Course Outline
Welcome and objectives
Live poll on current AI usage and a check of each participant's Copilot license type, to tailor pace and examples.
Copilot for Finance – From Occasional Use to Consistent Daily Practice
Topics
• Copilot Chat vs. Microsoft 365 Copilot: what you get with each edition
• Copilot across the Microsoft 365 apps finance teams use most
• Where the Premium edition adds capability and when the upgrade is worth it
• Setting a personal daily usage routine
Practical exercise (identical for Basic and Premium)
• Participants audit their everyday finance tasks and identify where Copilot can be applied immediately
Advanced Prompting for Finance Tasks
Topics
• Prompt structure for financial accuracy
• Giving Copilot the right context and constraints
• Iterating and refining results
• Avoiding common errors in numeric outputs
Practical exercise (identical for Basic and Premium, in Copilot Chat)
• Participants rewrite weak prompts into strong ones using their own finance scenarios and compare outputs
Excel – Data Reconciliation and Cleaning
Topics
• Using Copilot to spot mismatches and anomalies
• Cleaning and standardising messy datasets
• Automating repetitive checks (full functionality Premium only)
Practical exercise (dual workflow)
• Premium: reconciling a two-source dataset directly in Excel, with in-app Copilot
• Basic: uploading the xlsx file to Copilot Chat, generating the mismatch report, and applying corrections in Excel based on the guidance received
• Shared deliverable: a documented, reusable process to take back to the desk
Excel – Forecasting and Budgeting
Topics
• Building forecast scenarios with Copilot assistance
• Testing budget assumptions
• Explaining variance drivers in plain language
Practical exercise (dual workflow)
• Premium: building and adjusting a simple forecast model directly in Excel, testing two scenarios with Copilot
• Basic: uploading the model to Copilot Chat, generating and comparing the two scenarios in chat, then transferring the results into the Excel model
Financial Reporting and Executive Communication
Topics
• Turning raw analysis into clear management reports
• Summarising financial results for non-finance stakeholders
• Drafting executive-ready commentary with Copilot
Practical exercise (dual workflow)
• Premium: drafting the executive summary directly in Word, with in-app Copilot
• Basic: generating the commentary in Copilot Chat and finalising the document in Word
• Shared deliverable: a one-page executive summary based on a dataset used earlier in the day
Recap, knowledge check, and personal action plan
Outcomes
By the end of the day, participants will be able to:
• Write consistently strong prompts for financial tasks
• Reconcile and clean data faster with Copilot, regardless of license type
• Build and test forecast and budget scenarios with AI support
• Produce clear, executive-ready reports and summaries
• Know exactly what they can achieve with their current license and when upgrading to Premium is justified
• Apply a personal action plan and reusable prompt examples immediately at their desk
Requirements
- Active Microsoft 365 business/enterprise account with access to the Copilot Chat app (mandatory for all participants, basic or premium)
- Optional: Microsoft 365 Copilot (Premium) license enabled in Excel, Word, and Outlook, for the in-app workflow
- Intermediate Excel proficiency: formulas, tables, pivot tables
- Basic familiarity with AI chat tools
- Stable internet connection (the session is delivered online)
Audience
Finance professionals already using AI in their role, including financial analysts, FP&A specialists, controllers, and accountants. Mixed experience level, from confident occasional users to daily users looking to go further
Testimonials (1)
Trainer was very knowledgeable and easy to speak to
