Category: Business & Technology Blog

If your current IT setup feels a bit flat, you aren’t alone.

We’ve all had those mornings where the tech feels like a heavy batter; lumpy, slow to start, and prone to sticking just when you’re trying to get things moving. And if your IT supplier is leaving a sour taste in your mouth, it might be time for a change.

This Pancake Day, why settle for a burned offering? At Complete IT Systems, we’ve got the perfect recipe for business success, and we promise it’s a lot more satisfying than a burnt crepe.

Time to flip your supplier?

Let’s be honest; if you’re constantly dealing with downtime, you’re essentially watching your productivity go up in smoke. If your current provider isn’t serving up the support you need, it’s time to flip your IT supplier to one that actually delivers.

At Complete IT Systems, we pride ourselves on being the “secret ingredient” for our clients. We don’t just offer a one-size-fits-all approach; we whisk up bespoke solutions that cater to your specific business needs. Whether you’re a small startup or a larger business, college or public sector organisation, we make sure everything pans out well.

The perfect recipe for success

Building a robust IT infrastructure isn’t just about luck; it’s about having the right ingredients. Our What We Do menu is packed with everything you need to keep your business sizzling:

• Cybersecurity with a topping of trust: We layer your defences with Sophos and other industry leaders to ensure no “bad eggs” get into your network.
• Smooth cloud infrastructure: We’ll help you migrate to the cloud without the mess, ensuring your data is accessible, whisking away the limitations of legacy hardware.
• Hardware & software: From the latest laptops to essential licencing, we provide the tools that keep your team from feeling “crepe” during a busy workday.

No more half-baked solutions

You can’t afford to have your systems “folding” under pressure. That’s why our Managed Services team acts as your kitchen crew, handling the backend monitoring, patching, and updates. We take care of the technical heat so you don’t have to get out of the kitchen. Instead you can stay focused on the “sweet” rewards of growing your company.

Sweeten the deal

Don’t let a “lemon” of an IT system sour your business goals. With the right partner, your technology can be light, airy, and perfectly executed.

Ready to serve up something better for your business? Here’s how we can help you whisk away the stress. Let’s make 2026 the year your IT finally pans out!

Happy Pancake Day from all of us at Complete IT Systems!

Find out more

Complete IT Systems’ team of experts are on hand to help you get the most from your existing technology investments, or help you change it up. Contact us today to discuss your requirements.

All businesses deserve better than a ‘bad IT romance’! Wouldn’t it be great to be able to love your IT again!

We’ve all been there. You start a new job or kick off a new project, and the honeymoon phase is glorious. The laptop is snappy, the Wi-Fi is flying, and your software feels like a soulmate. But fast-forward a few months, and the spark has gone. You’re staring at a spinning wheel of death, your cybersecurity feels like an open door, and you’re pretty sure the server room is making a crying sound.

This Valentine’s Day, don’t settle for a toxic relationship with your technology. At Complete IT Systems, we believe every business deserves to feel the butterflies again. It’s time to swipe left on downtime and find a partner who actually listens.

Is your IT ghosting you?

There’s nothing worse than a service provider who disappears the moment things get complicated. You raise a ticket, and… silence. At Complete IT Systems, we’re all about “The Quality of Service.” We don’t just fix things when they break; we build relationships. Whether you’re a small local outfit or a national enterprise, we provide that personal touch that makes you feel like our only Valentine.

Our ‘love language’ is technical expertise!

We know that “IT” is a broad term, which is why we’ve spent years mastering the different ways we can support you. If your current setup feels a bit dated, we can help you woo your workforce with the latest Hardware and Software solutions. We work with the biggest names in the industry—think Sophos, Microsoft, and Dell—to ensure you’re getting the best dates (and data) possible.

If you’re worried about intruders, our Cybersecurity services act like a protective partner, keeping the bad guys away from your precious data. From robust firewalls to sophisticated endpoint protection, we’ve got your back. And for those who want to take their business to the clouds, our Cloud and Infrastructure expertise ensures your transition is as smooth as a candlelit dinner.

