page, separate pages for “Meeting Minutes,” and a “Technical Specifications” section.
  - How to use: In the “Meeting Minutes – Oct 26” page, you record an action item: “ACTION: Sarah to verify server capacity requirements.” Instead of just linking to the entire “Technical Specifications” section, right-click the specific paragraph discussing server capacity in the “Server Specs” page and select “Copy Link to Paragraph.” Then, paste this link next to Sarah’s action item in the meeting minutes.
  - Benefit: When Sarah (or anyone) reviews the action item, clicking the link jumps them precisely to the relevant paragraph about server capacity, saving significant time hunting for the information. This creates a highly interconnected and efficient project knowledge base.
Overlooked Feature: Using Tags for Actionable Insights (Beyond Simple To-Do)
- What it is: OneNote has built-in tags (To Do, Important, Question) but also allows creating custom tags. You can then use the “Find Tags” feature to generate summary pages based on these tags across multiple pages, sections, or even entire notebooks.
- Why it’s powerful: Turns scattered notes into organized, actionable lists. Perfect for tracking decisions, follow-ups, ideas, or specific types of information across various contexts (meetings, projects, client notes).
- Detailed Example:
  - Scenario: A customer support team uses a shared OneNote notebook for tracking complex support issues.
  - How to use: They create custom tags like ?WaitingOnClient, !EscalateToTier2, #FeatureRequest, @ClientName. During calls or investigations, agents tag relevant notes accordingly.
  - Benefit: At the end of the week, the team lead can use “Find Tags” -> “Create Summary Page.” They can generate a page listing all items tagged !EscalateToTier2 to review escalations, another for #FeatureRequest to send to the product team, or filter by @ClientName combined with ?WaitingOnClient to see all pending client responses for a specific customer. This aggregates critical information instantly.
Overlooked Feature: Standardized Templates for Consistency
- What it is: Creating custom page templates that can be applied when creating new pages within a section.
- Why it’s powerful: Ensures consistency in note-taking for recurring tasks like meeting minutes, project status reports, client intake forms, or employee onboarding checklists. Saves time and standardizes information capture.
- Detailed Example:
  - Scenario: A project management office (PMO) wants all project managers to follow a consistent format for weekly status reports.
  - How to use: They create a page with predefined sections: “Key Accomplishments This Week,” “Planned Activities Next Week,” “Risks/Issues,” “Decisions Needed,” “Budget Update.” They then save this page as a template (usually via Page Templates pane -> Save current page as a template). They can even set this template as the default for the “Status Reports” section in the shared PMO notebook.
  - Benefit: Every time a PM adds a new page in the “Status Reports” section, it automatically uses this structure. This makes reports easier to write, read, and compare across projects.

