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, regardless of basic or premium status)
- 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. The course accommodates mixed experience levels, ranging from confident occasional users to daily users seeking to deepen their expertise.
Testimonials (1)
Trainer was very knowledgeable and easy to speak to
