Copilot in Excel for Accountants: Practical AI for Finance Tasks

Pre-requisites

Participants should be comfortable using Excel for routine accounting or finance tasks. No prior experience of AI is required.

Who Will Benefit?

Accountants, financial analysts and anyone who uses Excel regularly, particularly when working with large datasets. The workshop is also suited to those wishing to automate workflows in financial reporting, analysis, planning and forecasting.

Key Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, participants will be able to: Use well-structured prompts, personalisation, custom instructions and rules to improve productivity and consistency. Apply Copilot techniques to accounting activities including analysis, forecasting, manpower planning, debt repayment schedules, dashboard generation and scenario analysis. Identify opportunities to automate and enhance financial reporting, analysis and planning while maintaining appropriate professional judgement. Use Copilot, and Claude or ChatGPT where available within the Copilot platform, to help identify trends in data and reports. Use the Copilot desktop or web app as an assistant, including where it cannot produce the final output directly. Recognise when to use Copilot and when another approach is more appropriate. Assess Copilot capabilities and limitations, review outputs and act as the final arbiter of their accuracy and suitability.

Software Setup Required

Participants should have access to Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Copilot. A paid version of Copilot is preferable for hands-on participation. Participants using the free version can still benefit but may be unable to complete all exercises themselves and can follow the trainer through those examples. Features, models and skills demonstrated will depend on the access available within the Copilot platform.

Getting Started with Copilot and Prompting

Using Copilot in Excel, on the web and on the desktop: a tour of the interface and an overview of what it can and cannot do. Developing prompts through an iterative process.

Accounting Automation and Data Analysis

Automating standard accounting tasks with Copilot, including gross margin analysis and discount calculations. Identifying trends in small and large datasets, including analysis by region, product and demographic. Using worked examples for common accounting tasks: historical analysis, dashboard creation, reconciliations, manpower planning and debt repayment schedules. Copilot, Claude and ChatGPT will be used where available within the Copilot platform.

Data Preparation, Formulas and Power Query

Using the desktop or web version of Copilot to suggest data cleanup, formulas and code where the in-app version cannot assist. A worked example using Copilot to help resolve Power Query problems.

Financial Modelling and Repeatable Tasks

Generating a three-statement financial model using an available built-in Copilot skill. Using customised skills to make recurring ad hoc tasks more repeatable. Reviewing AI-generated outputs and applying professional judgement before using the results.