Microsoft 365 Copilot integrates with Excel to simplify data analysis, allowing users to receive suggestions, create new content and obtain insights useful for decision-making. In this article, we'll look at how to access the functionality of Microsoft 365 Copilot in Excel, what advantages it offers, and what are the current limitations.
Microsoft 365 Copilot integrates into Excel for optimize data analysis. Just explain to the AI what you want to achieve, in your own words, to receive:
Copilot thus makes one of the most common and complex Microsoft 365 tools accessible, eliminating the need for technical skills to work productively on Excel.
Microsoft 365 Copilot is reachable from the main Excel interface, through the item 'Copilot' in the 'Home' command bar at the top right. Once selected, the conversation window for working with the AI is accessed in the right panel.
However, there are some points of attention that you need to know.
First, Copilot works only with Excel files that are saved in the Microsoft cloud, either on your OneDrive or on SharePoint/Teams.
In addition to this, Copilot currently operates only on data tables. It is therefore necessary to transform a range of cells into a table to receive its support. If you don't know how to create a table from the data inserted in the sheet, here are the steps to follow:
Second, Copilot can only be used with the .xlsx and .xslm files in OneDrive and SharePoint. If the spreadsheet is saved locally or in a different format, the Copilot icon among the Excel commands will appear disabled (in gray) and the user will not be able to access its functionality.
Finally, only users with the right licenses can access Copilot in Excel. You should therefore make sure that you have the appropriate Microsoft 365 licenses and the specific license for Microsoft 365 Copilot.
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The integration of Microsoft 365 Copilot into Excel has been one of the most anticipated since Microsoft's new AI was announced. This is because the combination of these two tools makes data analysis a simple process for all users, especially for those who are less experienced in the use of tables, formulas and graphs.
In fact, Copilot allows you to view, analyze and transform the data in a spreadsheet, starting from a single prompt. Below, let's see some of its features for Microsoft Excel.
Users can ask Copilot to analyze the tables in an Excel file to highlight and deepen the most important information. To do this, just click on the Copilot icon and select 'Analyse'. Some useful prompts are then shown to analyze the data in the table and the chat appears to ask free questions and requests.
Once the analysis has been launched, the AI will highlight the relevant information based on the prompt and the type of data collected. In addition, it generates a series of contents that the user can use to deepen the analysis, such as:
Microsoft 365 Copilot manipulates Excel tables to help users better organize data and identify the most important information. It can then:
Regarding the last point, it is possible to ask Copilot to model the data based on a variable to visualize, compare and understand from the simulations how to intervene to improve the trend. Here's an example of a prompt to use in this case:
“Model as a 10% increase in the values in the column Units sold Do you influence the trend of the values in the column Annual revenues”
Copilot can suggest formulas to use to create new columns in an Excel table.
Based on the prompt and the type of data, it proposes useful calculations to combine the values of the columns in the table and create new ones to highlight important information. For example, AI might suggest using a formula to explain the profit of a marketing campaign or the total cost of developing a product.
Although Copilot in Excel offers countless advantages for the productivity of companies and professionals, it must be considered that it is a tool that is still under development. It therefore has some limitations that (we believe) Microsoft will resolve in the short term. Among these, we highlight the following:
In addition, Microsoft 365 Copilot responds to requests made in one of the following languages:
In 2024, however, 17 new languages will arrive supported by the solution.
To access Copilot in Excel, go to the 'Home' tab and click the 'Copilot' icon. It requires your Excel files to be saved in OneDrive or SharePoint.
Copilot in Excel assists with data analysis, suggesting formulas, generating graphs, and highlighting trends and insights using prompts.
Currently, Copilot supports up to 2 million cells in Excel and works with specific file formats (.xlsx, .xlsm). It also has limited language support.
Copilot helps users organize data, remove duplicates, and model trends based on variables using prompts like forecasting future scenarios.
Yes, Copilot can recommend formulas to create new columns based on the data provided, simplifying complex calculations.
Copilot in Excel supports .xlsx and .xlsm files saved in OneDrive or SharePoint. Locally saved files or unsupported formats will not work with Copilot.
Copilot currently supports languages like English, Spanish, French, German, and more, with additional languages expected in 2024.
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