Accessing Excel Files Within Microsoft Teams Using Copilot

Microsoft 365 Copilot is a powerful tool that helps you access and work with Excel files directly within Microsoft Teams. With Copilot, collaborating on spreadsheets with your team becomes easy, facilitating real-time data management and analysis.

Scenario

Suppose you are in a Microsoft Teams meeting and want to discuss data in an Excel file. You can refer to the data in Microsoft Teams using Copilot, obtaining the information you need from the Excel sheet.

Here are two examples of using Copilot in Microsoft Teams:

1. Give Me a Summary of the Attached Excel Sheet

There is an Excel sheet saved in OneDrive containing sample financial data. Refer to the Excel sheet using a “/” and prompt Copilot in Teams, “P and L Summary.xlsx Give me a summary of the attached sheet.” Refer to the screenshot below:

The output for the given prompt to Copilot in Microsoft Teams:

Below is the summary provided:

The attached file “P and L Summary.xlsx” is a Profit and Loss Summary authored by **Johnnie Thomas**. It contains information about target sales, fixed costs, variable costs, net income, profit margin, fixed cost summary, variable cost summary, 5-year average seasonality, account owners, quarterly revenue, percentage of sales, product categories, product income, company total, region, country, target revenue, actual revenue, variance, marketing summary, spend details, sum of spend, column labels, row labels, in-store, online, print, special promotions, grand total, and formulas.

2. Tell Me More About the Profit Margin

Provide additional details regarding the profit margin mentioned in the Excel sheet stored on OneDrive, containing sample financial data. Prompt Copilot with “Tell me more about the profit margin.” Refer to the screenshot below:

The output for the given prompt:

The profit margin is a measure of profitability, calculated as the ratio of net income to revenue. It is an important financial metric indicating how much of each dollar of revenue is retained as profit after all expenses have been paid. In the attached file “P and L Summary.xlsx,” the profit margin is calculated for each quarter and presented as a percentage in the “Profit Margin” column.

Conclusion:

Microsoft 365 Copilot seamlessly integrates with Microsoft Teams, allowing users to collaborate on Excel files in real time. During Teams meetings, you can leverage Copilot to refer to any Excel sheet saved on your OneDrive or SharePoint and fetch information. For instance, you can request a quick summary of the attached spreadsheet or inquire about specific details, such as the profit margin, enhancing collaboration, and data-driven discussions within the Teams environment.