Why do Copilot licences sit unused?
Buying the licence is quick; changing how people write, read and meet is not. Microsoft built an inactive-user view into the Copilot usage report for exactly this question: we assigned licences, are people using them?
The usual causes are the same everywhere: people don't know what Copilot can do in the app in front of them, they don't trust its answers, they aren't sure what data may go in, and nobody checks back after week one.
Microsoft's five phases, mapped to 90 days
| Weeks | Microsoft phase | What happens | Training |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to 2 | Plan | Executive sponsor, a team of business leaders, IT and champions; technical readiness; pick a pilot group | Everyone in the pilot takes the starting-point check |
| 2 to 6 | Implement | Licences to the pilot; champions onboard first; weekly office hours | First Copilot modules on real work, with scored checks |
| 6 to 10 | Adopt | Roll out by department; organizational messages to people inactive for 30 days | Department lessons; data and policy modules for everyone |
| 10 to 13 | Manage and Improve | Read the adoption score and usage report; reassign idle licences; plan the next wave | Refresh checks; lessons updated as Copilot changes |
Phases and steps from Microsoft's Copilot adoption guide. The weeks and training column are our plan.
Weeks 0 to 2: plan the rollout
- Name an executive sponsor and a small team: business leaders, IT, a champions lead and whoever owns training.
- Pick champions: Microsoft's guide suggests business users who share a process or department and are willing to onboard first.
- Check technical readiness: licences, data access and sensitivity labels, so Copilot sees what it should and nothing more.
- Decide the measure up front: the adoption score and who is current on training.
Weeks 2 to 6: run a pilot that proves something
Start with one or two teams that do a lot of writing, reading or meetings. Give them the licence and the first lessons in the same week, so the first thing they try works.
Check the skill, not the attendance: a short check after each lesson, on their own work. Collect the tasks that saved time; they become the examples for the next wave.
Weeks 6 to 10: roll out by department
Roll out to one department at a time, with lessons set in that department's work. Teach what may go into Copilot before people paste client files into it.
Microsoft's organizational messages can reach licensed people who haven't used Copilot in a rolling 30-day window, on a weekly, monthly or every-other-month schedule. Point those messages at a specific lesson, not a general reminder.
Weeks 10 to 13: measure, then improve
- Adoption score: active days in the last 28, divided by 12. A score of 100 means at least 12 active days in 28.
- Usage report: who has a licence and hasn't used Copilot recently, by app.
- Training record: who is current as of today, and who has a refresh due.
- Reassign licences that stay idle after training, and plan the next wave from what worked.
Where Copilot Academy fits
Microsoft's Copilot Academy comes at no extra charge with a qualifying Microsoft 365 or Viva licence, in eight languages, and teaches Copilot well. Use it as reading.
What it doesn't describe is a scored check on each skill or a record of who is current as of a date. Train Space's Copilot course adds both, and its lessons are rechecked against Microsoft's own pages every 45 days, so the rollout plan isn't teaching last quarter's menus.
Sources
- Microsoft Adoption: Copilot essential guide, plan
- Microsoft Learn: AI adoption score
- Microsoft Learn: Track Copilot adoption
- Microsoft Learn: Copilot Academy in Viva Learning
Read on 6 November 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.