AI in Excel: what it is useful for, and what it is not
AI in Excel can draft formulas, explain an inherited workbook, summarise data and write analysis code for you. What it cannot do is guarantee the answer is right, which is why it belongs on top of a well-structured file with checks, not in place of one.
Where teams get stuck
- Copilot is included in the subscription but nobody is sure what it is safe to point at company data.
- It gives an answer that looks right, and there is no quick way to tell whether it is.
- It works well on a tidy table and poorly on the real workbook, and the reason is not obvious.
- Nobody has decided what is allowed: which files, which data, and who checks the output.
How we approach it
Check what you actually have
Copilot availability depends on your Microsoft 365 licence and tenant settings. We establish what is switched on for your account before discussing what to do with it.
Make the data legible to it first
AI features work markedly better on proper tables with real headers and consistent types. Most of the benefit comes from structuring the workbook, and that is useful whether or not you use AI at all.
Agree what it is trusted with
Drafting, explaining and exploring are low risk. Anything that feeds a figure someone will act on needs a check that does not come from the AI. We help you draw that line and write it down.
Python in Excel where it fits
For analysis that formulas handle awkwardly, Python in Excel runs inside the workbook. We will tell you when it is genuinely the right tool and when a pivot table would do.
What you get
- A review of what your Microsoft 365 licence actually enables
- Workbook restructuring so AI features have something they can read
- A written, plain-language policy on what AI output may and may not be relied on for
- Hands-on sessions with your team using your own files
- Python in Excel and Copilot prompts set up for the tasks you repeat
Common questions
Can Copilot write my Excel formulas for me?
It can draft them, and it is genuinely good at that — particularly for nested logic that is tedious to write by hand. It can also produce a formula that runs cleanly and returns the wrong thing, so the draft still needs checking by someone who understands the intended result.
Is it safe to use AI on company data in Excel?
It depends on your licence and tenant configuration, which determine where data goes and whether it can be used for training. That is a question with a definite answer for your organisation, and we check it against your actual settings rather than generalising.
What is Agent Mode in Excel?
It is Microsoft's term for Copilot carrying out a multi-step task in the workbook rather than answering a single question. Capability and availability are changing quickly, so we confirm what your tenant supports at the time of the work instead of describing a feature you may not have.
Do we still need automation if we have Copilot?
They solve different problems. Copilot helps a person do a task faster. Automation removes the need for a person to do it at all. A weekly report should be automated; a one-off question is a good use of Copilot.
Will AI replace the need for someone who knows Excel?
Our honest view is no, and the reason is checking. AI lowers the cost of producing something plausible, which raises the value of someone who can tell whether it is correct. That is a change in where the skill is needed, not a removal of it.
Other things we build
Tell us what the process looks like now
Describe the task you keep repeating and we will tell you whether it is worth automating — including when the answer is no.
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