Copilot for SMEs – 30-Minute Setup Guide
Ready to unlock Microsoft 365 Copilot without a week-long project plan? Follow this rapid guide to get your pilot users up and running in half an hour—then decide if you need deeper help from our Modern Workplace team.
Can I Enable Copilot in Half an Hour?
- Requirements: Microsoft 365 Business Standard (or E3/E5) + Copilot add-on, Entra ID MFA enabled, admin access.
- Cost: AUD 44 per user (Business tiers) or AUD 50 (E3/E5 add-on) as at 18 October 2025.
- Roll-out time: 30 min for the first 10 pilot seats; plan two hours for org-wide toggle.
Prerequisites Checklist
Item | Detail |
Licence tier | Business Standard / Premium or Microsoft 365 E3/E5 with Copilot add-on |
Region | Copilot is live for AU tenants—data stored in Australian datacentres |
Security baseline | Entra ID MFA mandatory; conditional-access policies recommended |
Update ring | Office apps on Monthly Enterprise Channel or newer |
Pro tip: Align Copilot rollout with your Essential Eight User Application Hardening control to avoid policy clashes.
Step-by-Step Setup (≈ 30 minutes)
Step | Action | Time |
1. Purchase / assign licences | In Microsoft 365 admin centre → Billing ▶ Purchase services. Buy Copilot add-ons, then Users ▶ Active users ▶ Assign licence to pilot group. | 5 min |
2. Enable preview features | Go to Settings ▶ Org settings ▶ Copilot; toggle Turn on for selected users. | 3 min |
3. Verify Entra ID & Teams policies | Confirm MFA enforced and Teams update ring set to Public Preview. | 7 min |
4. Turn on Copilot in Office apps | Users restart Word, Excel, Outlook → look for Copilot icon in ribbon. | 5 min |
5. Test with pilot group | Run sample prompts, validate data boundaries, gather feedback. | 10 min |
Common Roadblocks & Fixes
- Copilot button missing – Ensure Office is on Monthly Enterprise Channel; run Update-Office PowerShell cmdlet.
- Licences not provisioning – Run Start-AzureADSyncSyncCycle -PolicyType Delta to refresh.
- Data-leakage concerns – Apply Microsoft Purview sensitivity labels and restrict copy-paste.
Adoption Tips for Non-Technical Staff
- 15-minute lunch-and-learn agenda: intro video, three live prompts, Q&A.
- Issue a prompt-engineering cheat-sheet (e.g., “Summarise last week’s project emails in 3 bullet points.”).
- Set up a Teams Copilot channel for shared successes and questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Copilot available on Business Basic?
No. You need Business Standard, Business Premium or an E-plan.
Does Copilot store company data outside Australia?
No—data for AU tenants resides in Australian datacentres per the Microsoft data-residency pledge.
How many licences do I need to test?
Microsoft recommends 10 pilot users to sample diverse roles.
