UniSuper Transforms Financial Operations with Microsoft 365 Copilot

UniSuper, one of Australia’s largest superannuation funds managing over A$139 billion for more than 647,000 members, is rewriting the playbook on operational efficiency through a bold embrace of generative AI. In today’s digital economy, where every minute counts and innovation is the new currency, the fund’s adoption of Microsoft 365 Copilot is proving to be a game changer—freeing employees from mundane administrative tasks and empowering them to focus on high-value, member-centric activities.

Embracing the Future: Generative AI in Financial Services​

UniSuper has long been known for its agility and in‐house expertise, managing about 70 percent of its investments without relying heavily on external partners. When the public first witnessed the potential of tools like ChatGPT in early 2023, UniSuper quickly recognized an opportunity to transform its workflows. Joining the Microsoft 365 Copilot Early Access Program with an initial rollout of 300 licenses, the fund experienced such promising improvements that it later scaled up to 1,200 licenses across its workforce.
Peter Chun, CEO of UniSuper, outlined the strategic rationale: building foundational AI capabilities is essential not only for immediate operational benefits but also for delivering personalized outcomes for members in the future. This leadership focus sets the tone, reaffirming that the digital transformation is not a fleeting trend but a long-term strategic imperative.
Key takeaways from this phase include:

• A proactive early-adoption strategy that positions the fund ahead of competitors.
• An agile expansion from a limited trial to full-scale deployment.
• A clear vision of embedding AI-driven efficiencies into both routine and strategic tasks.

Revolutionizing Financial Advisory Workflows​

One of the most illustrative applications of Microsoft 365 Copilot at UniSuper is its impact on financial advisory interactions. Traditionally, comprehensive note-taking during client meetings was a labor-intensive process prone to inconsistencies. With Copilot seamlessly integrated into Microsoft Teams, advisors now enjoy automated, bespoke file note generation directly following each interaction.
For example, after every client call, Copilot:

• Captures the conversation transcript.
• Populates a pre-set file note template with key details.
• Allows advisors to perform a quick quality assurance review.

This innovation shaves approximately 30 minutes off each client interaction—a seemingly small saving per meeting that accumulates to an estimated 1,700 hours saved annually. In practical terms, this efficiency enables the advisory team to handle roughly 7 percent more meetings without extending their overall workload. The transformation means that advisors can direct more energy toward solving complex member issues rather than getting bogged down in repetitive administrative work.

Streamlining Project Management and Business Processes​

Beyond client interactions, UniSuper has leveraged Copilot’s robust capabilities to reimagine internal project management and document creation processes. Employees across various roles now use the AI tool to draft business requirements and generate comprehensive project plans. Instead of starting from scratch—a process that might otherwise take several weeks—Copilot provides an instant starting point, often contributing up to 25 percent of the initial draft.
The benefits of using Copilot in these contexts include:

• Reduced turnaround time for drafting key project documents.
• Increased quality and consistency across plans and requirements.
• More time for employees to concentrate on refining outcomes and strategic details.

Such improvements not only streamline everyday tasks but also contribute to a more agile development cycle within the organization, setting a precedent for how innovative technology can accelerate project delivery in regulated environments.

Enhancing Risk, Compliance, and Quality Assurance​

In the highly regulated world of financial services, risk and compliance oversight are non-negotiable. UniSuper is exploring innovative applications of Copilot to enhance its ability to monitor risk while ensuring compliance with a host of regulatory requirements. The tool’s capacity to rigorously review detailed contract documents at scale means that necessary compliance clauses are automatically checked, thereby reducing the need for manual scrutiny and minimizing the risks of oversight.
This integration of AI into risk assessment processes yields several benefits:

• Automated scanning for compliance-related details.
• Increased consistency in risk evaluations.
• A significant reduction in time spent on lengthy, manual reviews.

By embedding such quality assurance functions within its operational framework, UniSuper is not only protecting its operations from potential errors but is also enhancing the overall quality of its member engagements.

Empowering the Workforce with Training and Communities​

The transformative impact of Microsoft 365 Copilot at UniSuper extends beyond mere technological upgrades—it represents a cultural shift in the way work is executed. Recognizing that technology is only as effective as the people who use it, UniSuper has invested heavily in training and capacity-building initiatives to ensure all employees can harness the full power of Copilot.
Key elements of this training and support framework include:

• Tailored Guidance: Early Access Program (EAP) participants initially received customized guidance to help them navigate the new tool.
• Comprehensive Training Modules: As adoption grew, UniSuper implemented a robust training framework that includes both fundamental and role-specific modules. This was delivered through partnerships with experts such as Capgemini and also via self-paced learning at the Microsoft Copilot Academy.
• Interactive Resources: In addition to structured training, resources like prompt templates, short video demonstrations, and a shared community of practice allow employees to learn through hands-on experience.
• AI Champions Network: Perhaps most innovatively, the fund established an internal network of "AI Champions"—enthusiastic employees who act as super users and advocates for Copilot within their teams. Their role has been pivotal in promoting organic knowledge transfer across the organization.