Helping you love your IT again

So, how do we fix broken IT relationships?

Modern workspace: We refresh your tech so your team can work from anywhere whether it’s the office, the sofa, or even a romantic getaway without a hitch.

Backup & recovery: Because losing your data is a heartbreak nobody should endure. We ensure your ‘memories’ are always safe.

Managed services: Think of us as your dedicated IT concierge. We handle the boring bits (updates, patches, monitoring) so you can focus on the passion projects that actually grow your business.

Make a date with Complete IT Systems

You shouldn’t have to “put up” with slow systems, constant glitches, or resellers that don’t give you the attention you deserve!. This February, give your business the gift of reliability. Let us take the stress out of your infrastructure so you can get back to doing what you love.

Ready to see if we’re a match? Here’s our full range of our services. Let’s make 2026 the year you and your IT finally live happily ever after.

Happy Valentine’s Day from the team at Complete IT Systems!

Find out more

Complete IT Systems’ team of experts are on hand to help you get the most from your existing technology investments, or help you change it up. Contact us today to discuss your requirements.

Let’s be honest: most of us treat Microsoft 365 like a glorified version of the Office 97 they used in school.

You pay your monthly subscription, and employees use Outlook for emails, maybe a bit of Word or Excel, and they ignore the other 20+ apps sitting on the bench. Features are no different. In fact did you know that Paste, Save, Copy, Undo, and Bold account for approximately 32% of all activity in Word?

If that sounds like your business, you’re essentially paying for a Swiss Army knife for your users, but they are only using the toothpick.

At Complete IT Systems, we specialise in helping SMEs stop “just paying” for M365 and start actually profiting from it. Here’s 10 ways we help our customers squeeze more value from Microsoft 365

1. Ditching the “digital junk drawer” 

Many businesses have files scattered across old servers, personal desktops, and random Dropbox folders. We help you migrate to a structured SharePoint and Teams environment. This doesn’t just “tidy things up”—it means your team can find the document they need in seconds, not minutes, saving hours of billable time every week.

2. Automating the boring stuff with Power Automate

Do you have a member of staff whose job involves manually copying data from an email into a spreadsheet? Or chasing people for invoice approvals? We use Power Automate to handle those repetitive tasks. By automating workflows, we help you free up your best people to do the work that actually grows the business.

3. Securing your front door

Small businesses are prime targets for cyber-attacks because they often leave the digital back door unlocked. We implement Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and Conditional Access policies. This ensures that even if a password is stolen, your business data stays safe. It’s peace of mind that doesn’t cost an extra penny in licensing.

4. Making hybrid work actually work

“Hybrid work” shouldn’t mean “constant technical glitches.” We configure Microsoft Teams to be your company’s central hub. From integrated phone systems (Teams Phone) to seamless video conferencing, we ensure your team can collaborate as effectively from a kitchen table in Leeds as they can from an office in London.

5. Keeping your data in the UK

Data sovereignty has gone from a nice-to-have to a legal obligation for British businesses, especially those handling sensitive client info. We help you configure your M365 tenant to ensure your data resides in UK-based data centres, helping you stay compliant with GDPR and industry-specific regulations without the headache.

6. Killing the “internal email”

If your inbox is clogged with “Thanks!” or “See attached” emails from colleagues, you’re losing productivity. We help teams transition internal chatter to Teams Channels. It keeps project communication in one place and leaves your Outlook for what it’s meant for: talking to your customers.

7. Protecting your mobile workforce

Your team probably accesses work emails on their personal iPhones or Androids. That’s a massive security risk. We use Microsoft Intune (part of many M365 plans) to manage mobile devices. If a staff member loses their phone, we can wipe the business data remotely without touching their personal photos.

