Insights · AI

5 things to fix before you turn on Microsoft Copilot

Modern Business Solutions · October 2026

Copilot can see everything your people can see. Here is what to clean up first, so it doesn't surface the wrong files.

Microsoft 365 Copilot is one of the most useful tools a small business can add right now. It drafts emails in Outlook, summarizes Teams meetings and pulls answers out of your files. But it works with whatever each user already has access to. If your permissions are messy, Copilot makes that mess easy to search.

Before you buy licenses, fix these five things.

1. Find files shared with "anyone"

Over the years, people share files with links that work for anyone who has them. Those links tend to stick around long after the project ends. Review them in SharePoint and OneDrive, and switch the default sharing setting to "people in your organization" or "specific people".

2. Clean up broad group access

Sites and folders shared with "Everyone" or "All company" mean every employee, and their Copilot, can read them. Payroll, HR and client folders should be limited to the people who need them.

3. Label your sensitive files

Sensitivity labels mark documents as confidential and can block them from being shared outside the company. Start small: HR, finance and anything with client personal information.

4. Write a one-page AI use policy

Your team is probably already using free AI tools. A short policy should say which tools are approved, what never gets pasted into them (passwords, client records, financials), and who to ask when unsure.

5. Start with a pilot group

Give Copilot to a few people who will actually use it, for a month. Track what saves them time, then decide how far to roll it out. Training matters more than the license; most people use a fraction of what it can do until someone shows them.

Want a second set of eyes?

Our AI readiness review checks your sharing, permissions and labels, then gives you a plain-language list of what to fix before rollout.