UK Government trials show Microsoft Copilot is a must-have for businesses

A major cross-government trial has confirmed what early adopters in the private sector already know: Microsoft 365 Copilot isn’t just another AI tool – it’s a gamechanger for productivity, focus and efficiency.

In a three-month-long trial involving more than 20,000 civil servants across multiple government departments, Copilot delivered measurable impact across a range of roles.

The headline results of the trial include:

• 26 minutes saved per day, per user – that’s nearly two weeks a year gained back for every employee.

• 70%+ of users said they spent less time on mundane tasks, and more time on strategic work.

• Copilot significantly reduced time spent searching for information and drafting content – two of the most common time drains for businesses.

• 82% of users said they wouldn’t want to go back to working without it.

In short, Copilot didn’t just make work faster. It made it better.

About the trial

Commissioned by the Government Digital Service (GDS), the trial formed part of a broader initiative to accelerate responsible AI adoption across the public sector. Its aim? To explore key questions about commercial AI assistant tools like Copilot, including:
• Can they save time and improve task quality?
• Do they help people focus on higher-value work?
• Are users happier with their own work when they use AI tools?

Better for focus, better for people

Beyond pure time savings, the trial showed clear improvements in how people worked. It found that, by removing repetitive, low-value admin tasks from the day-to-day, Copilot helped users focus on more meaningful and strategically valuable work – things like decision-making, analysis, communication and innovation.

The trial also highlighted the tool’s potential to improve accessibility. Users with accessibility needs reported a significantly better experience when using Copilot – suggesting that, when implemented thoughtfully, AI assistant tools can play a meaningful role in creating more inclusive and supportive digital workplaces.

These results echo what we, at BCN, see day in, day out – with clients who are already using Copilot reporting similar improvements in productivity and working methods.

C-suite guide to Copilot

A strategic investment in AI

What makes this trial particularly significant is not just its size – participating departments ranged from the Office of National Statistics and His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs to the Ministry of Justice and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs – but its intent.

Rather than chasing trends and jumping on the AI bandwagon, the government conducted a structured, evidence-based experiment to assess Copilot’s true value. It defined value as ‘improvements in efficiency, task completion rates, and overall user satisfaction.’

Essentially, it wanted to test whether tools like Copilot can genuinely improve working life and public service delivery.

While there were some limitations when it came to highly complex or sensitive tasks, and perceived security considerations that required tailored configuration, overall feedback was overwhelmingly positive. User satisfaction and recommendation scores were strong (7.7 and 8.2 out of 10 respectively), and most users saw Copilot as a step forward not just for themselves in their roles, but for their organisations.

Real-world ROI: What this means for businesses

The government’s trial may have focussed on the public sector, but the findings are every bit as relevant to businesses.

With many businesses already using Microsoft 365, adding Copilot can enhance what users do – instantly. Whether it’s drafting content, summarising Teams meetings, analysing Excel data or finding relevant reports and documents for client presentations, Copilot does the heavy admin lifting so your teams can focus on the more meaningful, revenue-generating tasks.

The government has shown what’s possible. Now imagine what Copilot could do for you and your teams.