By Guest contributor |
We’re standing at the edge of a profound shift in how work gets done. For years, we’ve talked about digital transformation, but the next wave isn’t just about digitising tasks, it’s about reimagining the very fabric of work through agentic AI. And at the heart of this evolution is Microsoft Copilot.
I’ve seen firsthand how the right technology paired with the right mindset can unlock extraordinary value.
But the truth is that technology alone doesn’t transform organisations, people do. And that’s why the conversation must start with the employee experience (EX).
Microsoft Copilot, embedded across the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, is not just a chatbot or a productivity assistant. It’s a co-creator, a problem-solver and, increasingly, a change agent. Whether it’s summarising meetings, drafting documents, surfacing insights or orchestrating workflows, Copilot is helping employees move from manual effort to meaningful impact. It’s enabling people to focus on what they do best; thinking creatively, solving problems and connecting with others.
In traditional models, process optimisation was about efficiency. But in the agentic era, it’s about empowerment. Imagine a world where a service desk agent resolves issues before they’re even reported, a project manager receives real-time nudges to course-correct delivery risks, and a new hire is onboarded with personalised guidance, curated content and instant access to mentors.
Thinking beyond simple scenarios, advancements in agentic technology afford us the opportunity to reimagine how work gets done. Copilot adoption requires a new approach compared to traditional adoption programmes, but it enables employees to build a new AI-powered muscle, which allows them to rewire their productivity habits and drive sustained behaviour change. When that behaviour change is combined with agentic-powered process transformation, it provides the foundation for reimagining the way people work within organisations.
When employees are empowered, supported and inspired, they show up differently. They’re more engaged, responsive and innovative. That translates directly into how they serve customers. You can’t deliver exceptional customer experience (CX) without exceptional employee experience. The two are inextricably linked.
In addition, where organisations are investing in AI-powered solutions that directly improve their own customer experiences, it is vital to modernise and transform the back-end processes and the way employees are empowered to work to maximise the customer-facing impact.
In our work with clients, we’ve seen that investments in EX, especially those powered by agentic AI, lead to measurable gains in CX, with improvements including faster response times, higher satisfaction scores and increased loyalty. It’s a virtuous cycle where better tools lead to better work, which leads to better service.
Of course, none of this happens by accident. Alongside investments in technology and change management programmes, it is imperative for organisations to have their foundational technology platforms in a mature state. Content should be in the right place for AI tools to be able to access it, employees need to be trained, and security governance needs to be up to date.
Ideally, complexity should also be removed from the wider IT estate to ensure it is easy to manage, particularly where AI agents are connecting the digital workplace tooling to back-end line of business systems such as Microsoft Dynamics 365.
To truly harness the power of Copilot and agentic AI, organisations must invest in change enablement. That means establishing centres of excellence to curate best practices and prompt libraries, running pilot programmes to validate impact and build momentum, and embedding learning loops to help employees continuously adapt and grow.
It also means rethinking leadership. In an agentic world, leaders must shift from a command-and-control approach to one focused on coaching and enabling. They must create environments where experimentation is safe, feedback is fast, and learning is constant.
We’re at a pivotal moment. The tools are ready, the technology is mature, but the question is: are we bold enough to lead the change?
This isn’t just about AI; it’s about amplifying human potential. It’s about creating workplaces where people thrive, and where that thriving becomes the foundation for extraordinary customer experiences.
Zoe Wilson is vice president and global digital workplace services consult leader at Kyndryl
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