Module 1: Introduction to Microsoft 365 Copilot for Finance
- Overview: how Copilot works within Microsoft 365 applications for Finance.
- Key Finance Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) accelerated by Copilot:
- Forecast accuracy
- Budget cycle duration
- Financial reporting turnaround time
- Operating expense (OPEX) control
- Capital expenditure (CAPEX) tracking
- Vendor resolution time
- Copilot capabilities across Excel (Agent Mode), PowerPoint (Office Agent), Word, Outlook, Teams, and Microsoft 365 Chat.
- Understanding Copilot boundaries: no Financial ERP integrations, no custom Artificial Intelligence agents.
- Preparing financial files for ideal Copilot usage (data structure, formatting, and naming conventions).
Module 2: Financial Analysis and Modeling with Excel (Agent Mode)
- Using natural language to perform data cleaning, transformation, and formula generation.
- Creating financial models using Agent Mode for:
- Cash flow analysis
- Profit and loss review
- Budget vs actual variance
- Scenario modeling (“best case”, “worst case”, “expected case”)
- Generating pivot tables and charts using Copilot suggestions.
- Summarizing insights automatically (trends, risks, variances).
- Building forecasting worksheets using Copilot-generated logic.
- Using Copilot to document model assumptions and methodology.
Module 3: Budgeting, Forecasting, and Financial Planning with Copilot
- Drafting budgeting guidelines and instructions in Word using Copilot prompts.
- Summarizing budget submissions from multiple departments.
- Comparing budgeting versions (v1 vs v2) and extracting key changes.
- Using Excel (Agent Mode) to perform rolling forecasts and sensitivity analysis.
- Creating consolidated budget dashboards with automated commentary.
- Drafting communication packs for budget owners using Outlook + Copilot.
- Preparing executive-ready slides to present budget insights via PowerPoint (Office Agent).
Module 4: Financial Reporting and Management Presentations
- Creating financial report drafts in Word using Copilot-generated summaries.
- Turning raw financial tables into narrative insights and management commentary.
- Building board decks and monthly business review decks using Office Agent for PowerPoint.
- Automatically generating slide headlines, layouts, and visualizations.
- Using Teams recap to gather action items from finance review meetings.
- Summarizing multi-source financial documents for executives.
Module 5: Audit, Risk, and Compliance Support with Copilot
- Summarizing audit findings, policy documents, and risk assessments.
- Drafting audit responses and compliance documentation using Word + Copilot.
- Preparing internal control descriptions, workflows, and checklists.
- Extracting key compliance points from regulatory documents.
- Drafting communication emails to stakeholders regarding audit and compliance requirements.
- Using Teams recap to summarize audit meetings and identify next steps.
Module 6: Procurement, Vendor Management, and Contract Support
- Summarizing supplier contracts and Statements of Work (SOWs) using Copilot in Word.
- Drafting vendor communication emails and negotiation summaries in Outlook.
- Extracting key terms, deadlines, and financial obligations from contracts.
- Creating vendor comparison tables using Excel (Agent Mode).
- Summarizing Teams chat threads regarding vendor issues.
- Using PowerPoint (Office Agent) to create vendor review decks and supplier scorecards.
Module 7: Expense Management, Cost Optimization, and Financial Insights
- Analyzing expense data using Agent Mode in Excel.
- Identifying cost anomalies, overspending, and non-compliant expenses.
- Drafting cost optimization recommendations based on financial patterns.
- Summarizing credit card or claims reports into actionable insights.
- Creating cost-reduction business cases using Word and PowerPoint (Office Agent).
- Drafting finance operations updates using Outlook + Copilot summarization.
Module 8: Stakeholder Communication and Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Using Copilot in Outlook to draft financial updates for business unit leaders.
- Summarizing Teams discussions on financial issues, risk items, and project finances.
- Creating alignment documents for cross-department collaboration.
- Preparing meeting-ready summaries of financial discussions.
- Extracting action items and timelines from leadership meetings using Teams recap.
- Creating consolidated updates for executives and boards with PowerPoint (Office Agent).
