02 July 2024

Buckinghamshire Council has deployed Copilot for Microsoft 365 to improve operational efficiency.

With Microsoft’s artificial intelligence (AI) tool, the council has been able to save up to 90 minutes a day on routine tasks, while also improving accessibility.

The new technology has been a game-changer in improving efficiency, making its resources stretch further. The council hopes Copilot will drive further efficiencies and transform working practices.

“Local authorities are seeing this technology as a partial silver bullet,” said Peter Parfitt, head of digital at Buckinghamshire Council. “No council is swimming in cash. But we wanted to deploy Copilot, not because we had to do it, but because it was the right thing to do.”

The council believes even bigger wins will follow when it employs Copilot to enhance frontline services, such as social care and housing, which account for the bulk of its budget. “If we can be more efficient, that’s fantastic,” said Parfitt, “But if we can trim just 1% off the cost of social care, that’s where the real pressures are.”
According to Marie White, head of customer experience at Buckinghamshire Council, the AI Copilot tool has enabled the council to improve its quality and complaints procedures, as well as streamline response drafting and call summarising.