MICROSOFT 365 COPILOT FOR FINANCE

Last updated: June 20, 2025, 00:18 | Written by: Linda Xie

Imagine a world where your financial data seamlessly integrates with your everyday workflow, where complex variance analyses are simplified with natural language, and where repetitive tasks vanish, freeing you to focus on strategic initiatives. For information about how to remove the Finance agents app, see disable-finance-addin.mduninstall-a-copilot-for-finance-add-in-by-using-microsoft-365-admin-center. Feedback Was this page helpful?This is the promise of Microsoft 365 Copilot for Finance, a cutting-edge AI-powered solution designed to transform how finance teams operate.This new tool isn't just about automating tasks; it's about augmenting human capabilities, providing insights, and enabling data-driven decision-making across Excel, Outlook, and Teams. See full list on learn.microsoft.comForget tedious ERP system logins for every minor query.Copilot for Finance brings the power of your financial data directly to your fingertips, all while maintaining data integrity and ensuring compliance.This article explores how Copilot for Finance can revolutionize your accounting practices, offering a comprehensive look at its features, integrations, benefits, and how to get started. Now, a new level of impact is at hand with the Microsoft 365 Copilot for Finance, an AI-powered, role-based Copilot agent designed to help government agencies accelerate time to business impact. Copilot for Finance is now in public preview and will be delivered in the coming months.Are you ready to see how AI can redefine your role in finance?

Understanding Microsoft 365 Copilot for Finance

At its core, Microsoft 365 Copilot for Finance is a role-based Copilot agent that leverages the power of generative AI to streamline financial tasks and unlock valuable insights. With the assistance of Microsoft 365 Copilot for Finance, common financial tasks can now be completed in Excel, Outlook, and Teams to reduce the need to sign in to ERP systems, while still maintaining financial data integrity and compliance. Copilot for Finance is integrated natively within Dynamics 365 Finance ERP, Business Central, and SAP.It extends the capabilities of Microsoft 365 Copilot, creating a bespoke experience tailored to the specific needs of finance professionals. How Microsoft Copilot can reduce finance department spending Everyone can start with Copilot Chat and if you are licensed Microsoft 365 Copilot connects to yourThis translates to significant time savings, improved accuracy, and a greater ability to contribute to strategic decision-making.

Think of it as having a dedicated AI assistant embedded within your existing Microsoft 365 environment.Through natural language interactions and data-specific insights, Copilot for Finance empowers you to efficiently conduct tasks such as:

Variance analysis
Reconciliation processes
Collections management
Reporting and financial statement preparation

The key advantage is its ability to connect directly to your existing financial systems, like Dynamics 365 Finance, Business Central, and even SAP, bringing real-time data into your familiar Microsoft 365 applications. Microsoft Copilot is well-suited for professionals seeking reliable AI assistance to support a wide range of business activities across various domains. What Is Microsoft Copilot for Finance? Microsoft Copilot for Finance leverages advanced AI capabilities to optimize key financial functions. Specifically designed to be integrated with D365FOThis eliminates the need to constantly switch between applications, saving valuable time and reducing the risk of errors.

Key Features and Capabilities of Copilot for Finance

Microsoft 365 Copilot for Finance boasts a range of features designed to address the specific pain points of finance teams.These features are primarily accessible within Excel, Outlook, and Teams, integrating seamlessly into your daily workflow.

Real-Time Data Integration: Connect to your ERP and other financial systems to access up-to-date information without leaving your Microsoft 365 environment.
Natural Language Interaction: Use conversational language to query data, generate reports, and perform complex analyses.
Automated Task Completion: Automate repetitive tasks such as data entry, reconciliation, and reporting.
Proactive Insights and Recommendations: Surface anomalies, identify trends, and receive recommendations to improve financial performance.
Enhanced Collaboration: Share insights and collaborate with colleagues within Teams and Outlook.
Data-Driven Decision Making: Access real-time data and AI-powered insights to make informed financial decisions.
Finance Agents: Utilize specialized AI agents designed to handle specific financial tasks, such as collections and invoice capture.

Practical Examples of Copilot for Finance in Action

Let's illustrate the power of Copilot for Finance with some practical scenarios:

Variance Analysis: Instead of manually comparing budget versus actual figures, you can simply ask Copilot for Finance to ""analyze the sales variance for the past quarter."" The tool will automatically pull the relevant data, identify key drivers, and present the findings in a clear and concise report within Excel.
Reconciliation: Reconciling bank statements with general ledger entries can be a time-consuming process.With Copilot for Finance, you can connect directly to your bank data and ask the tool to ""reconcile the bank statement for June."" It will automatically match transactions, identify discrepancies, and generate a reconciliation report.
Collections Management: Copilot for Finance can analyze customer payment history, identify overdue invoices, and generate personalized collection emails in Outlook.This automates the collections process and improves cash flow.
Reporting: Need to generate a monthly sales report? In Excel, use Copilot for Finance to gather financial data from SAP or Dynamics 365 to reconcile data entries across systems.Simply ask Copilot for Finance to ""create a sales report for the month of July, broken down by region."" The tool will automatically pull the data, format the report, and present it in Excel.

