Hyundai Glovis sets an example for AI-powered change management with Microsoft 365 Copilot

Hyundai Glovis is a global total logistics and distribution company, operating businesses in logistics, shipping, and distribution. It provides logistics services across various sectors, including global finished vehicles, energy, consumer goods, and e-commerce, while also engaging in Knock-Down (KD) operations, used car distribution, and trading businesses. Recently, the company has expanded into future growth areas such as smart logistics solutions and the second-life battery services.

As an organization with a tech-savvy and adaptable workforce, there was a strong interest in using generative AI to streamline work. This prompted the Hyundai Glovis Management Support IT team to explore AI-based productivity tools that could be utilized internally. After careful consideration, the company decided to adopt Microsoft 365 Copilot, which seamlessly integrates with the Microsoft 365 applications already in use, inherits the existing Microsoft 365 security policies, and ensures safe data processing while complying with user permissions. Discussions around adoption began in July 2024, followed by license secured in August, and a pilot project for AI-driven change management was conducted in the second half of the year to prove the effectiveness of Microsoft 365 Copilot.

Hands-on and scenario-based Microsoft 365 Copilot training receives enthusiastic response

Organizational change management does not happen automatically. Even with the implementation of cutting-edge AI productivity tools, it is difficult to achieve meaningful results if users do not understand how to utilize them effectively. With this challenge in mind, Hyundai Glovis planned and held an internal employee event called Copilot Excitement Day to provide hands-on experience with Microsoft 365 Copilot. The event, held in September 2024 in the company cafeteria during the early stages of Microsoft 365 Copilot adoption, featured live demo sessions and hands-on trial opportunities through dedicated Microsoft 365 Copilot booths. Participation exceeded expectations, with many employees directly experiencing the practical application potential of Microsoft 365 Copilot, and a post-event survey revealed that 95% of respondents wanted to attend end user training, reflecting the high level of interest. The company subsequently conducted two rounds of practical training sessions for those who expressed interest.

To further expand the adoption of Microsoft 365 Copilot, the company also launched a Champion Program, selecting 15 employees from each of its four departments (Forwarding, IT, Planning & Finance, and Management Support) to identify and develop the best scenarios relevant to their work domains. Supported by Microsoft solution experts, the first session focused on identifying practical scenarios for each team, while the second session concentrated on developing effective prompts tailored to those scenarios.

Jae Yong Lee, Manager of the Management Support IT Team at Hyundai Glovis, explains that Copilot Excitement Day and the Champion Program were not one-off events, but part of a comprehensive change management project. In particular, the Champions are now acting as Microsoft 365 Copilot ambassadors within their respective departments, with the scenarios they developed becoming valuable operational assets for the company. 

Reimagining everyday work with Microsoft 365 Copilot

With the Microsoft 365 Copilot, Hyundai Glovis is significantly improving work efficiency and data utilization. These best practices, identified through initiatives like the previously mentioned Champion Program, are shared across the company as model scenarios, creating a virtuous cycle that accelerates productivity improvements organization wide.

A representative example is addressing vessel shipment delays and customs clearance issues. Previously, employees had to manually search for similar cases in the past using Microsoft Teams or OneDrive. With Microsoft 365 Copilot, past cases are automatically organized into tables, enabling rapid drafting of response reports based on these references. This has significantly reduced time and enabled faster decision making.

Another notable achievement is using Copilot in Excel for shipment performance management, particularly in automating data consistency checks. In the past, employees manually verified data consistency and exchanged Excel files multiple times across teams to correct errors. After adopting Microsoft 365 Copilot, the system automatically removes duplicate data, generates VBA code, converts data into separate Excel templates, and even visualizes it in charts, greatly improving accuracy and productivity.

Hyojin An, Manager of the Management Support IT Team at Hyundai Glovis, offers this advice to users: “Microsoft 365 Copilot is not a fixed, fully completed system that simply provides functions. It remains an evolving solution that users are encouraged to tailor to their specific workflows, as its capabilities continue to grow. As emphasized in our training, if you don’t get the desired results from a single prompt on your first try, don’t give up. Refine your prompts, change the reference materials, and add conditions to your prompt such as ‘search only within emails’ or ‘find content from meeting reports.’ This process of learning prompt engineering is essential to making the most of Microsoft 365 Copilot.”

Microsoft’s AI-powered business productivity ecosystem

As a result of these real-world experiences, awareness of the need for AI-powered productivity tools has rapidly expanded within Hyundai Glovis, leading to a steady increase in requests to expand Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses. Currently, the company has distributed licenses to about 10% of employees and plans to expand this to 20% in 2025.

Initially, the Forwarding Department was the first to actively adopt Microsoft 365 Copilot, but interest has since grown significantly within the Planning & Finance Department. The Management Support IT Team is also considering supporting the division in using Microsoft 365 Copilot to standardize business processes into operational manuals.

Hyundai Glovis’ success with Microsoft 365 Copilot was amplified by the synergies created across the broader Microsoft 365 ecosystem. The true value comes not just from using each Microsoft 365 application, but from managing data on the Microsoft 365 platform, Lee emphasizes:

"Beyond simply using Teams, Excel, or PowerPoint with the assistance of Copilot, utilizing OneDrive and SharePoint is essential to maximizing the effectiveness of Microsoft 365 Copilot. At Hyundai Glovis, all internal data is managed within the Microsoft 365 cloud, creating an optimal environment for Microsoft 365 Copilot to provide accurate information. In contrast, companies using local storage or separate file servers leave their data underutilized by Copilot, reducing it to mere storage material. To effectively integrate AI services into business processes, stable cloud infrastructure and centralized document management are essential.”

Hyundai Glovis is also considering the adoption of Power Automate on the Microsoft Power Platform in the near future, which can be integrated with Microsoft 365 Copilot. As AI-driven business automation with Microsoft 365 Copilot has taken off, interest in additional automation solutions has grown. By combining Power Automate with Microsoft 365 Copilot, Hyundai Glovis aims to build even more advanced AI-powered business processes.

Successful AI transformation begins with understanding the organization

Hyundai Glovis’ adoption of Microsoft 365 Copilot is more than just leveraging AI; it serves as a prime example of how an organization can integrate AI into daily operations and transform its work culture in the era of AI Transformation (AX). Lee emphasizes that a successful AI transformation must begin with an accurate understanding of the company’s unique characteristics.

“Simply providing licenses is not enough; it is crucial to design AI training programs and activation strategies tailored to the organization’s needs. It is also essential to identify which users the service will be introduced to, what kind of experiences will be provided, and the insights IT professionals aim to gain through these initiatives. Rather than relying on reactive support, IT professionals need to proactively identify user pain points and suggest solutions. Ultimately, IT professionals should take on the role of coordinators who effectively connect the organization with technology. To do this, they must first gain a thorough understanding and analysis of the unique characteristics and workflows of internal employees.”

Hyundai Glovis’ AI-based change management project is ongoing. In 2025, the company plans to increase the number of training sessions and introduce dedicated sessions for executives. Through the adoption of Microsoft 365 Copilot, Hyundai Glovis is leading AI-based change management while enhancing work productivity and data utilization. With further advancements in AI technology, Hyundai Glovis’ AI-driven workplace innovation is expected to accelerate even more in the future.