AI is the buzzword of the century. From generative AI to agentic AI and everything in between, just about every business conversation these days will eventually end up on the topic of — you guessed it — AI.
What do you think about AI? What’s your company’s stance? Are you taking a wait-and-see approach, or are you already diving in to see what you can do? The questions are endless, and the answers vary greatly from company to company.
The #BoyerAIcrew attended 3 AI events across 3 time zones over the past 3 months. We started small, with a Microsoft AI tour stop in Detroit in February. Next, we hit up the AI Agent & Copilot Summit in San Diego in March. We capped it off with another Microsoft AI tour stop in Atlanta, this one easily twice as big as our first stop.
Phew! It’s been a crazy journey, but we met a lot of great people and learned a lot. Here are three of our top findings on AI from these events:
1. Most of us are just getting started.
AI is not “new” by any means, but the latest push toward businesses adopting AI features in every aspect of their systems is.
If you’re just starting to dip your toe in the world of AI, don’t fret that you’re behind. While some companies are diving right into action, many of the companies we talked to at all three AI events are still exploring and learning as well.
Some are taking a top-down approach, figuring out their companywide strategy before taking another step. Those in highly regulated industries, for example, want to make sure they understand the security implications of using AI first.
Others are looking for small ways one department can use AI before they introduce it more generally to the entire company. The goal here is to test out AI capabilities in low-risk situations and learn from any mistakes along the way. Both approaches seem to be working well.
2. Go ahead and dream big
Dream big, they say. The possibilities with AI are endless, they say. And they’re right. We’ve only just started scratching the surface on how AI can help us on a daily basis.
From summarizing email threads to writing entire statements of work and more, the dream of having a “digital assistant” to help with every task is more realistic than we might initially think.
Now that doesn’t mean you can simply spin up a Microsoft agent to complete all those pesky little tasks that you dislike (Wouldn’t that be amazing?) … but it does mean you might be able to harness the power of AI to assist with portions of a complex task and finish the job much quicker.
3. You have to start somewhere
That leads us to our third learning: Don’t get so caught up in dreaming that you forget to take the first step. You need to start somewhere, even if it’s a baby step. Maybe it’s as simple as asking Copilot to help you brainstorm names for your next big project.
Every little bit adds up. Start asking yourself, “Can AI help me do this faster?” Before long, you’ll find a goldmine of efficiencies as you rely on AI to take on more and more of those little routine tasks that cut into your work day.
Ready to start your AI journey? Boyer can help!
Of course, just getting started can seem a daunting task when there are so many possibilities. That’s where Boyer can help.
Our motto is start small, think big and act fast. We’ve got that first step all queued up for you through a series of workshops built around Microsoft’s popular Copilot solutions:
Copilot for Sales Accelerator
Did you know that Microsoft Copilot for Sales boosts productivity by 83 percent and reduces administrative work? Boyer can help your sales team get up and running quickly with this “digital sales assistant.” By the end of our Copilot for Sales Accelerator workshop, your team will not only have Copilot installed but they will also know how to use it.
Copilot Studio Express
If you’ve heard the word “agent” lately at a business event, chances are good the conversation centered around AI. It’s the latest buzzword for Microsoft tools designed to help you do more with less. If it seems vague, that’s because it is. If you can dream up an “agent,” you can build it — theoretically.
This Copilot Studio Express workshop will help you break down that theory into something more practical. In this workshop we’ll walk you through creating your own custom agent, helping you understand the possibilities and different scenarios on the way.
You can get a glimpse of some of these agents by watching our presentation, One Platform, Unlimited Agents, presented live at the AI Tour in Atlanta in April.
Mastering M365 Copilot
Perhaps the biggest buzz in the world of Microsoft when it comes to AI and Copilot centers around the Office suite, or Microsoft 365. Imagine infusing AI in such common applications as Word, Outlook, Teams and PowerPoint.
Most companies we’ve seen at AI events are starting with the Microsoft 365 Copilot because it’s an easy way to get every individual on their team realizing efficiencies with AI. Boyer’s Mastering Microsoft 365 Copilot workshop will help your team learn how to master the AI capabilities within this toolset.
AI can help your company accomplish so much more, but trying to harness that power on your own can be overwhelming. Boyer is here to help.
Do you have a specific scenarios you’re wondering if AI can tackle? Let us know. Want to get started using one of Microsoft’s Copilots? Contact us for details on licensing — and don’t forget to sign up for a workshop to get your team up to speed.