8. Mastering professionalism with bookings

Still going back and forth with ten emails just to schedule a 30-minute Zoom call? We can set up Microsoft Bookings for you. It integrates with your calendar and lets clients book time with you based on your real-time availability. It looks professional, saves time, and makes you easier to do business with.

9. Insights, not just info

You’re sitting on a goldmine of data in your Excel sheets and CRM. We help you use Power BI to turn that data into visual dashboards. Want to see your sales trends or project margins at a glance? We’ll show you how to visualise your business health in real-time so you can make decisions based on facts, not vibes.

10. Tools are useless if no one knows how to use them

The biggest waste of money in IT is software that nobody uses. Complete IT Systems doesn’t just “flip the switch” and walk away. We provide the guidance and support your team needs to actually feel confident using these tools. When your staff knows the shortcuts and features, your ROI hits the roof.

Ready to get more from your subscription?

Microsoft 365 is a powerhouse, but it needs a bit of expert “know-how” to make it work for your specific business goals.

If you’re ready to stop wasting your M365 budget, get in touch with the team at Complete IT Systems. Let’s turn your IT from a monthly overhead into a growth engine.

Find out more

Complete IT Systems’ team of experts are on hand to help you get the most from your existing technology investments, or help you change it up. Contact us today to discuss your requirements.

Spoiler alert: The way we worked in 2019 isn’t coming back. Remote or hybrid working is the norm, and IT needs to adapt quickly.

If a laptop fails or needs a security patch, the downtime is a productivity killer.

Windows 365 solves this by moving the entire desktop to the cloud. For a Copilot deployment, this is vital. Copilot isn’t just a chatbot; it’s an integrated layer across your OS. By using Windows 365, you ensure that every staff member, regardless of where they are physically sitting, is accessing the exact same, high-performance version of Windows and M365.

Hardware neutrality: AI for everyone

One of the biggest hurdles for UK small businesses is the hardware refresh cycle. AI tools like Copilot are resource-heavy. If your team is running five-year-old laptops, Copilot might feel sluggish or crash.

Windows 365 is a way to empower your people with flexible technology. Because the processing happens in Microsoft’s data centres, not on the local device, you can run the full suite of Copilot AI on a cheap tablet or an ageing Mac. Properly deployed, this means businesses can roll out AI capabilities across the entire workforce without spending £50,000 on new hardware. You’re essentially streaming” a high-end AI workstation to any screen.

Security: The foundation of AI trust

Security and simplified endpoint management are vital. In the UK, with GDPR and other regulations and the growing threat of ransomware, you cannot afford to have AI “hallucinating” or leaking data from an unmanaged personal device.

When you deploy Copilot via Windows 365:

• Data stays in the cloud: No business data is stored on the local “home” laptop. If a staff member’s personal PC is hacked, your Copilot interactions and company files remain safe inside the secure Cloud PC.
• Centralised control: IT management becomes “simple.” You can push out AI policies, sensitivity labels, and security updates to the entire team at once from a single dashboard.

Productivity: The perfect storm

Windows 365 removes “friction.” When you add Copilot to that friction-free environment, productivity doesn’t just increase; it multiplies.

• The “always-on” workspace: Because Windows 365 is persistent, a staff member can start a Copilot-assisted report on their office PC, hop on a train, and pick up exactly where they left off on their iPad. Copilot remembers the context of what they were doing, meaning no time is wasted “getting back into the zone.”
• Simplifying onboarding: In the UK’s competitive talent market, being able to send a new hire a login and have them immediately productive with a Copilot-enabled desktop is a massive advantage.

Deployment properly: The UK “AI-ready” strategy

You can’t just “turn on” Copilot. Deployed correctly, you can use the Windows 365 framework to:

• Standardise the environment: Use the Cloud PC to ensure everyone is on the same version of M365 apps. AI works best when the software versions are consistent.
• Audit via the cloud: Use the centralised management tools mentioned in the eBook to see how AI is being used and where the bottlenecks are.
• Future-proof: Change is constant. By moving to a managed model, you aren’t just buying Copilot for today; you’re building a system that can handle whatever “Copilot 2.0” looks like in 2026.

