“Click not Code”: Microsoft Copilot and the Evolution of User Adoption
By Mathieu Galipeau
May 16, 2024 | 3 min read
Question: How does AI simplify user adoption?
The transition from traditional coding solutions to low-code (click) solutions marked a significant shift in user interactions, known as the “click not code” movement. Now, with the emergence of AI, we find ourselves at a new juncture. Internally, we have started coining this next phase the “craft not click” movement, marking a shift towards more intuitive interactions. Users can now shape their experience by crafting queries, commands, and requests in natural language, thanks to AI technology.
This means that accessing, transforming, and analyzing the wealth of data that our business solutions such as our CRM, ERP, and WMS systems contain has become not only much simpler but also accessible to a wider range of users.
Microsoft’s Copilot
For the tech savvy
Microsoft’s Copilot, an AI-powered assistant integrated into Dynamics 365 Business Solutions, exemplifies the “craft not click” movement by assisting integrators in crafting queries, commands, and requests more efficiently and accurately. By understanding natural language queries and context, Copilot can suggest relevant code snippets, data manipulation techniques, and visualization methods, speeding up the development process and reducing the likelihood of errors.
Additionally, Copilot can access documentation specific to the solution and comprehend the context to provide extra guidance on how to use and set up the application. This allows integrators to discover and learn new features faster by querying about fields, functions, and other objects they are working with.
Developers can use Copilot GitHub to look for similar functions in past projects or create simple snippets that they can modify later. Copilot won’t produce the final code, but will save time by doing the boring tasks while developers focus on making the next applications that will boost efficiency and growth.
For the everyday user
Business Intelligence tools like Microsoft’s Power BI play a crucial role in managing the overwhelming mountain of data that many businesses struggle with. While these tools typically depend on data engineers for setup and upkeep, AI presents a user-friendly way for employees to uncover actionable insights swiftly. This advancement allows users to find information more efficiently, respond to inquiries faster, and enhance their skills—all thanks to AI’s ability to comprehend natural language queries and context.
This evolution marks a giant leap towards smarter engagements, and Copilot’s AI magic mixed in with Dynamics 365 Business Central is just one great example of its adoption.
If you haven’t had a chance to peek at what Copilot can do, I highly recommend checking out this video.
Here are some of the practical applications from Copilot that are set to make a real impact.
- Learning support: It helps users learn new skills and knowledge by providing guidance and feedback.
- Content summarization: It condenses long texts into short summaries, making it easier to comprehend and use information.
- Workplace collaboration: It enhances teamwork by suggesting tools, coordinating tasks, and providing coaching tips on message delivery.
- Analytics views: It allows users to build and customize data visualizations, reports, and dashboards to gain insights and make informed decisions.
- Problem-solving aid: It assists users in overcoming challenges by offering solutions, troubleshooting tips, and leading them to optimal outcomes.
Conclusion
Productivity and user adoption to new business solutions is taking a significant leap forward, it’s about to go into maximum hyper-overdrive. Presentations and reports that used to take weeks to prepare will now take hours (and employers will expect that). Business decisions will be made orders of magnitude faster, research papers published in weeks instead of months or years.
It took the phone 75 years to reach 100 million users, Chat GPT-3 did it in less than 3 months. Everything will speed up, not just AI. Businesses can’t afford to sit back and watch the AI revolution unfold, it’s already underway.