Unlocking Smarter File Management with Copilot in OneDrive

The modern workplace is evolving, and so are the tools that help us stay productive. OneDrive has long been a cornerstone of file storage and collaboration within the Microsoft 365 suite, but with the introduction of Copilot in OneDrive, Microsoft is transforming how we interact with our digital files. Copilot promises to revolutionize file management and productivity by harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI). Whether you’re a busy professional, a student, or part of a large team, Copilot will make retrieving, analysing, and organizing information easier than ever.

Let’s dive deeper into how Copilot in OneDrive is poised to change the game for anyone working with files in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.

1. Ask Questions, Get Instant Answers from Your Files

Reference: Microsoft

We’ve all been there—frantically digging through folders and scrolling through documents, trying to find that one critical piece of information hidden in a spreadsheet or a PDF. Whether you’re preparing for a meeting, drafting a report, or analyzing data, time wasted searching through files can add up.

This is where Copilot in OneDrive comes in. Instead of opening multiple files and manually searching for data, you can now ask Copilot direct questions, and it will instantly retrieve the relevant information. Copilot scans your files and gives you answers in the format you need—whether it’s a table, a summary, or a list.

Imagine this scenario: you’re managing the sales for a large company and need quick insights into last week’s sales performance. Instead of filtering through spreadsheets, simply ask Copilot, “What were the total beverage sales last week?” Copilot will pull the data and present it in an easy-to-read table, saving you time and ensuring you have the most up-to-date information.

But it doesn’t stop there. You can also use Copilot to compare documents, identify differences, and summarize long reports.

Copilot’s ability to answer complex queries allows you to stay focused on higher-level decision-making, while it handles the tedious tasks of searching, retrieving, and organizing data.

2. Natural Language Search: Find What You Need Without the Hassle

One of the most exciting features of Copilot in OneDrive is its ability to find files for you using natural language. Gone are the days of struggling to remember file names or exact locations. Whether you’ve been away from a project for a week or are diving into something new, Copilot allows you to simply describe what you’re looking for.

For instance, you can say:

• “I’ve been on vacation for a week. Show me recent files on Project Moonshot.”
• “What files should I read to get started on Project SkyDance?”

With these prompts, Copilot will scan your OneDrive, locate the relevant files, and present them to you. This natural language search capability ensures that you never have to waste time searching through directories or trying to remember where you saved that all-important document.

3. Turning Your Files into Actionable Content

Sometimes, you need more than just answers—you need to create content based on the information you have stored. Copilot in OneDrive shines here, too. It can help you transform existing data into new formats, making content creation a breeze. Need to prepare an outline for a meeting or summarize several resumes into a table for easy comparison? Copilot can help.

Some ways to leverage Copilot for content creation include:

• Outlines: “Using /sales-enablement.docx as reference, create an outline of a sales pitch to a new customer.”
• Tables: “For these selected resumes, create a table with names, current title, years of experience, educational qualifications, and current location.”
• FAQs: “Create a list of frequently asked questions about Project Moonshot.”
• Comparisons: “Look at /proposal1.docx and /proposal2.docx and create a table outlining the differences in cost, milestones, and date of delivery.”

This powerful capability turns your OneDrive from a static file repository into an active resource, helping you extract, organize, and present information seamlessly.

4. Improving and Summarizing Your Documents

Let’s say you’ve finished drafting a report or presentation, but you’re not sure if it’s ready for a leadership review. You can ask Copilot to review your file and offer suggestions for improvement. It will analyze your content and provide recommendations to refine your message, enhance your formatting, or address any gaps.

Here’s an example prompt: “What improvements should I make to this file to prepare it for a leadership review?”

If you’re dealing with multiple lengthy files and don’t have time to read them all, Copilot can help by summarizing the key points of one or more files. Whether you’re working with PDFs, Word documents, or PowerPoint slides, Copilot can deliver concise overviews that highlight the most important information.

Example prompts include:

• “Summarize the key points from moonshot-plan.pdf, Moonshot-timeline.docx, moonshot-GTM.ppt.”
• “Summarize long-industry-report.pdf. List its three main points and tell me about the industry risks and open questions.”

These capabilities allow you to work smarter, giving you the insights you need at a glance without having to wade through the entire file.

5. Broad File and Language Compatibility

What makes Copilot in OneDrive even more versatile is its broad compatibility with different file types and languages. It supports not only the usual Microsoft Office documents (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), but also new formats like Loop and Fluid, as well as PDFs, web files (HTML, HTM, ASPX), and even OpenDocument formats.

This wide range of compatibility means you can ask questions and retrieve data from almost any type of document stored in your OneDrive. Copilot is also multilingual, supporting multiple languages including English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, and more. In the coming months, even more languages like Arabic, Korean, and Russian will be added, making this feature accessible to users around the world.

6. Enhancing Collaboration with Document Summaries

Reference: Microsoft

As an added bonus, starting in March 2024, when you share documents with your colleagues, you’ll have the option to include Copilot-generated summaries. These summaries will provide a brief overview of the document’s contents, helping recipients understand the context without having to open and read the entire file.

This feature is particularly useful when sharing documents in fast-paced environments where quick decision-making is key. It allows your coworkers to prioritize tasks efficiently and reduces the cognitive burden of sifting through multiple files. The feature will initially be available when sharing Word documents from the web, with desktop and mobile support coming later in the year.

7. Looking Ahead: The Future of File Interaction

Copilot in OneDrive is more than just an AI-powered assistant—it’s a glimpse into the future of file interaction. By integrating natural language search, file retrieval, content creation, and document summaries into a single tool, Copilot makes working with files faster and more intuitive. Whether you’re looking for quick answers, creating new content from existing files, or streamlining collaboration, Copilot in OneDrive is here to make your work life easier.

This is just the beginning. As Microsoft continues to innovate, you can expect even more enhancements to how we interact with files and manage our workflows. The future is bright, and Copilot is leading the way.

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