Here at Oakland, we specialise in building custom Intelligent Agents using our bespoke Intelligent Agent framework, tailored to meet your organisation’s unique needs. A common question is, “Why should we invest in a custom-built solution when we can easily implement Microsoft Copilot Studio?”
As a Microsoft Data & AI partner, we use Microsoft products daily, with Azure as our preferred technology stack. Microsoft Copilot Studio offers numerous benefits, particularly its seamless integration with Microsoft 365 apps and the utilisation of large language models (LLMs) like GPT-4. If you are looking to introduce artificial intelligence into your organisation across various use cases, Copilot Studio is an excellent starting point for AI integration.
If you want to learn more about Oakland’s Intelligent Agents, please click here to read our blog.
What Are the Key Features and Benefits of Microsoft Copilot Studio?
Microsoft Copilot Studio excels in several areas, making it a strong candidate for many organisations starting their journey with Generative AI. Copilot Studio is capable of addressing a wide range of business needs:
Functionality
- Knowledge Source: Through Microsoft Graph connectors, Copilot Studio connects to a wide range of data sources, both internal (SharePoint, Dataverse, Fabric) and external (public websites, Confluence, Jira, Excel, databases).
- Real-Time Data Access: Ensures up-to-date responses by retrieving real-time data from integrated sources.
- AI Integration: Enhances its functionalities by integrating with Azure OpenAI models.
Workflow Automation
- Automated Workflows: Users can create and manage topics that trigger based on specific inputs or events.
- Actions: Copilot Studio can perform tasks such as updating SharePoint lists based on user inputs, and streamlining operations.
- Integration: Integrates effectively with other Power Platform tools, expanding its capabilities.
User Management and Security
- Role-Based Access Control: Defines user roles and permissions to ensure secure access.
- Audit Logs: Maintains detailed logs of user interactions and system activities, ensuring transparency and security.
- Single Sign-On (SSO): Quick setup of SSO for accessing relevant data sources, enhancing user experience and security.
Deployment
- Channels: Copilot Studio can be deployed across various platforms such as websites, Teams, and Slack, making it highly versatile.
- Handoff: It can hand off chats to third-party chatbots or other Copilot instances like Zendesk or Salesforce, ensuring seamless user experiences.
Reporting
- Power BI Reports: Built-in reports showcase Copilot Studio’s performance and effectiveness, helping organisations track and optimise usage.
What Are the Limitations of Microsoft Copilot Studio?
Despite its strengths, Microsoft Copilot Studio has some limitations that may pose challenging for certain organisations:
Setup Complexity
- Configuration Overhead: Setting up data sources and configuring Copilot Studio can be complex and time-consuming, especially for users with limited technical expertise.
- Integration Challenges: Integrating with legacy systems or custom applications may require additional development and troubleshooting, adding to the setup complexity.
Natural Language Understanding Limitations
- Ambiguity Handling: Copilot Studio may struggle with ambiguous or poorly structured queries, leading to incorrect or incomplete responses.
- Language Support: While Copilot Studio supports multiple languages, the accuracy and depth of understanding can vary between them, potentially limiting its effectiveness.
- Incorrect Topics: Occasionally, Copilot Studio elects the wrong topic, resulting in inconsistent answers.
Performance and Scalability
- Response Time: Copilot Studios response time can be affected by the performance of integrated data sources and the complexity of workflows, which may not be ideal for high-demand environments.
- Scalability Limits: Some sources use GraphSearch instead of VectorSearch, leading to timeouts as data points scale up, which could hinder performance as your business grows.
What Are the Use Cases for Microsoft Copilot Studio?
Here are some practical use cases where Microsoft Copilot Studio can be effectively deployed:
Microsoft Teams Bot
Create a Microsoft bot with SSO enabled and internal knowledge attached to the Copilot. For example, an HR Copilot with information on HR-related topics like sick leave and holidays.
Power Platform Users
Teams already using Power Platform apps like Power Apps and Power Automate can easily create Copilots using Copilot Studio, leveraging existing tools for enhanced functionality.
Action Bot
Copilots can perform actions like updating SharePoint lists or sending emails, making them useful for creating GenAI bots with built-in actions.
Simple Website Bot
Attach a Copilot to a company website for a bot powered by Copilot and GenAI, providing users with instant, AI-driven support.
“Oakland are big fans of the Microsoft ecosystem, and Copilot Studio has proven to be an excellent platform for exploring GenAI capabilities. It allows us to create multiple co-pilots tailored to different client needs, and we’ve been impressed by its seamless integration for straightforward use cases. However, when it comes to more complex solutions requiring advanced capabilities, Oakland’s Intelligent Agents excel in delivering value quickly and accurately.”
Rehan Hussain – Senior Solutions Architect
Custom-Built Intelligent Agents: The Next Level of AI Integration
While Microsoft Copilot Studio offers a robust starting point, custom-built intelligent agents provide several distinct advantages tailored to your business needs. Here are some key advantages:
Customisation and Flexibility
- Custom-built agents are designed for a business’s unique needs and workflows, ensuring perfect alignment with business processes and objectives.
- Businesses can define precise functionalities and features critical to their operations, which Copilot Studio may not fully cover.
- Custom agents can be easily modified and updated to accommodate changing requirements, new business processes, or emerging technologies, ensuring long-term effectiveness.
Data Integration and Control
- Custom agents integrate deeply with various internal systems, databases, and third-party applications beyond the Microsoft ecosystem, providing a more comprehensive solution.
- Organisations maintain full control over their data, ensuring compliance with specific regulatory requirements and internal policies, which is crucial in highly regulated industries.
- Custom-built solutions are designed with specific security protocols and measures tailored to an organisation’s risk profile, offering superior protection to generic solutions.
Optimised Performance
- Custom agents are optimised for the specific types of tasks and queries most relevant to the business, leading to potentially faster and more accurate responses, which is critical for mission-critical operations.
- Businesses can allocate computing resources and manage infrastructure to ensure the optimal performance of their intelligent agents, maximising efficiency and effectiveness.
Cost Efficiency
- While initial development costs may be higher, custom solutions can be more cost-effective in the long run, avoiding ongoing pricing increases and subscription fees associated with services like Microsoft Copilot Studio.
- Businesses can invest incrementally in features and capabilities based on their budget and priorities, allowing for a more controlled and scalable investment in AI technology.
Branding and User Experience
- Custom intelligent agents can be branded and designed to reflect the company’s identity, providing a consistent user experience aligned with business values and aesthetics.
- The user interface can be tailored to fit the specific needs and preferences of the business’s workforce, enhancing usability and adoption, which is key to ensuring widespread use and acceptance within the organisation.
Innovation and Competitive Edge
- Custom-built agents can incorporate proprietary algorithms, models, and technologies that provide a competitive edge not available to competitors using standard solutions.
- Businesses can innovate and develop unique capabilities that set them apart in their industry, creating opportunities for differentiation and market leadership.
The Oakland Advantage
Microsoft Copilot Studio offers a powerful and integrated AI solution within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, making it a suitable choice for many organisations.
However, a custom-built intelligent agent provides unparalleled customisation, data control, performance optimisation, and potential cost efficiencies. This can make it a compelling choice for businesses with specific needs, high-security requirements, or unique workflows that are not fully addressed by off-the-shelf products like Microsoft Copilot Studio.
At Oakland, we are at the leading edge of building intelligent agents that can be deployed in weeks rather than months. Our cost-effective solutions are transforming businesses, providing tailored solutions that drive innovation and competitive advantage.If you’d like to hear more about Oakland’s Intelligent Agent Eco-system, please email hello@oakland.com or book a meeting with one of our AI experts here.
