What’s New in Tech (News You Can Use) from Cranborne’s CTO Ryan Wilson

Unlocking Productivity: How CoPilot Studio Can Transform the Way You Work 


“CoPilot isn’t about replacing people. It’s about freeing them to do their best work. And CoPilot Studio gives you the tools to make that happen your way”. 


All businesses today are seeking greater efficiency, clarity, and responsiveness – drivers for business success. We’re increasingly leaning on technology to streamline operations, and Microsoft CoPilot Studio is emerging as a powerful new tool to empower teams, helping them work smarter, faster and with more confidence and security. 


But what exactly is CoPilot Studio? And how can it help organisations like yours? 


Let’s break it down.


What Is Microsoft CoPilot Studio? 


CoPilot Studio is Microsoft’s low-code environment that allows businesses to build, customise, and manage their own AI-powered assistants tailored to their unique needs. It integrates seamlessly with Microsoft 365 apps like Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, and Power Platform. Essentially, it’s a way for you to train your own “CoPilot” to know your workflows, your data, and your users making it infinitely more useful than a general-purpose chatbot.

 

Unlike the default CoPilot that sits within Microsoft 365 (which is still powerful), CoPilot Studio allows customisation and automation beyond what comes out of the box. 


What’s the Difference Between CoPilot Studio and Other AI Tools? 


While tools like ChatGPT or other LLMs are great for general brainstorming or copywriting, CoPilot Studio is: 

  • Integrated with your Microsoft 365 tools 
  • Customisable for your business 
  • Able to automate real workflows 
  • Trainable on your specific documents and policies 


It’s not just about “answering questions” it’s about automating tasks and surfacing knowledge in real-time, where your staff already work. 


Why It Matters for Your Business 


CoPilot Studio isn’t just a flashy new AI toy, it has real, immediate implications for how small to mid-sized organisations manage work. Here’s how it can drive impact: 


Custom Workflows 

Need to automate staff onboarding, document approval, or incident reporting? CoPilot Studio allows you to design those flows with minimal coding. It means less time spent on repetitive admin and more time focused on outcomes. 


Internal Knowledge Access 

CoPilot can be trained to access and respond with information from your own documents, policies, or procedures. Staff can ask, “How do I log a safeguarding concern?” or “Where’s the holiday policy?” and get instant answers based on your actual documents, not internet guesses. 


Sector-Specific Integration 

Whether you're a care home, a charity, or a retailer CoPilot Studio can adapt to your terminology, systems, and processes. For example: 

  • In healthcare, it can provide quick access to care plans or log compliance notes. 
  • In the non-profit sector, it can streamline grant applications or volunteer scheduling. 
  • In retail, it can help with inventory queries, staff rotas, or FAQs from customers. 


Real-World Example: From Request to Resolution 


Let’s say you run a small chain of care homes. A new employee joins and has questions about reporting medication errors. 

With CoPilot Studio: 


  1. You’ve already built a simple assistant that sits inside Teams. 
  2. The assistant is connected to your compliance handbook and company SharePoint site. 
  3. The new employee opens Teams, types their question, and gets a tailored answer, complete with a link to the reporting form.


That’s one less support ticket. One more confident team member. And crucially, faster compliance with CQC standards. 


Security and Governance Built In 

A key concern for many organisations is data privacy. Microsoft CoPilot Studio addresses this with enterprise-grade security: 

  • Data doesn’t leave your tenant. All information is stored within your Microsoft 365 environment. 
  • Role-based access control allows you to limit who can see or edit content. 
  • Audit trails and version control ensure oversight and compliance. 

This makes it a trusted option for regulated industries, like healthcare or finance, where security is non-negotiable. 


What Does It Take to Get Started? 

You don’t need to be a developer. Most CoPilot Studio apps can be built using a drag-and-drop interface, similar to Power Automate or Forms. However, working with a partner like Cranborne Tech can help ensure: 

  • Your assistants are compliant, secure, and well-tested 
  • You’re integrating CoPilot with SharePoint, Teams, and third-party systems effectively 
  • Your users receive proper training and documentation 


Think of us as your AI adoption guide helping you build once, and benefit for months or years to come. 


Future Roadmap 

Organisations piloting CoPilot Studio are already seeing gains in: 

  • Staff productivity (less time searching, more time doing) 
  • Response consistency (especially for customer service or compliance) 
  • Automation ROI (reducing time spent on routine workflows) 


As Microsoft continues to invest in its AI stack, we expect even tighter integration with Dynamics, Outlook, and third-party SaaS tools. 


Ready to Explore CoPilot Studio? 