In summary

Ultimately, agility is the primary currency of a successful business. By pairing Microsoft’s Cloud PC (Windows 365) with AI (Copilot), you remove the physical and technical barriers that hold small teams back. You get a secure, high-performance, and centrally managed business that can out-manoeuvre much larger competitors who are still stuck managing physical boxes and fragmented software.

Ready to get sorted?

No more faffing with templates or digging through folders. Microsoft Copilot is the shortcut your business has been waiting for. It’s time to stop doing the busy work and start doing the real work.

Find out more

Complete IT Systems’ team of Microsoft experts are on hand to help you get the most from your existing M365 environment, or help you migrate to a new one. Contact us today to discuss your requirements.

IT and security teams have been stretched thin for years. According to the National Cybersecurity Centre’s Annual Review in 2025, the shortage of skilled security staff means there aren’t always experts available 24/7 to respond to alerts, potentially delaying detection and response to cyber threats. Many teams don’t have time to analyse false positives, review strategies or plan future investments. Even fully staffed teams face daily resource challenges that limit their ability to stay proactive.

What you’ll learn

Join Complete IT Systems and Barracuda at Flight Club in Leeds on 5th March for an interactive session to show you how you can bridge this gap without the expense and commitment of hiring more staff. You’ll see how Barracuda Assistant helps bridge this gap by streamlining security operations with AI-driven insights and intelligent automation.

With it, instead of spending hours collecting and reviewing data from multiple tools, IT teams can now access it all through a single, intuitive interface that simplifies complex tasks, delivers actionable guidance and acts as a “security multiplier” that strengthens your organisation’s overall security posture.

Who should attend?

This event is designed for IT and security leaders who need to balance effective cyber defence strategies with practicalities of cost and staff workloads. You’ll walk away with knowledge of how Barracuda’s solutions in partnership with Complete IT Systems can take this weight off your shoulders. And we’ll also enjoy some good company, food and a guided darts tournament to boot!

When and where?

📅 Thursday 5th March | 🕒 14:00 – 18:30 | 📍 Flight Club Darts, Leeds

Let’s be honest: running a small business in the UK right now is a bit of a juggle. You’re likely wearing five different hats, and four of them are swallowed up by admin.

Whether it’s an inbox that grows faster than you can clear it or a spreadsheet that makes your eyes water, the “daily grind” often gets in the way of actually growing your business.

That’s where Microsoft Copilot comes in. It’s not just another piece of software; it’s an AI-powered right hand that lives inside the apps you already use (Word, Excel, Teams, and Outlook). It doesn’t use the last of the milk, and it doesn’t take lunch breaks. It just gets things done.

What does it actually do?

We’ve all been there: staring at a blank page or a 50-email thread wondering where to start. Copilot sorts that out in seconds:

• Outlook: It can summarise long email chains so you can get the gist in three bullet points. Need to reply? Tell it to “draft a polite follow-up” and it’ll do the writing for you.
• Teams: Imagine never taking meeting notes again. Copilot can listen to your calls and give you a summary of who said what and what the “action items” are. It even works if you’re five minutes late—just ask it to “catch me up.”
• Excel: You don’t need to be a data wizard. Ask it to “show me the trends from last quarter” or “highlight where we’re overspending,” and it’ll build the charts and formulas for you.
• Word: It turns a few rough notes into a professional proposal or a blog post while you’re making a cuppa.

The bottom line: Cost & advantages

Hiring a new staff member to handle admin can set you back £25k–£30k a year. Microsoft Copilot costs about £16 per user, per month. For the price of a few fancy coffees, you’re giving your team back hours of their week. Current data shows that small businesses using AI are saving up to 30% of their time on manual tasks. That’s time you can spend on billable work, winning new clients, or finishing work on time.

Why bother now?

