Copilot Readiness Assessment — Is Your Company Ready for Microsoft Copilot?

Why Copilot Readiness Matters

Deploying Microsoft Copilot without preparation leads to three common problems: security incidents from overshared data, low adoption from untrained users, and wasted budget on unused licences. A thorough readiness assessment before deployment prevents all three.

This guide walks you through the five dimensions of Copilot readiness that every company in Malaysia and Singapore should evaluate before purchasing licences.

Dimension 1: Licensing and Infrastructure

M365 Licence Requirements

Microsoft Copilot for M365 requires a base licence plus a Copilot add-on:

Assessment questions:

• What M365 licences does your company currently hold?
• How many users need Copilot licences? (Start with a pilot group, not everyone)
• Is your M365 tenant on the latest update channel?
• Are you using Microsoft 365 Apps (not Office 2019/2021 perpetual)?

Infrastructure Requirements

• Azure Active Directory (Entra ID): All users must have Azure AD accounts
• Microsoft 365 Apps: Desktop apps must be the Microsoft 365 subscription version (not perpetual Office)
• Teams: Teams must be enabled with meeting transcription capability
• Network: Adequate internet bandwidth for AI processing (minimal additional bandwidth required)
• Updates: All M365 apps must be on the Current Channel or Monthly Enterprise Channel

Dimension 2: Data Governance

This is the most critical and most commonly overlooked dimension. Copilot can access any data that a user has permission to see in M365. If your permissions are overly broad, Copilot can surface sensitive data to people who should not see it.

The Oversharing Problem

In many companies, SharePoint and OneDrive permissions have accumulated over years without cleanup. Common issues include:

• Everyone has access to everything: Sites and folders shared with "Everyone" or "Everyone except external users"
• Stale permissions: Former team members still have access to sensitive folders
• Inherited permissions: Subfolder permissions inherited from broadly shared parent sites
• Shared links: Old sharing links that give access to confidential documents

Data Governance Checklist

SharePoint and OneDrive:

• Audit all SharePoint sites for broad sharing (Everyone, All Company)
• Review and remediate overshared folders and files
• Implement sensitivity labels for confidential documents
• Set up data loss prevention (DLP) policies
• Review and clean up external sharing settings

Exchange (Email):

• Review shared mailbox permissions
• Audit delegate access to executive mailboxes
• Ensure confidential email labels are in use

Teams:

• Review team membership for abandoned or overly large teams
• Audit guest access to Teams channels
• Set retention policies for meeting transcripts

Sensitivity Labels

Microsoft Purview sensitivity labels allow you to classify and protect documents. Before deploying Copilot, ensure that:

1. Sensitivity labels are configured (e.g., Public, Internal, Confidential, Highly Confidential)
2. Users are trained to apply labels to documents and emails
3. Auto-labelling policies are in place for common confidential data patterns (NRIC numbers, credit card numbers, etc.)

Dimension 3: Security Configuration

Conditional Access

Ensure that Copilot access is governed by your existing conditional access policies:

• Multi-factor authentication (MFA) required for all Copilot users
• Device compliance required (managed devices only, or compliant BYOD)
• Location-based access controls if applicable
• Session timeout policies aligned with your security standards

Information Barriers

If your organisation requires information barriers (e.g., between departments in financial services), verify that these barriers are configured in M365 before enabling Copilot. Copilot respects information barriers, but they must be properly set up.

Audit Logging

Enable and review audit logging for Copilot interactions:

• Copilot usage logs are available in the M365 compliance centre
• Set up alerts for unusual patterns (e.g., high-volume data queries)
• Retain logs in accordance with your company's data retention policy

Dimension 4: Change Management Readiness

Leadership Alignment

• Does the C-suite understand what Copilot does and endorse the deployment?
• Is there a clear business case and expected ROI?
• Has a deployment sponsor been identified (typically CIO, CTO, or CHRO)?

Communication Plan

• Have you communicated the "why" behind Copilot to employees?
• Is there a clear message addressing job displacement fears?
• Have you prepared FAQs for common employee concerns?

Training Plan

• Is there a training programme ready for launch (1-day workshop recommended)?
• Have you identified AI champions in each department?
• Is there ongoing support available (help desk, office hours, prompt library)?

Usage Policy

• Have you drafted a Copilot usage policy covering:
  • Approved use cases
  • Data handling rules (what not to input)
  • Quality assurance requirements (human review of outputs)
  • Disclosure requirements (when to indicate AI was used)
  • Incident reporting procedures

Dimension 5: Measurement Readiness

Baseline Metrics

Before deploying Copilot, establish baselines for the metrics you want to improve:

• Average time spent on email per day
• Average time spent in meetings per week
• Time to complete common tasks (report writing, data analysis, presentation creation)
• Employee satisfaction with productivity tools

Tracking Infrastructure

• Enable the Copilot usage dashboard in the M365 admin centre
• Set up monthly reporting cadence
• Define success criteria: what adoption rate and time savings justify the investment?

Copilot Readiness Scorecard

Rate your organisation on each dimension (1-5 scale):

Interpretation:

• 4.0-5.0: Ready to deploy. Proceed with a pilot group.
• 3.0-3.9: Mostly ready. Address gaps before full deployment.
• 2.0-2.9: Significant gaps. Invest 4-8 weeks in preparation.
• Below 2.0: Not ready. Focus on foundational M365 governance first.

Getting Help with Copilot Readiness

Many companies need expert guidance to prepare for Copilot deployment, particularly around data governance and security configuration. Training providers in Malaysia and Singapore offer Copilot readiness assessments that cover all five dimensions and provide a detailed remediation plan.

• Malaysia: Assessment and training costs are HRDF claimable
• Singapore: SkillsFuture subsidies cover 70-90% of assessment and training costs

Related Reading

• Copilot Governance & Access — SharePoint permissions and data governance for Copilot
• Copilot Adoption Playbook — The full playbook from pilot to rollout
• AI Risk Assessment Template — Assess broader AI risks alongside Copilot readiness