How the Paperclip Company Built Their AI Foundation with Microsoft 365 Copilot
Learn practical Copilot adoption techniques with business use cases through our story-based series.
At Paperclip Co., the leadership team knew that to stay competitive, they needed to work smarter, not harder. They decided to start small by integrating AI into their daily workflows using Microsoft 365 Copilot. To make the transition smooth, they brought in Alex an AI expert to provide 1:1 training and help their staff build confidence with the new tools.
Meet the Team
Alex, the AI Consultant
Brought in to guide the team, Alex is eager to show the team how to start small and build AI into their daily work. He often works with employees who think AI is here to replace them, so he takes an understanding and reassuring approach to his 1:1 AI training.
Emma, the Office Manager
Overwhelmed by emails and scheduling, Emma the office manager has heard that AI might free up some time, but was always too busy to look into it and make it happen.
Liam, the Marketing Manager
Always busy creating social posts and newsletters, Liam wanted to save time but does not use AI tools as he thinks that using them would risk lowering the quality of his work.
Sophie, the Sales Assistant
Managing customer files and follow-ups was time-consuming, and Sophie hoped AI could help speed things up.
Alex’s Introduction
“Hi everyone, I’m Alex, your AI coach, and I’m really excited to work with you all. My motto is simple: start small and build smart. Together, we’re going to unlock the power of Microsoft 365 Copilot to help you save time, reduce costs, and work more efficiently. Don’t worry, I’m not here to replace anyone with a robot today. What I am here to do is show you where AI can take some of the more repetitive or frustrating parts of your work off your plate.”
Our journey will follow three key levels:
Level 1: Build Your AI Foundation This is where we start by automating routine tasks, creating content quickly, and enhancing your branding and design. It’s all about simplifying your daily operations so you can focus on what truly drives value.
Level 2: Accelerate Customer Engagement Once you’re comfortable with the basics, we’ll use AI to gain deeper insights, personalise communications, and resolve customer cases
faster.
Level 3: Lead with AI Innovation Finally, we’ll make AI a core part of your innovation and brand strategy, helping you turn ideas into opportunities and stay ahead of the curve.
“Today, we’ll focus on Level 1 with some 1:1 sessions tailored to your roles. I’ll show you practical ways to integrate Copilot into your daily work, starting with small steps that deliver real impact. Let’s get started!”
Level 1: Building Your AI Foundation
Emma the office manager’s lesson
Alex: Hi Emma! To start, can you tell me where you spend most of your time during the day?
Emma: Honestly, it’s my inbox. I get so many emails, and it takes ages to read through and figure out what needs action.
Alex: That’s a common challenge. Let me show you how Microsoft 365 Copilot can help you save time by summarising emails and setting reminders. Ready?
Emma: Absolutely, I’m all ears!
Alex: Great. First, open Outlook on your computer. Do you see the Copilot button? It’s usually at the top ribbon or as a chat icon on the right side.
Emma: Yes, I see it here.
Alex: Perfect. Click that to open the Copilot pane. Now, in the prompt box, type: “Summarise my unread emails from today.” and hit Enter.
Emma: Okay, done. Wow, it’s showing me a neat summary of all my unread emails!
Alex: Exactly. This helps you quickly understand what’s important without reading every message. Now, try asking Copilot to draft a reply. Type: “Draft a polite follow-up email to John about the project update.”
Emma: It just created a draft email for me! Let me just tweak it, and then I’ll send it.
Alex: Okay… You can also set reminders. Type: “Remind me to follow up with the finance team next Tuesday.” and Copilot will add it to your calendar.
Emma: This is fantastic! I can already see how much time I’ll save.
Alex: Exactly! Using Copilot this way frees you from routine admin so you can focus on higher-value work. But always remember to give drafts a quick proof read before sending, as it can make mistakes…
Liam the marketing manager’s lesson
Alex: Liam, I get that you want to keep your content quality high and worry AI might water it down. But here’s something cool about Microsoft 365 Copilot: it actually remembers useful
info you give it, so it learns your style and preferences over time.
Liam: Really? How does that work? I thought AI just spits out generic stuff.
Alex: Not with Copilot. You can teach it by feeding in key details about your brand, tone, and audience. Open up Word, hit the Copilot icon and try writing a prompt to tell Copilot what tone of voice to use, and any details such as what sets Paperclip Co. apart from competitors. Just start the prompt with “Remember:” Copilot will then store that and uses it to tailor future content.
Liam: So I’m training it to write more like me? OK – how about “Remember: our brand voice is casual and enthusiastic, we are the most sustainable paperclip provider in the world and often focus on environmental impact.”
Alex: Perfect! Now when you ask Copilot to draft posts or newsletters, it will keep that info in mind.
Try this next: “Create a LinkedIn post about our new eco-friendly paperclip design.”
Liam: Wow, the draft really sounds on-brand! This is different from what I expected, but look – no hashtags.
Alex: Well spotted, it’s important to check everything that you generate. Try asking it to add some.
Liam: “Add hashtags” Aha, I’m starting to see how this could save me time without compromising quality. I’ll definitely keep adding notes for it to remember.
Alex: Perfect! That’s the best way to build confidence and get the most from Copilot.
Sophie the sales assistant’s lesson
Alex: Hi Sophie! I know managing customer files and follow-ups can be time-consuming. How do you currently keep track of everything?
Sophie: It’s a bit of a juggling act, honestly. I spend a lot of time digging through emails and notes to find the latest updates before reaching out.
Alex: Copilot can really help streamline that. Let me show you how to organise customer info and speed up your follow-ups. Ready?
Sophie: Definitely, I could use the help!
Alex: Great. First, open Microsoft Teams or Outlook where you handle your customer communications. Do you see the Copilot button on the sidebar or ribbon?
Sophie: Yes, it’s right here.
Alex: Click it to open the assistant pane. Now, type this prompt “Summarise recent communications with client ABC.” and press Enter.
Sophie: Wow, it’s pulling together all the key points from emails and chats in one place!
Alex: Exactly. This saves you from hunting through messages. Next, try asking Copilot to list your open sales opportunities and their next steps. Try this next “List open sales opportunities and next actions.”
Sophie: That’s really helpful. I can see what needs my attention right away.
Alex: Now, let’s draft a follow-up email. Type: “Write a follow-up email to client ABC thanking them for the meeting and asking about next steps.”
Sophie: It’s created a nice, professional draft.
Alex: Give it a quick proof read first and make any edits… OK perfect. Finally, set a reminder to follow up on time. Next, try setting a reminder. You could use a prompt like “Remind me to call client ABC next Friday.”
Sophie: I see! That’s great, This will keep me on track without juggling calendars manually.
What the team learned & what’s next
Emma, Liam, and Sophie have each found ways to reduce time spent on routine tasks, freeing them up to focus on work that genuinely needs their attention.
Here’s a recap of what they learned:
Emma (Office Manager) used Copilot in Outlook to summarise unread emails, draft replies with a single prompt, and automatically add follow-up reminders to her calendar.
Liam (Marketing Manager) used the “Remember:” prompt technique in Word to store brand voice and company positioning, then generated on-brand LinkedIn content without starting from scratch.
Sophie (Sales Assistant) used Copilot in Teams to consolidate client communication history, surface open sales opportunities and next actions, and draft professional follow-up emails in seconds.
Level 1 is about building confidence, not overhauling how people work. The key is identifying the repetitive tasks in each role such as emails, content, admin, follow-ups, and introducing Copilot there first. Small wins early create the momentum for wider adoption.