These initiatives ensure that employees, regardless of their technical background, can engage confidently with generative AI. Enhanced training not only accelerates adoption but also cultivates a work culture in which everyone feels empowered to contribute to digital transformation efforts.

The Strategic Imperative for Digital Transformation​

UniSuper’s journey with Microsoft 365 Copilot is a vivid illustration of how generative AI can drive both operational efficiency and business innovation. In an industry that often grapples with the dual demands of regulatory compliance and member satisfaction, intelligent automation provides a competitive edge that is hard to match.
Several strategic insights emerge from UniSuper’s experience:

• Agility and Scale: Moving from a small-scale trial to a full rollout demonstrates that even large, established institutions can pivot quickly in response to technological advances.
• Holistic Benefits: The benefits of adopting AI are multifaceted. They range from tangible time savings and enhanced operational accuracy to softer but equally important improvements in work-life balance and employee satisfaction.
• Future-Proofing Operations: With plans underway to explore higher-value use cases—such as developing agentic support agents for high-volume processes—UniSuper is positioning itself for continued growth and relevance in an increasingly digital landscape.
• Robust Governance: An early-adoption AI working group, involving executive sponsorship from key figures such as the Chief Technology Officer and Chief Risk Officer, has been essential in shaping the responsible use of AI within the organization. This underscores that successful digital transformation hinges not just on technology, but also on sound governance and change management practices.

For IT professionals and Windows enthusiasts, UniSuper’s experience highlights a broader trend in digital transformation. With tools like Microsoft 365 Copilot seamlessly integrated into familiar Windows environments, the potential for improved productivity—complemented by rigorous Microsoft security patches and robust cybersecurity advisories—is enormous.

Lessons for IT Professionals and Windows Enthusiasts​

For enterprises considering a similar leap into AI-driven workflows, the UniSuper case study offers several key lessons:

• Start Small and Scale Strategically: Piloting new technologies within selected teams allows organizations to test and refine applications before a full-scale rollout.
• Invest in Training: Comprehensive educational programs are paramount. Whether through in-person workshops, online modules, or the establishment of internal champion networks, ongoing learning ensures that employees remain confident and competent users of new tools.
• Foster a Culture of Openness: Encouraging feedback and facilitating discussions about successes and challenges promotes a healthy environment where even those less familiar with advanced AI can engage fully.
• Emphasize Integrative Governance: An effective governing body that includes diverse business units can balance operational innovation with necessary risk-reduction protocols.
• Leverage Synergies Within Existing Ecosystems: Microsoft 365 Copilot leverages familiar tools such as Teams and Outlook, meaning that the learning curve is minimized and productivity gains can be realized quickly.

These practices not only enable seamless AI adoption but also ensure that the transformation is sustainable—delivering real business value while reinforcing the security and trustworthiness of IT operations.

The Road Ahead: A Glimpse into AI-Driven Operations​

Looking forward, UniSuper is not resting on its laurels. Its roadmap includes experimenting with even more sophisticated applications of Copilot, such as developing tailored AI agents to support large-scale processes and refining IT service management workflows. Innovations like these promise further streamlining of operations, improved member engagement, and smarter decision-making—all of which reinforce the fund’s reputation as a leader in digital transformation.
Indeed, the success of this initiative sends a clear message to IT professionals and business leaders alike: when powered by the right combination of technology, training, and governance, advanced generative AI can catalyze profound changes across industries.

Conclusion​

UniSuper’s deployment of Microsoft 365 Copilot is more than just an upgrade to existing tools—it’s a bold reimagining of how technology can redefine work processes in even the most traditional sectors. By harnessing AI to automate repetitive tasks, enhance risk and compliance measures, and empower its workforce through deep training and community support, the fund is setting new standards for operational excellence.
For IT professionals, business leaders, and Windows enthusiasts alike, UniSuper’s experience underscores a vital lesson: embracing transformative technologies like Microsoft 365 Copilot not only enhances productivity and protects against inefficiencies but also liberates human creativity to deliver superior outcomes. In a world where digital transformation continues to accelerate, UniSuper is proving that innovation, when executed responsibly, can indeed pave the way to a brighter, more efficient future.

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Source: Microsoft Super thinking: How UniSuper is using Microsoft 365 Copilot to deliver faster and better outcomes for members - Source Asia