{"id":1724,"date":"2024-03-06T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-03-06T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2025-06-24T12:19:14","modified_gmt":"2025-06-24T19:19:14","slug":"build-buy-or-both-how-to-choose-the-right-approach-for-your-ai-transformation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/microsoft-cloud\/blog\/2024\/03\/06\/build-buy-or-both-how-to-choose-the-right-approach-for-your-ai-transformation\/","title":{"rendered":"Build, buy, or both? How to choose the right approach for your AI transformation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

After more than a year of AI innovation and excitement, leaders are now getting down to business\u2014determining exactly how<\/em> they\u2019ll take advantage of this new wave of AI solutions to achieve their business goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re already seeing how Microsoft Copilot can help turn \u201cI can\u2019t\u201d into \u201cwatch me\u201d<\/a> for people around the world in their everyday lives. But for business leaders, Microsoft Copilot is just the start\u2014there are so many additional ways you can bring this transformative technology into your organization. Understanding your options\u2014and the business scenarios best suited for each\u2014is critical. Read on to learn how you can approach making these decisions for your organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\t\n
\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t

Power your AI transformation<\/h2>

Adopt, extend and build Copilot experiences across the Microsoft Cloud<\/p>

Get started<\/a><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"logo\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Establish your business objectives<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before you think about how you\u2019ll deploy AI solutions, you have to start with why<\/strong><\/span>. Aligning your AI investments with a clear business strategy is imperative, as my colleague Susan Etlinger explores in this blog post<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With specific goals in mind, you can prioritize use cases based on their potential for impact and scope your solution based on data and infrastructure requirements. This will help you make decisions aligned with your business objectives and drive your company forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you\u2019ve identified your why<\/strong>, there are a few common pathways we\u2019re seeing for how<\/strong> to apply AI to reach those goals\u2014from buying off-the-shelf software as a service (SaaS) solutions to building a custom solution that meets your specific needs. Let\u2019s explore the options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use Microsoft Copilot to boost employee productivity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If your priority is employee productivity across your business, Microsoft Copilot should be one of the first solutions you consider. If you\u2019re already using Microsoft Entra for identity management, your employees can sign in using their work or school account and get commercial data protection for free\u2014which means chat data isn\u2019t saved, Microsoft has no eyes-on access, and your data isn\u2019t used to train the models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\t
\n\t\t

\n\t\t\tMicrosoft copilot\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tDownload the app\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u2197<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Copilot helps your people to get the answers and time-saving assistance they need from powerful AI models without putting your company data at risk. But that\u2019s just the start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Copilot for Microsoft 365<\/a> is our best Copilot experience for organizations. It gives you priority access to the very latest models\u2014starting with OpenAI\u2019s GPT-4 Turbo. You get Copilot in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, and Microsoft Teams\u2014combined with your universe of data in the Microsoft Graph, including data you bring in from external sources through Microsoft Graph connectors<\/a>. Copilot for Microsoft 365 has enterprise-grade data protection, which means it inherits your existing Microsoft 365 security, privacy, identity, and compliance policies. It also includes Copilot Studio to customize Copilot for Microsoft 365 and build standalone copilots\u2014more on this in a minute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\t
\n\t\t

\n\t\t\tCopilot for Microsoft 365\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tLearn more\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u2197<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Built on Microsoft\u2019s comprehensive approach to security, compliance, privacy, and responsible AI, Copilot for Microsoft 365 is designed to be enterprise-ready, helping employees in every part of your business unlock productivity and unleash creativity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And with Copilot for Sales<\/a>, Copilot for Service<\/a>, and Copilot for Finance<\/a>, we\u2019ve added role-specific workflow automation, guided actions, and content generation to the applications professionals use the most. With built-in integration across business systems\u2014whether Dynamics 365 or a third-party customer relationship management (CRM), enterprise resource planning (ERP), or contact center applications\u2014sellers, service agents, and financial professionals can be more effective and efficient as they work, guided by Copilot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
See how Avanade is empowering sellers with Copilot for Sales<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

When you’re thinking about boosting employee productivity in common business scenarios, an out-of-the-box solution like these can deliver incredible impact. But a solution like this may not be the right fit\u2014so let\u2019s look at the next pathway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Customize Microsoft Copilot to serve the unique needs of your business<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

No two organizations are alike, and neither are the apps, data, and workflows that drive your business. Microsoft Copilot can help boost employee productivity in the usual functions of every business, but you may also need solutions customized for your own business processes. With Microsoft Copilot Studio<\/a>, a low-code tool, you can tailor and extend Copilot for Microsoft 365 or build standalone copilots specific to your needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
See how early adopters across industries are using Copilot Studio to serve business needs<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

For example, within Copilot for Microsoft 365, you may be looking to add specific plugins to address nuanced topics like legal, finance, or human resources (HR). You may want to create and call new workflows within Copilot or connect Copilot with data that lives outside the Microsoft Graph. These customization capabilities are included with Copilot for Microsoft 365.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\t
\n\t\t

\n\t\t\tMicrosoft copilot studio\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tLearn more\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u2197<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n\t
\n\t\t<\/universal-media-player>\n\t\t