II. Improving Information Capture and Retrieval

Overlooked Feature: Audio Recording Synced with Notes
- What it is: Recording audio directly within OneNote while simultaneously typing notes. OneNote timestamps your notes relative to the audio playback.
- Why it’s powerful: Captures the full context of conversations (meetings, interviews, client calls) that might be missed in typed notes. Clicking on a note you typed later will jump the audio playback to the exact moment you typed it.
- Detailed Example:
  - Scenario: An HR representative is conducting an employee interview. They are taking notes in OneNote but want to ensure they capture nuances and exact phrasing.
  - How to use: They start an audio recording (Insert -> Audio Recording) in OneNote at the beginning of the interview. As they type key points, OneNote subtly links the text to the recording timestamp.
  - Benefit: When reviewing the notes later, if a typed point like “Candidate mentioned interest in X role” seems unclear, clicking that text will instantly play the audio recording from the moment the candidate discussed it, providing full context and exact wording without having to scrub through the entire recording.
Overlooked Feature: Powerful Search Capabilities (OCR & Audio Search)
- What it is: OneNote search goes beyond typed text. It performs Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to search text within inserted images (like photos of whiteboards, scanned documents) and can even search for spoken words within audio and video recordings (requires indexing, may take time after insertion).
- Why it’s powerful: Makes ALL inserted content searchable, not just typed notes. Find information hidden in images or meeting recordings instantly.
- Detailed Example:
  - Scenario: An engineering team takes photos of whiteboard brainstorming sessions and inserts them into their project notebook. A marketing team records brainstorming audio sessions.
  - How to use (OCR): Weeks later, an engineer needs to find the diagram related to the “power coupling.” They simply search “power coupling” in OneNote. OneNote search results will include the image of the whiteboard where that term was written.
  - How to use (Audio): A marketing team member needs to recall when the term “Synergy Campaign” was discussed. Searching for “Synergy Campaign” can highlight the audio recordings where that phrase was spoken (allow time for indexing after recording/inserting).
  - Benefit: Dramatically increases the value of visual and audio information capture, making it easily retrievable later.
Overlooked Feature: “Send to OneNote” Tool & Web Clipper
- What it is: The “Send to OneNote” tool acts like a virtual printer, allowing you to send content from almost any application (like a PDF report, an email thread, a document) directly to a specified OneNote page. The Web Clipper browser extension lets you easily clip articles, sections of pages, or full pages directly into OneNote.
- Why it’s powerful: Centralizes information from diverse sources into OneNote without manual copy-pasting. Great for research, collecting project resources, or archiving important communications.
- Detailed Example:
  - Scenario: A research analyst is gathering information for a market report from various websites, PDF reports, and email discussions.
  - How to use: They use the OneNote Web Clipper to save relevant web articles directly to their “Market Research” notebook section. For a crucial PDF report, they use File -> Print -> Send to OneNote. For an important email thread in Outlook, they use the “Send to OneNote” button directly within Outlook.
  - Benefit: All research materials are consolidated in one searchable location within OneNote, regardless of their original format or source. This simplifies organization and later analysis.

III. Streamlining Personal and Team Workflows

Overlooked Feature: Integration with Outlook Tasks
- What it is: You can flag notes or lines of text within OneNote as Outlook Tasks, complete with due dates and reminders. These tasks then appear in your Outlook To-Do list.
- Why it’s powerful: Connects note-taking and action items directly to the primary task management system for many users (Outlook). Ensures follow-ups captured in meetings or notes aren’t forgotten.
- Detailed Example:
  - Scenario: During a team meeting documented in OneNote, several action items are assigned.
  - How to use: Select the text of an action item (e.g., “John to finalize budget proposal”). Right-click (or use the Home tab) and select the Outlook Tasks flag. Choose a due date (e.g., “Tomorrow”).
  - Benefit: This action item now appears in John’s Outlook Tasks list, with a link back to the original OneNote page for context. He gets reminders via Outlook, integrating his notes directly into his daily workflow.
Overlooked Feature: Version History for Pages
- What it is: OneNote automatically saves previous versions of a page whenever changes are made (especially in shared notebooks). You can view and restore previous versions.
- Why it’s powerful: Acts as a safety net against accidental deletions or unwanted changes. Provides an audit trail in collaborative environments to see who changed what and when. Allows reverting to earlier ideas.
- Detailed Example:
  - Scenario: A team is collaboratively editing a project plan in a shared OneNote notebook. Someone accidentally deletes a critical section.
  - How to use: Right-click the page tab (or go to History tab -> Page Versions). A list of previous versions with timestamps and author appears. Find the version before the deletion occurred and click “Restore.”
  - Benefit: The deleted content is instantly recovered. Alternatively, if there’s confusion about why a certain decision was documented, viewing page versions can show who added that text and when, facilitating clarification.

Actionable Steps for Your Business:

Assess Current Usage: Understand how teams are currently using OneNote. Are they aware of these features?
Targeted Training: Don’t just do generic OneNote training. Focus sessions on specific features relevant to different roles (e.g., Project Managers on Tags & Templates, Researchers on Web Clipper & Audio Recording, All Staff on Internal Linking & Outlook Tasks). Use real business scenarios in training.
Develop & Share Best Practices: Create simple guides or internal knowledge base articles (perhaps in a shared OneNote!) demonstrating how to use these features effectively for common company workflows. Define naming conventions for shared notebooks/sections.
Promote Template Usage: Identify key recurring documents/notes (meeting minutes, project updates) and create official company templates. Encourage or mandate their use for consistency.
Appoint OneNote Champions: Identify enthusiastic power users within different teams who can help colleagues, share tips, and provide feedback on what’s working.
Encourage Integration: Ensure employees know how to connect OneNote with Outlook (Tasks, Meeting Details) and potentially Microsoft Teams (OneNote tab in channels).

