AI for Business: Introduction to AI and Microsoft 365 Copilot

IntroductoryVersion 365

Course Objective

Designed for business professionals ready to save time and boost productivity with AI across their daily Office apps. Students will learn how to use structured prompting to produce consistent AI output, leverage Microsoft 365 Copilot to analyze and automate business tasks across Excel and other Microsoft applications, then incorporate responsible AI practices in the workplace.

Prerequisites

To ensure your success, each student should have a working knowledge of Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office concepts, experience creating and editing Excel formulas, and familiarity with basic lookup functions.

Course Outline

6 lessons · 25 topics

1How Business AI Actually Works (So You Can Trust It)

Understand What AI Can and Can't Do in a Business Context
Recognize When the AI Is Confidently Wrong (A Plain-English Look at Pattern Matching and Probability)
Identify AI Strengths, Limitations, and Built-In Safety Controls
Understand How AI Generates a Response
Incorporate Structured Prompting Techniques

2Working Faster in Excel with Copilot

Generate, Explain, and Modify Formulas on Demand
Compare Legacy and Modern Lookup Functions
Use Copilot to Analyze Data and Identify Trends
Discover Advanced Excel Functions and Features with Copilot
Validate AI-Generated Output Before You Rely on It

3Automating and Streamlining Excel Workflows

Identify Tasks Suitable for Automation
Generate, Review, and Safely Use VBA and Macros
Optimize and Simplify Complex Formulas
Build Faster, Cleaner Reports with AI

4Applying AI Across Microsoft 365

Enhance Meetings and Collaboration with Copilot in Teams
Use Copilot in Outlook, Word, and PowerPoint
Summarize, Rewrite, and Extract Key Information from Text, Long-Form Text, and Data
Select the Appropriate AI Tool for the Task

5Responsible AI in the Workplace

Recognize Sensitive Information and What Should Never Be Shared with AI
Understand Platform Safety, Governance, and Compliance Controls
Adopt Responsible AI Use and Best Practices
Validate AI-Generated Content Before Distribution

6Optional Add-On: Advanced Topics (Power BI & Data Modeling)

Generate and Validate AI-Assisted Power Pivot/DAX Measures for Excel and Power BI
Generate and Validate AI-Assisted Power Query M Code
Compare Excel and Power BI Calculations

Excel Solutions Team
Kirkwood Tower, 11757 Katy Fwy, Suite 1300, Houston, TX 77079
(713) 589-2655 · contactinfo@excelsolutionsteam.com · excelsolutionsteam.com

Official CPE Provider (TX State Board of Public Accountancy)
BBB Accredited since 2006 · 20+ years training Houston professionals