Here’s three good reasons:

1. Levelling up (that actually works!). With Copilot, you get the same “enterprise-grade” tech as the big corporations, but at a price that actually makes sense for a smaller firm.
2. Safety first: Unlike free AI tools that might “learn” from your data, Copilot is built on Microsoft’s secure cloud. Your business secrets stay your secrets.
3. Future-proofing: By July 2026, these tools will be the standard. Getting in now means you’re ahead of the competition, not playing catch-up.

Ready to get sorted?

No more faffing with templates or digging through folders. Microsoft Copilot is the shortcut your business has been waiting for. It’s time to stop doing the busy work and start doing the real work.

Find out more

Complete IT Systems’ team of Microsoft experts are on hand to help you get the most from your existing M365 environment, or help you migrate to a new one. Contact us today to discuss your requirements.

AI is no longer an enterprise-only luxury; it is a “force multiplier” for smaller teams.

When businesses struggle with a “productivity gap,” Copilot is often positioned as a tool that allows a small team to perform like a much larger one by offloading the “grunt work” of administration, data analysis, and content creation.

The content identifies three pillars of value:

• Copilot Chat: The conversational interface for everyday tasks like email and document summaries.
• Agents: Custom AI assistants that can be built without coding to handle specific business processes.
• Security: Enterprise-grade protection that ensures your business data stays within your “tenant” and isn’t leaked to the public.

Productivity: Killing the “daily grind”

There are specific scenarios where Copilot saves time:

• Outlook & Communication: Copilot acts as a “triage” for inboxes, summarizing long threads and drafting professional, grammatically correct responses in seconds. This ensures customer communications stay polished and brand reputation remains high.
• Meetings in Teams: It serves as a real-time note-taker, capturing decisions and action items so attendees can actually focus on the conversation rather than their notebooks.
• Data in Excel: It breaks down the barrier to complex analytics. You can ask natural language questions like “Show me the Q1 sales trends by region,” and it will build the charts and analysis for you.
• Content cross-pollination: A standout feature is the ability to take data from an Excel sheet, ask Copilot to write a summary report in Word, and then transform that Word document into a full PowerPoint deck.

Leadership and cultural shift

Adopting Copilot isn’t just a tech upgrade; it’s a cultural shift. Leaders in UK SMBs are encouraged to use AI to foster a “digital corporate culture” where staff are freed from routine tasks to focus on “work that excites them” and drives creative results.

Leaders must set the course by:

• Being open to adapting strategies flexibly.
• Using AI for “ideation and analysis” rather than just simple automation.
• Proactively guiding teams through the uncertainties of technological change.

Proper deployment: Security first

Copilot is only as good as the environment it lives in. For UK businesses concerned about GDPR and data safety, the Enterprise Data Protection (EDP) system is the backbone.

When deployed properly, Copilot:

• Respects permissions: It only surfaces data that the user already has permission to see. If your permissions are messy, the AI will find the “mess,” making a pre-rollout data audit essential.
• Ensures sovereignty: Your data is not used to train the global public models (like the free version of ChatGPT).
• Maintains IT control: Administrators retain full control over the lifecycle and usage of both Copilot and any custom agents created by staff.

In summary

Copilot is a way to “level the playing field”. For a cost of approximately £16 per user, per month, a businesses can gain the same analytical and creative power as a multinational corporation. The key to success is treating Copilot as a strategic partner that requires a secure foundation, a clear leadership vision, and a commitment to upskilling the workforce to use “prompts” effectively.

Ready to get sorted?

No more faffing with templates or digging through folders. Microsoft Copilot is the shortcut your business has been waiting for. It’s time to stop doing the busy work and start doing the real work.

Find out more

Complete IT Systems’ team of Microsoft experts are on hand to help you get the most from your existing M365 environment, or help you migrate to a new one. Contact us today to discuss your requirements.

Regulatory pressures are growing, and businesses of all sizes are under more scrutiny than ever to prove that their data, systems, and users are protected.