By actively promoting and training employees on these often-overlooked OneNote features, your business can significantly enhance collaboration, knowledge management, and overall productivity.

My software and services 2025

startup-photos

Here’s last year’s post for comparison:

My software and services – 2024

My PC’s are either running the latest version of Windows 10 (24H2) or Windows 11 (24H2) without any issues. Some machines cannot be upgraded to Windows 11 and some I have left at Windows 10 for the time being to verify their operation. I no longer run any Windows 10 Insider builds as I had trouble backing out of these when I needed to. I still have Office Insider builds happening in my environment.

Given that Windows 10 goes out of support in October 2025 I will upgrade what I can to Windows 11 and probably just leave the rest as is. All my production machines can go to Windows 11, it will just a test machines that can’t.

All Windows machines are directly joined to Entra ID and managed via Intune and Microsoft Endpoint Manager, except for one that remains stand alone for use with my IoT projects. The Entra ID connected configurations are based on the Windows MDM security baseline settings. All machines only use Windows Defender for local security monitoring and management. Thanks to Microsoft E5 on my production tenant, I am also using Microsoft Defender For Endpoint at the back end for monitoring and investigation of endpoint threats.

My two main tenants are Microsoft 365 E5 demo and Microsoft 365 E5 production environments. A mix of Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise machines are all Entra ID joined to the Microsoft 365 production domain. The production Microsoft 365 tenant has Microsoft 365 Business for all users except myself. I have a Microsoft 365 E5 license on which I have configured all the services including integrated PSTN calling via Switch Connect.

I use Microsoft Sentinel to monitor threats across my environments via a single pane of glass. I have also now added Defender EASM for monitoring security threats.

I use the following major browsers:

– Edge – my primary browser across all my devices including iOS and Android. I have it locked down with baseline policies via Microsoft Endpoint Manager.

– Brave – I have become increasingly concerned about the surreptitious tracking that many sites perform, especially when it comes to social media sites. I therefore now do all my ‘random browsing’, searching and viewing of social media sites using Brave. I also like that Brave allow me easy access to Tor browsing for anonymous security work.

I have now cranked Edge up to the maximum security level but wanted to isolate the most likely tracking culprits into another browser that was security focused. After some evaluation, I have chosen Brave to be this browser. This is now where I do all the stuff that is more likely to be tracked and now hopefully blocked or at least minimised. I have also set this browser up to use Duck Duck Go for search, otherwise I use Bing for my production Edge browser. I have completely eliminated Google Chrome from all my machines without any issues and recommend those who are becoming more concerned about their privacy, like me, do the same.

Services like SharePoint Online and OneDrive I use regularly both in the demo and production tenant. I have the OneDrive sync client installed, running and connected to various locations on my production and demo tenants. I can now sync across all my different tenants as well as my consumer OneDrive storage. I have common places pinned to my Windows Explorer Quick access, which I find to be a real time saver.

I regularly use Microsoft Teams which is now my main messaging application and I’m using the new Teams client. All the CIAOPS Patron resources like the intranet, teams, etc all reside in the Microsoft 365 E5 demo tenant but I connect to it on my desktop normally via an Azure B2B guest account from my production tenant. Thus, I can admin the Patron resources in a browser if need be but I get the same experience on my desktop as any Patron would. Handy to know what works and doesn’t work with Microsoft Teams guest access. Thanks to Microsoft E5 and Switch Connect, I also have Teams connected as a phone.

I use Lastpass to keep my passwords and private information secure. It allows me to do things like generate and store unique passwords for each website that I sign up for. It is also available across all browsers on my machine (including Microsoft Edge). I also now also use Lastpass to store secure notes. I accept recent security breaches with Lastpass generate concerns but after some investigations I believe the risk for myself is minimal and as yet don’t feel a need to switch. If I am going to change at any point I think I’d be going with Bitwarden but that hasn’t been necessary as yet.

