🎯 Learning Objectives
- Crunch sales data in Excel with conversational prompts
- Benchmark performance against industry and competitors
- Communicate key financial insights to your team
Part 1: Copilot in Excel — Analyze the Numbers
💡 Why This Matters: No more wrestling with formulas. Copilot drives Excel from natural-language prompts.
- Open EV_Charger_Sales_Analysis_v1.xlsx in Excel.
- Navigate to Sales by Product.
Sort the table by date in descending order, from the most recent to the oldest entry.
Add a new column named 'Total Revenue'. Populate it by multiplying 'Units Sold' by 'Product Price' for each row.
Create a summary table for total sales in 2024. The table should include Product ID, total units sold, and total revenue.
Identify the product ID with the highest total revenue in 2024. Provide both total revenue and total units sold for better comparison.
- Navigate to the Customers sheet.
Sort the 'Customers' tab by annual revenue in descending order.
Calculate the average revenue per customer.
Analyze the data to determine which industry has the highest total power consumption. Provide the industry name and total power usage.
Save the workbook and copy the shared URL (enable AutoSave).
✅ Self-Check: Part 1
Part 2: Copilot Chat — Benchmark Against the Industry
💡 Why This Matters: Numbers without context don't tell a story. Copilot pulls competitive intel and industry benchmarks.
- Open M365copilot.com in Web mode.
Our total revenue for [EV chargers] exceeded $50,000,000 for first half of 2024. Compare this to the industry average and provide insights on whether we are above or below industry standards. If possible, include market share estimates and trends.
Summarize the key financial statements of two major competitors in the [EV charging] industry. Include revenue, net profit, and any other relevant financial insights. If available, provide comparisons to our financial performance.
Export this conversation, including financial insights, to a Word document for further review.
Open the resulting document (e.g., Charging_industry_Financial_Summary.docx), enable editing, and copy the shared URL.
✅ Self-Check: Part 2
Part 3: Copilot in Word — Brief Your Team
💡 Why This Matters: Insight isn't valuable until it's shared. Copilot turns your findings into a team-ready email.
- Open a new Word document.
- In Describe what you'd like to write, enter the prompt below.
Draft an email to my team summarizing the key insights from [Charging_industry_Financial_Summary.docx].
📝 NOTE: Attach the file or paste the share link so Copilot can read it.
Shorten this email draft
- Ask Copilot to reword for a more professional tone.
- Expand with additional sections.
- Try a less formal version for a peer-to-peer audience.
✅ Self-Check: Part 3
🔑 Key Takeaways
📊
Analyze in Plain English
Replace formulas with conversation.
🌐
Always Bring Context
Pair your numbers with industry benchmarks.
✉️
Communicate the Story
Turn analysis into a clear team brief.
✅
Verify Critical Numbers
Spot-check key figures before sharing.