Verona AI
Toolbox Talks is a short series of practical guides to the AI tools most businesses already have access to. Each post covers three things: how to get real value from the tool, what to watch out for, and how to keep your business data safe.
They're written for owners, managers and teams in small and mid-sized UK businesses. You don't need a technical background. Features and plan names change often, so check the provider's own pages before you roll anything out.
How to use it well
- Outlook: summarise long email threads, draft replies and catch up after time off.
- Teams: get meeting recaps, action lists and "what did I miss?" summaries (when transcription is switched on).
- Word: turn bullet notes into a first draft, or ask questions about a long document.
- Excel: ask for formulas, pivot tables and trends in plain English.
- PowerPoint: build a draft deck from a Word document or outline, then apply your own branding.
- Copilot Chat: a secure chat assistant for work accounts that you can use for general questions and drafting.
Tip: point Copilot at specific files ("using the Q3 sales report...") rather than asking open questions. You'll get more accurate answers.
What to watch out for
- Know which Copilot you're using: the free consumer Copilot (personal Microsoft account) is not the same as Microsoft 365 Copilot with your work sign-in. Only the work version has enterprise data protection.
- Licences and cost: the full in-app Microsoft 365 Copilot is a paid add-on per user. Pilot it with a small group before rolling it out widely.
- Summaries miss nuance: meeting and email summaries can drop important caveats or get who-said-what wrong.
- Old or wrong files: Copilot may base answers on an outdated version of a document. Check its references.
How to avoid security issues
- Fix permissions before you switch it on: Copilot shows people anything they already have access to. Overshared SharePoint sites, "Everyone" links and old team folders can suddenly surface salaries, HR files or board papers.
- Run an access review: remove stale sharing links, tighten site permissions and archive old content.
- Use sensitivity labels: Microsoft Purview labels can stop Copilot from using confidential files.
- Make sure staff sign in with work accounts: look for the shield icon or "protected" indicator that shows enterprise data protection is active.
- Agree recording and transcription rules: tell people when meetings are transcribed, and decide how long transcripts are kept.
- Keep a human in charge: don't let Copilot send emails or share documents without someone reviewing them first.
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