The extensions I run in all my browsers are:

– LastPass

– GetPocket

– Duck Duck Go Privacy Essentials

I use Microsoft Power Automate for automation as well as Azure Functions.

For my email newsletters I use Mailchimp.

My preferred public social networks for business, in order are:

1. X

2. Linkedin

I would suggest that no matter what social media service you elect to use that you should spend time customising what you see. Unfiltered content is distracting but you can get good results if you spend just a little time telling the service what you do want to see I have found. Thus, don’t accept the defaults. You CAN customise what is presented to you.

I consume a lot of content from YouTube both for business and personal interest. I also also use YouTube extensively for my publicly available training video training.

Microsoft Office desktop software is still part of my everyday workday via applications such as Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc. I use the desktop version of Outlook on my Surface Pro 7 which lives on my desk but I only use Outlook Web App on my travelling Surface Pro 9 device. I could happily not use Outlook on the desktop any more I believe but I still use so I understand the experience for most users. However, I do see the day when Outlook on the desktop begins to lose its appeal.

Currently, I use both classic Outlook and New Outlook on various desktops without too much issues. I prefer classic Outlook but New Outlook has come a long way and added many of the capabilities I use in Classic Outlook. The missing piece for me still is the way to customised New Outlook to see emails, calendar and tasks all on a single page, which I don;t believe New Outlook supports just yet. I appreciate that Microsoft will soon be forcing everyone to New Outlook and I believe my soul is prepared for this transition when it comes.

The key application from the suite for me is OneNote. OneNote is my go to Swiss Army knife for just about everything digital. I use it to capture all sort of data. I even use it as a diary as I have detailed previous here:

One of the ways I use OneNote

The reason OneNote is key is because:

1. Just about everything I put in there us searchable

2. It is freely available across all platforms.

3. All my information is synced and accessible on all devices.

4. It is available on the web or offline if needed.

I am a big user of OneNote on my mobile devices. This combination has allowed me to totally eliminate my paper notebooks for things such as journaling.

I am now a big Microsoft To-Do user. I use it to keep many tasks and items that I need to follow up including when bills are due. I love how it is available on all my devices and syncs across them all as well.

I use Windows terminal now for things like PowerShell execution and Microsoft Whiteboard for demonstrations and training.

Another key service I use everyday along with Microsoft 365 and OneNote is Azure. Typically, I use it for running up virtual machines that I test various things with but I also use it with my IoT projects.

I use Microsoft Sentinel to monitor all my services and machines in one single console and tell me about any incidents now along with Defender EASM to search out vulnerabilities.

There is just so much that can be done with Azure and I pretty much use it everyday.

All of my data now lives in Microsoft 365 protected with things like Windows Information Protection and other Microsoft information protection options. All my Windows machines run with full disk encryption thanks to Bitlocker.

I have implemented Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) to provide application control to improve security in my environment.

To capture my desktop for my online training academy or my YouTube channel I use Camtasia. I use SnagIt to capture screen shots and add highlights and emphasis to these. Snagit allows me to capture complete screens or specific areas quickly and easily.

I use Microsoft Teams to record my podcasts, which I then produce with Camtasia. These are uploaded to Podbean where they syndicated across various network.

To compose and publish blog articles I use Open Live Writer. My blog lives on WordPress.com.

My web site and Battlefields site live on Squarespace.

The majority of images I get, like the one at the top of this article, I get from Pexels. Pickit is also another great option. I have also been using Microsoft Designer a lot lately.

I use Visual Studio Code in which I do most of my PowerShell editing and publishing. I also use it now for my IoT projects. The end result typically is my GitHub repository where you will find a range of scripts and other resources that I maintain regularly. With Visual Studio Code I can edit publish and sync all my machines and my GitHub repository no matter where I am. Very handy.

Here are also a few of the other items I use regularly that are not for business:

Amazon Prime Video – only place to the latest The Grand Tour action. I also liked the Jack Ryan series and well as the Gymkana Files but most of this viewing is now on my iPad mini.