We’re helping clients right now to map use cases, build internal bots, and reduce time spent on manual processes. If you’d like a quick walkthrough of what CoPilot Studio could do for your organisation, get in touch for a demo or discovery call. 

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What an AI Agent Can Do for a UK Small Business

December 2, 2025
AI tools are everywhere at the moment, but for most small businesses the real question is simple: can this actually help us day to day? The answer, increasingly, is yes. AI agents are becoming a practical, affordable way for UK SMBs to lighten workloads, improve responsiveness and strengthen their cyber security without adding to headcount. Here’s what they can realistically take off your plate. Take the admin you never get time for Most small teams lose hours each week to tasks like updating spreadsheets, booking meetings, chasing invoices or sorting inbox clutter. An AI agent can handle these automatically in the background — consistently, accurately and without needing to be chased. It’s not about replacing people; it’s about giving them space to focus on the work that actually moves the business forward. Improve customer response times Customers expect fast answers, even when your team is busy or out on site. AI agents can deal with routine enquiries, provide updates, and pass more complex queries straight to the right person. You stay responsive, your team stays sane, and nothing gets forgotten in the rush. Add another layer of cyber protection Cyber threats are rising across the UK, and many of the attacks we’re seeing at Cranborne start with human error — a missed warning sign, a convincing phishing email, or an unusual login that doesn’t get spotted in time. An AI agent can monitor activity in the background and raise a flag the moment something looks suspicious. It’s not a silver bullet, but it’s an extra pair of eyes when you need it most. Support sales and marketing without extra staff From following up with leads to drafting emails and analysing which campaigns actually worked, AI agents help small businesses stay consistent. They don’t replace your voice or your expertise — they simply keep the wheels turning so opportunities don’t slip through the cracks. Help you make better decisions, faster Instead of digging through systems for data, an AI agent can pull together quick reports, highlight trends and spot issues early. That means business owners get clearer visibility without spending evenings trawling through spreadsheets. The takeaway AI agents aren’t a gimmick. Used well, they become part of the team — handling the repetitive, the routine and the time-consuming. For UK SMBs under pressure to do more with less, they offer a straightforward way to improve efficiency, strengthen security and give your people their time back.

The 2026 IT Priorities UK SMBs Can’t Ignore

December 2, 2025
2026 will be a defining year for UK small and medium businesses. Technology is no longer just a background function – it shapes resilience, productivity, and competitiveness. At Cranborne Tech, we see this first-hand across care providers, financial services, retail, and non-profits. The organisations moving forward are the ones treating IT as a strategic enabler, not a cost centre. 1. Cybersecurity First: A Zero-Trust Reality Cyber threats continue to rise, and insurers now require demonstrable controls. SMBs must embed Zero Trust principles: MFA everywhere, continuous monitoring, dark web monitoring and phishing simulations as part of regular staff training. Security is now the foundation of every digital decision. 2. AI-Driven Productivity AI is now built into everyday tools like Microsoft 365. SMBs can save hours each week through automated reporting, meeting summaries, documentation support, and enhanced customer service workflows. Responsible governance and staff training must sit alongside adoption. 3. Cloud Cost Control Licensing and cloud waste became a major issue in 2024–2025. In 2026, SMBs should focus on rationalising tools, removing unused subscriptions, and right-sizing backup and cloud storage plans. A cleaner, more efficient cloud estate lowers costs and reduces complexity. 4. Modernising Infrastructure Cloud environments are now the default, although hybrid is still operational where needed. SMBs need reliable networks, standardised devices, secure remote access, and infrastructure capable of supporting AI-driven workloads. Modernisation boosts stability and improves user experience. 5. Business Continuity That Works Backups alone aren’t enough. SMBs need recoverability: encrypted cloud backups, offline copies, documented disaster recovery plans, and regular testing. Insurers and partners increasingly expect evidence, not assumptions. 6. Compliance and Governance Maturity Clear policies, documented patching, supplier assurance, and ongoing training form the baseline for regulated sectors. Mature governance builds trust and removes friction during audits or contract renewals. 7. Employee Experience Through IT Smooth onboarding, consistent devices, self-service capability, and proactive support make a measurable difference to productivity. In 2026, IT is a core part of employee experience. 8. Automating Everyday Workflows SMBs can now automate HR approvals, finance tasks, customer service routing, and reporting without enterprise budgets. Small steps create meaningful efficiency gains. Book a free IT audit The businesses that will thrive in 2026 are those treating IT as a growth partner. Cranborne Tech is here to help UK SMBs build resilient, secure, and future-ready digital foundations. If you want to understand how your IT supports your business goals and identify any gaps before they become risks, book a free IT audit . We’ll review your current setup and guide you on the next steps.