From phishing threats to account breaches and audit failures, the risks are real – but so are the solutions.

That’s why Complete IT Systems and some leading security vendors teamed up for a live webinar in early November 2025 to show you how to create a compliance-ready security stack that not only stops threats but also supports your regulatory obligations. 

If you missed the live session – fear not! We are pleased to share the recorded version with you!

In this 45 minute session you’ll discover how:

• Barracuda keeps malicious emails out of your inbox, blocking phishing and malware before they reach users
• Yubico strengthens access protection with multi-factor authentication, reducing the risk of account breaches
• Tintri underpins it all with intelligent, high-performance storage that powers rapid threat response and helps you stay compliant
• KnowBe4 trains your users to recognise phishing tactics and embrace MFA, turning human error into a security advantage

Who should watch?

This webinar was designed for IT leaders, security managers, and compliance professionals who need to balance regulatory requirements with effective defence strategies. You’ll walk away with practical guidance, solution insights, and a clear path to strengthening your compliance posture. 

View now!

Please click the link below to watch the on-demand webinar. It’s 43 minutes in length, and will require your name and email address in our GoToWebinar platform. You can also access the slides from the session here. Please note you will hear mentions to a pie and a pint giveaway – unfortunately this was for people that attended the live event, but we’ll have future promotions like that!

If you’re a UK business owner, the thought of an AI “reading” your company files probably makes you at least slightly uneasy.

You’re likely picturing a scenario where a junior intern asks Copilot about company salaries and gets a neatly formatted table in return.

Let’s be blunt: if your digital filing system is a shambles, that’s exactly what will happen. Copilot doesn’t “leak” data; it surfaces it. It follows the permissions you’ve already set. If your “Confidential” folder is accidentally shared with “Everyone,” Copilot is just the messenger.

Here is how to lock down your data so you can enjoy the productivity gains without the heart palpitations.

1. Get your licensing sorted

First things first: your license matters. For most UK small businesses, Microsoft 365 Business Premium is the sweet spot. Why? Because it includes the “big guns” of security – Microsoft Purview and Microsoft Entra ID.

While Business Standard gets you the AI, Business Premium gives you the “governance” tools to control it. It’s the difference between buying a fast car and buying one that actually has brakes. If you’re serious about data safety, this is the kit you need.

2. The great permissions audit, and the “just enough access” rule

Copilot uses a “Semantic Index” to understand your business. It only looks at what the specific user has permission to see.

Before you roll out the licenses, you need to conduct a Data Access Audit.

Kill the “Everyone” links: We’ve all shared a folder with the “Everyone except external users” setting because it was easier than typing names. Stop this immediately and apply the Principle of Least Privilege: Users should only have access to the data they need to do their jobs. A graphic designer doesn’t need access to the P&L statements.

Run a “Search Discovery”: Use the “Data Access Governance” reports in your admin center. It will show you which sensitive files are “overshared.” Clean this up before the AI arrives.

3. Sensitivity labels: Teaching the AI to “shhh”

This is where Microsoft Purview earns its keep. You can create Sensitivity Labels—like Public, Internal, Confidential, and Highly Confidential.

When you tag a document as “Confidential,” Copilot respects that label. If a user asks for a summary of a labelled document, the AI will carry that label over to the summary it creates. More importantly, you can set “Data Loss Prevention” (DLP) policies that prevent Copilot from even touching files tagged with specific labels, or prevent that data from being copied out of your secure environment.

4. UK GDPR and the “sovereignty” question

One of the biggest myths is that Microsoft uses your business data to train the “public” ChatGPT. They don’t.

In the UK, we’re governed by the UK GDPR and the newer Data (Use and Access) Act 2025. Microsoft’s “Commercial Data Protection” means your data stays within your “tenant.” It doesn’t leak into the global AI model. It’s like having a personal assistant who lives in your office and is sworn to secrecy, rather than a temp who blabs at the pub.