NetFlix – Seen a lot of great stuff this give all the time in lock down but most of this viewing is now on my iPad mini.

XBox Live Gold – access to all the online Xbox goodness.

Duolingo – language, maths and music learning, Japanese and Italian at the moment but most of this access is now on my iPad mini.

Kindle app – for typically reading books on my iPad

I try and keep my production machines as ‘clean’ and free of unused software as possible. I ensure that they are updated regularly. Any software testing that I need to do is typically done on a virtual machine in Azure.

A new section I thought I’d add is the AI that I use. The common Ai I use by far is GitHub Copilot. i use this daily to assist with coding tasks like creating PowerShell scripts and writing KQL queries amongst other things. Even though I have a paid version of GitHub Copilot I am happy to say there is also a free version that yo can take advantage of and the details are here.

I have a subscription to Microsoft 365 Copilot which I have had now for about a year. I use this regularly, but especially with Teams and Stream to summarise videos and other content. I also use Copilot Studio to create custom agents which I and others use inside the Microsoft Teams I manage. Even though Microsoft 365 Copilot is a significant cost investment it has more than proven its value to me over the past twelve months.

The main non-Microsoft AI that I use is Perplexity even though there are some ‘ethical’ challenges around this service. ChatGPT is also something that I use now ana again.

So there you have it, the major software and services that I use regularly. I continue to search out additional software that will improve my productivity. If you use something that you’ve found really handy, please let me know and I always keen to explore what works for others.

Yet another reason to love OneNote

I’m a HUGE fan of OneNote. Personally, I feel it is the one tool that makes me the most productive. As an engineer I’ve always been documenting stuff simply because I can’t remember it all. I learnt many, many years ago that writing it down and getting it out of my memory is in fact the best way to retain and use that information.

Before OneNote, like many people, I used paper to capture everything but the more I captured the more challenges that brought. Such challenges included, how do I back up these paper notes? How do I find things with paper notes? How do I store these paper notes? and so on. Enter OneNote to solve all these issues.

Thus, I have OneNote notebooks on just about everything these days. It’s a huge source of knowledge that I can access anywhere on any device. Love it. If I need to find something I just use the inbuilt search functionality and it would pop right out. Magic!

Given that I also now have Copilot for Microsoft 365, I have started to explore how these two product combined can make me more productive and I’d like to share a use case with you that has made me sit up and pay attention to what the combination of these two services can now provide.

When you become a CIAOPS Patron you get access to two extensive notebooks on Microsoft 365 and Azure. These notebooks contain my cumulative knowledge of the Microsoft Cloud and I use them pretty much every day in my work.

The above shows you an example page on DMARC from my Office 365 codex. The page typically contains knowledge plus links. You see on the right I have a section for every Microsoft 365 service and on the right many pages relating to that service. Here DMARC is a dedicated page in the Exchange section along with other pages such as Retention, Migration etc.

Typically, to find any information on Microsoft 365 I’d go to the top right and just use search as shown above.

But now my desktop version of OneNote has a Copilot button as shown above. This capability doesn’t appear to be available in the web version of OneNote yet. I hope it will be soon.

Before you go too much further make sure you select the Plugins button inside the Copilot window that appear and enable Web content as shown above. This will give you the best of both worlds with AI. It will work across you data (the notebook typically, andl in your tenant) as well as information from the web.

When I ask Copilot a question here you’ll see that it return information from my organization (shown above)

and from the web.

Another example is asking Copilot how to work with Exchange Online inactive mailboxes, as shown above. Again, it works with my own information and information on the web and presents in easy to digest format as well as providing me additional relevant prompts.

I have to say that this now my go to for unlocking all the knowledge I have accumulated in all my OneNote notebooks. Of course, I can probably extract something similar from other Copilot interfaces in Microsoft 365 but giving me this capability inside an application that I use more than email is a huge productivity boostt for me. Hopefully now that I have shown you what it can do for me too can go and see what Copilot for Microsoft 365 and OneNote can do for you. Let me know in the comments your use case, I’m all ears!