Benefits of Implementing Microsoft 365 Copilot for Finance

The benefits of adopting Microsoft 365 Copilot for Finance extend far beyond simple automation.It's about transforming the way finance teams work and unlocking new levels of productivity and strategic impact.

Increased Efficiency: Automate repetitive tasks and streamline workflows, freeing up time for more strategic initiatives.
Improved Accuracy: Reduce errors by automating data entry and reconciliation processes.
Enhanced Decision-Making: Access real-time data and AI-powered insights to make informed financial decisions.
Reduced Costs: Optimize resource allocation and reduce operational expenses.
Improved Collaboration: Facilitate seamless collaboration within finance teams and across departments.
Stronger Compliance: Ensure data integrity and maintain compliance with regulatory requirements.
Accelerated Time-to-Impact: Quickly gain insights and make informed decisions, leading to faster business results.

Ultimately, Copilot for Finance empowers finance professionals to move beyond being simply number crunchers and become strategic advisors to the business.

Integrating Copilot for Finance with Existing Systems

One of the critical strengths of Microsoft 365 Copilot for Finance is its ability to integrate seamlessly with existing financial systems.This integration is crucial for accessing real-time data and ensuring that the insights generated by Copilot are based on accurate and up-to-date information.

Copilot for Finance has prebuilt integrations with:

Dynamics 365 Finance: This native integration allows you to directly access and analyze data from your Dynamics 365 Finance ERP system.
Dynamics 365 Business Central: Similar to Dynamics 365 Finance, this integration provides seamless access to data from your Business Central ERP system.
SAP: Copilot for Finance also integrates with SAP, enabling you to analyze data from your SAP ERP system within Excel and other Microsoft 365 applications.

Furthermore, Microsoft is continuously expanding the integration capabilities of Copilot for Finance, with plans to connect to thousands of other systems through Copilot Studio.This will allow you to customize and extend the functionality of Copilot for Finance to meet your specific business needs.

Leveraging Copilot Studio for Custom Integrations

Copilot Studio empowers you to create custom integrations with other systems that are not natively supported by Copilot for Finance. For example, users can use Copilot to ask questions about finance and operations data. For more information, see Chat with finance and operations data. Available Copilot features in finance and operations apps. The following Copilot features are currently available in finance and operations apps: For all finance and operations apps:This allows you to connect to a wider range of data sources and tailor the tool to your specific business processes.

For example, you could use Copilot Studio to:

Connect to a legacy accounting system.
Integrate with a customer relationship management (CRM) system to analyze sales data.
Connect to a supply chain management (SCM) system to track inventory levels.

By leveraging Copilot Studio, you can unlock the full potential of Copilot for Finance and tailor it to your unique business requirements.

Getting Started with Microsoft 365 Copilot for Finance

Ready to experience the transformative power of Microsoft 365 Copilot for Finance?Here's a step-by-step guide to get you started:

Check Licensing Requirements: Copilot for Finance may require a separate license in addition to your existing Microsoft 365 subscription. Join us for the Microsoft 365 Copilot Training for HR, where you will learn how to use Microsoft Copilot to assist with tasks such as creating job descriptions, screening resumes, scheduling interviews, creating onboarding plans, providing training materials, setting goals, tracking progress, providing feedback, creating surveys, analyzingContact your Microsoft representative to confirm licensing requirements.
Install the Add-in: Install the Finance agents Add-in for Microsoft 365 Excel and Outlook. Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat is a free AI-powered chat experience for Microsoft 365 for Business customers. It includes the latest web information and language models, file uploads (limits apply), Copilot Pages, IT controls, and enterprise-grade privacy and security.This can be done through the Microsoft 365 Admin Center or AppSource. Microsoft 365 Copilot for Finance is a role-based Copilot agent that accelerates time-to-impact for finance professionals by surfacing insights that support strategic decision-making and reducing the time spent on manual, repetitive work.Your Microsoft 365 Administrator may need to assist with this step.
Configure ERP Integration: Configure the integration with your ERP system, such as Dynamics 365 Finance or SAP.This may involve setting up data connections and mapping fields.
Explore the Features: Familiarize yourself with the features and capabilities of Copilot for Finance. The virtual entities and tables can be added to Copilot for finance and operations apps, custom agents, Microsoft 365 copilot, or other agents that support knowledge sources. Add knowledge to Copilot for finance and operations apps or custom agentsStart by exploring the available commands and prompts within Excel, Outlook, and Teams.
Start Experimenting: Begin using Copilot for Finance to automate tasks, analyze data, and generate reports. Copilot for Finance is a new AI-powered solution that helps finance teams automate and streamline tasks in Microsoft 365 applications. Learn how Copilot for Finance connects to financial systems, provides insights and recommendations, and transforms finance processes.Start with simple tasks and gradually work your way up to more complex analyses.
Utilize Training Resources: Take advantage of the available online training courses, documentation, and videos to learn how to make the most of Copilot for Finance.
Provide Feedback: Share your feedback with Microsoft to help improve the tool and shape its future development.