5. Cyber Essentials: The British Standard

If you really want to sleep at night, align your Copilot setup with the UK Cyber Essentials scheme. By 2026, most government contracts and large supply chains require this.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) should be a non-negotiable. If a hacker gets into an account, they don’t just get the emails; they get an AI that can find every sensitive document that person ever touched. MFA is your primary wall.

Conditional Access: Use Entra ID to say, “You can only use Copilot if you’re on a company-managed laptop and physically located in the UK.”

6. The human element: Prompt engineering and ethics

Finally, tech can only do so much. You need an Acceptable Use Policy that’s implemented across your business, and not just filed and forgotten about. This should include the importance of teaching staff that just because Copilot found a piece of info, doesn’t mean they have permission to share it further.

Ready to get started?

In this video you’ll learn how your Microsoft 365 data is stored, encrypted, processed, and defended.

Find out more

Complete IT Systems’ team of Microsoft experts are on hand to help you secure and get the most from your existing M365 environment, or help you migrate to a new one. Contact us today to discuss your requirements.

Microsoft Copilot not as a replacement for human staff, but as a productivity-enhancing partner.

For small businesses often stretched for time and resource, Copilot can change the rules of the game by offloading routine content production while allowing the workforce to focus on high-value human qualities like intuition, empathy, and critical thinking.

Productivity gains: Real-world use cases

The content identifies several “game-changing” scenarios for the daily grind of a small firm:

• Outlook mastery: One of the most significant pain points for busy professionals is a cluttered inbox, especially after a holiday. Copilot can clear a week’s worth of emails in minutes, prioritising high-importance messages and drafting appropriate responses.
• The “Microsoft 365 Chat” in Teams: This feature is highlighted as a unique tool that allows users to interact with their business data using natural voice commands. It can pull information from across calendars, emails, documents, and meetings to answer complex questions that would otherwise take hours of manual searching.
• Automated scheduling: For businesses with large teams or complex projects, finding meeting times can feel impossible. Copilot automates this by analysing participant availability and scheduling meetings where everyone is free, a massive win for administrative staff.

The AI-ready framework: Four key questions

Are you actually ready for AI? Start by asking yourself four critical questions:

• Do you have a “Zero Trust” architecture? This “never trust, always verify” philosophy is essential for protecting business integrity.
• Are your endpoints and apps easy to manage? Centralised management of devices (laptops, phones) is a prerequisite for a secure rollout.
• Is your data standardised and easily accessible? AI cannot work effectively if your files are scattered across different systems in inconsistent formats.
• Is your company AI-ready? This involves evaluating whether your culture and data structures are prepared for the transition.

Strategic deployment: Data cleansing and security

The quality of your business data is the single biggest factor in enabling Copilot to be successful. Incorrect or inappropriate data can hinder performance, making data organisation and cleansing essential steps before launch.

Key deployment steps:

• Access control: Revoke outdated permissions to prevent the AI from accidentally surfacing sensitive files to the wrong people.
• Zero Trust compliance: Ensure that every request for data is authenticated and encrypted.
• Monitoring: Use tools to monitor for anomalies or potential risks once the AI is live.

The human element: Rediscovering fulfilment

Properly deployed AI helps staff work with greater purpose. For small business in the UK, this means a more engaged workforce that can spend more time on billable work and client relationships rather than digging through spreadsheets or chasing meeting times.

In summary

Success with Copilot isn’t just about turning on a license. It requires a strategic journey starting with a Zero Trust security foundation, cleansing your data to ensure accuracy, and training your team to use “natural voice commands” effectively. When these steps are taken, the AI becomes a force multiplier that allows a small firm to punch well above its weight. This eBook from Microsoft helps you get started and throughout that journey.

Find out more

Complete IT Systems’ team of Microsoft experts are on hand to help you get the most from your existing M365 environment, launch your AI strategy, or help you migrate to a new one. Contact us today to discuss your requirements.