Role-Based Programme
RB0277

Microsoft 365 Copilot for Finance & Accounting

Practical AI for Financial Analysis, Reporting & Productivity

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Duration
8 Hours
Level
Basic
Delivery
Instructor-Led
Format
Workshop

Programme Objectives

  • Build foundational proficiency in using Microsoft 365 Copilot across practical Finance and Accounting activities.
  • Apply structured prompting techniques for financial analysis, reconciliation support, variance investigation, budgeting, forecasting, and reporting.
  • Use Copilot in Excel to analyse financial datasets, identify trends and outliers, generate formulas, and create management-ready summaries and visualisations.
  • Use Word, Outlook, Teams, and PowerPoint to improve financial documentation, month-end communication, meetings, and management reporting.
  • Apply Analyst and Researcher where available for deeper data analysis and source-backed financial research while maintaining numerical validation, confidentiality, controls, and human Finance ownership.

Tools covered

Microsoft 365 CopilotCopilot ChatExcelWordOutlookTeamsPowerPointAnalyst AgentResearcher AgentOrganisational Work Data where authorised

Who should attend

  • Finance Executives
  • Accountants
  • Finance Analysts
  • FP&A Professionals
  • Management Accountants
  • Financial Controllers
  • Accounts Payable Professionals
  • Accounts Receivable Professionals
  • General Ledger Professionals
  • Budgeting & Forecasting Professionals
  • Commercial Finance Professionals
  • Finance Shared Services Professionals
  • Finance Managers
  • Finance Team Leaders

Prerequisites & Participant Readiness

  • Basic understanding of Finance and Accounting activities
  • Familiarity with financial statements, budgets, reports, reconciliations, or transaction data
  • Basic working knowledge of Microsoft Excel is helpful
  • Familiarity with Word, Outlook, Teams, and PowerPoint is beneficial
  • Basic computer and internet proficiency
  • No programming knowledge required
  • No previous Microsoft 365 Copilot experience required
  • Participants should use anonymised or organisation-approved financial information during exercises
  • Availability of Analyst, Researcher, and work-grounded features may depend on organisational licensing, permissions, and administrator configuration
  • AI-generated calculations, forecasts, accounting interpretations, and financial conclusions must be independently validated before business use

TOC Modules

Concepts
  • Understanding Microsoft 365 Copilot, Copilot Chat, Generative AI, and work-grounded assistance
  • Understanding how Copilot works across Excel, Word, Outlook, Teams, and PowerPoint
  • Identifying Finance applications across analysis, reconciliation, reporting, research, and communication
  • Understanding permissions, financial-data confidentiality, hallucinations, and numerical accuracy risks
Practical activities
  • Exploring Copilot through common Finance and Accounting activities
  • Comparing simple and structured prompts for the same financial requirement
  • Reviewing generated financial content for unsupported assumptions or calculation errors
  • Identifying Finance activities suitable for Copilot assistance versus professional judgement

Scenarios

Month-End Performance Review

Actual + Budget Data → Copilot in Excel → Variance Analysis → Trends & Outliers → Driver Questions → Finance Validation → Management Commentary → PowerPoint Review

Participants use Copilot to analyse sample month-end financial information, identify significant movements, develop investigation questions, and convert validated findings into management-ready commentary and reporting.

Reconciliation to Exception Resolution

Transaction Data → Copilot in Excel → Matching Review → Exceptions → Categorisation → Investigation Questions → Outlook Follow-Up → Reconciliation Summary

Participants use Copilot to organise a sample reconciliation, identify potential exceptions, prepare follow-up requirements, and create a structured review summary while retaining Finance ownership of adjustments and final accounting treatment.

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