Implementing Microsoft Copilot is a major undertaking for any organization. It also takes time for staff to learn how to use it effectively. To maximize return on investment, it makes sense to focus first on the applications where Copilot delivers the biggest payoffs.

Measuring Copilot Usage

Microsoft doesn’t publish global statistics showing how many users are active in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, or Teams. Instead, each organization sees its own usage breakdowns through the Copilot Dashboard in Viva Insights.

Here’s what that means in practice:

• Licensed users: All employees assigned a Copilot license.
• Active users: Those who used Copilot in a given app at least once in the last 28 days.
• Percentages per app: Shown only inside your tenant’s dashboard, not shared publicly.

Because every organization works differently, the numbers vary widely by industry, job role, and workflows.

Industry Insights: Typical Patterns

Analyst reports and enterprise rollouts show some consistent usage patterns:

• Highest usage: Word, Outlook, and Teams — where drafting, summarizing, and meeting recaps happen every day.
• Moderate usage: Excel and PowerPoint — valuable, but more specialized, often tied to analysts or presenters.
• Lowest usage: OneNote — smaller adoption footprint, niche scenarios.

Example Dashboard (Illustrative Only)

Here’s what a representative organization might see in its own Copilot dashboard:

Again, these are not Microsoft’s official global numbers. This table simply reflects the types of patterns that may be revealed when examining your organization’s usage.

Final Thoughts

Implementing Microsoft Copilot is a significant endeavor that requires time and effort from the organization and its staff. To maximize the return on investment, it is essential to focus on the applications where Copilot delivers the most substantial benefits. Usage patterns indicate that Word, Outlook, and Teams see the highest adoption, as these applications are integral to daily tasks such as drafting, summarizing, and meeting recaps. Excel and PowerPoint also provide valuable functionalities, though their usage is more specialized. OneNote, on the other hand, has a smaller adoption footprint and is used in niche scenarios.

By understanding these usage patterns and leveraging the Copilot Dashboard in Viva Insights, organizations can tailor their Copilot implementation to their specific needs and workflows, ultimately driving greater efficiency and productivity.

Want to learn more? AI has been a subject of my writing for several years, and CGNET has offered AI user training and implementation for both large and small scale organizations.   I would love to answer your questions! Please check out our website or drop me a line at g.*******@***et.com.