Addressing Potential Challenges

While Microsoft 365 Copilot for Finance offers significant benefits, it's important to be aware of potential challenges and take steps to mitigate them.

Data Security and Privacy: Ensure that your data is protected and that you are complying with all relevant privacy regulations.
Data Accuracy: Verify the accuracy of the data used by Copilot for Finance.
User Adoption: Provide adequate training and support to ensure that users are able to effectively utilize the tool.
Integration Complexity: Properly plan and manage the integration of Copilot for Finance with your existing systems.

By addressing these potential challenges proactively, you can maximize the benefits of Copilot for Finance and minimize the risk of disruptions.

The Future of Finance with AI

Microsoft 365 Copilot for Finance represents a significant step forward in the evolution of financial operations. Microsoft Copilot integrates into Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365 applications, designed to enhance productivity within specific workflows like finance, sales and operations. It works alongside tools like Excel, Word and Teams, providing real-time data analysis, automation and actionable insights tailored to professional tasks.By harnessing the power of AI, this tool is poised to transform the way finance teams work, enabling them to be more efficient, more accurate, and more strategic.

As AI technology continues to evolve, we can expect even more sophisticated features and capabilities to be added to Copilot for Finance. Microsoft 365 Copilot for Finance には、データの調整からプロアクティブな異常検出まで、さまざまな財務オペレーションを AI によって効率化する力があります。詳細をご覧ください。This includes:

Predictive Analytics: Using AI to forecast future financial performance and identify potential risks and opportunities.
Automated Auditing: Automating the auditing process and identifying potential compliance issues.
Intelligent Automation: Automating even more complex financial tasks, such as tax planning and financial modeling.

The future of finance is undoubtedly intertwined with AI, and Microsoft 365 Copilot for Finance is at the forefront of this transformation.

Microsoft Copilot Chat: A Versatile Starting Point

Before diving into the role-based Copilot for Finance, consider exploring Microsoft Copilot Chat. Available with: Microsoft 365 Copilot for Finance and Copilot Studio Launch a new accounting app Rapidly create training content to get users up to speed with new applications that help them be more productive.It's a free, AI-powered chat experience available for Microsoft 365 for Business customers.It's a great way to get acquainted with the Copilot interface and its ability to access web information, use language models, handle file uploads (with limitations), and utilize Copilot Pages. Copilot for Finance is a preview feature that connects your financial data with generative AI to surface insights and support strategic decision-making. It works in Excel, Outlook, and Teams to simplify tasks, boost productivity, and transform the way finance works.Copilot Chat operates with IT controls and enterprise-grade privacy and security.This is a good starting point if you are determining if Copilot is right for your business.

Conclusion: Embrace the AI Revolution in Finance

Microsoft 365 Copilot for Finance is more than just a productivity tool; it's a strategic asset that can empower finance teams to drive business growth and create lasting value. Microsoft 365 Copilot for Finance enables finance professionals to perform their tasks in Microsoft Excel. Feature Enabled for Public preview General availability;By automating tasks, unlocking insights, and facilitating collaboration, Copilot for Finance is transforming the role of the finance professional and paving the way for a more efficient, accurate, and strategic future.The tool connects directly to your existing financial data with generative AI to surface insights and support strategic decision-making.

Key takeaways:

Copilot for Finance streamlines tasks in Excel, Outlook, and Teams.
It connects to financial systems like Dynamics 365 and SAP.
It provides AI-powered insights and recommendations.
It enhances collaboration and data-driven decision-making.

Don't get left behind. Install Microsoft 365 Copilot for Finance (Preview) in Outlook Install Microsoft 365 Copilot for Finance (Preview) in ExcelEmbrace the AI revolution and explore the possibilities of Microsoft 365 Copilot for Finance today! Introducing Microsoft Copilot for Finance, the AI assistant for finance professionals. Access insight while in the flow of work to support strategic decisionContact your Microsoft representative to learn more and get started.