Enhancing Operational Efficiency and Security with Microsoft 365 Copilot at Mark43

Introduction

Mark43, a leading cloud-native public safety technology company, providing agencies with software solutions, embarked on a transformative journey to securely enhance their operational efficiency. This case study explores how Mark43 leveraged Microsoft 365 Copilot and Microsoft security capabilities, in collaboration with Ravanty, Microsoft Solutions Partner in Modern Work and Security, and Microsoft, to achieve significant productivity gains, cost savings, and a robust security posture.

Background

Mark43 serves several high-profile clients, including the California Highway Patrol, Boston Police, Cumbria in the UK, Seattle Police, and the United States Secret Service. The company decided to integrate Microsoft 365 Copilot into their operations to create a more user-friendly and productive work environment while boosting overall performance.

Decision to Use Microsoft 365 Copilot

Alex Cisneros, IT Manager at Mark43, explained that the decision to use Copilot was driven by the need to enhance operational efficiency and create a more productive work environment. This move was part of a larger plan to embrace new technology and stay competitive in the market.

"Copilot falls under the Microsoft Stack, making governance easier from a security standpoint"

- Alex Cisneros | IT Manager, Mark43

Chat GPT Compete and the Decision for Copilot

Mark43 evaluated various AI solutions, including ChatGPT, before deciding to go forward with Microsoft 365 Copilot. Kieran Garcia, Modern Work Specialist at Microsoft explained that Mark43 chose Microsoft 365 Copilot over ChatGPT due to their recent migration from Google to Microsoft and their investment in the E5 suite, which includes advanced security and compliance features.

Maximizing Microsoft 365 Licenses

Mark43 aimed to maximize the use of their existing Microsoft 365 E5 licenses by evaluating all SaaS pillars they used and identifying in-house Microsoft tools natively that could strengthen security and maximize Mark43’s return on Microsoft investments. This approach not only improved cost efficiency but also ensures Mark43’s security posture. "By leveraging Microsoft 365 licenses, we aim to strengthen our security posture and reduce SaaS expenditure," Alex emphasized.

Security Evolution with Microsoft Tools

David Brown, Account Executive at Ravanty, and Alex Cisneros discussed how Microsoft has become a leader in the security space with tools like Purview, Defender, and Microsoft Entra. Mark43 utilized these tools to enhance their security posture and protect their operations. They follow various controls and regulations such as FedRAMP, CJIS, and NIST. "Security is one of the most important aspects at Mark43, both internally and for our customers," Alex stated.

Ravanty's Role in Microsoft 365 Copilot Rollout

Ravanty played a crucial role in the successful rollout of Copilot at Mark43. Alex praised Ravanty for their deep understanding of Mark43's needs and challenges, seamless integration with their team, and ability to customize their approach based on Mark43's goals.

"Ravanty's team seamlessly integrated with ours, ensuring a smooth and collaborative rollout process"

- Alex Cisneros | IT Manager, Mark43

This collaborative process ensured that Copilot was rolled out securely, responsibly, and efficiently.

Accelerated Deployment Timeline

Ravanty was able to push forward the timeline for Copilot deployment by six to eight weeks across the entire organization, ensuring that the project was completed faster than originally projected. "Ravanty's project management team ensured that deliverables were submitted on time and the project stayed on track," Alex highlighted.

Adoption and Change Management

Ravanty's well-thought-out adoption plan included multiple company-wide and departmental trainings, customized documentation, and transparent communication. This ensured a smooth Copilot rollout and boosted productivity at Mark43.

"The usage of Viva Insights allowed us to track Copilot usage and ROI, helping us make informed business decisions"

- Alex Cisneros | IT Manager, Mark43

Annie Shi, People Operations Lead at Mark43, emphasized the positive impact of collaboration with Ravanty. "The collaboration with Ravanty was instrumental in our successful rollout of Copilot. Their ability to understand our needs and customize their approach was invaluable," Annie stated.

"The productivity gains and cost savings have exceeded our expectations"

- Annie Shi, Director of People Operations, Mark43

Overall, the combination of a comprehensive adoption plan, effective change management, tailored training, pilot feedback, and project team collaboration factored heavily into the successful rollout of Microsoft 365 Copilot for Mark43.

"Holistic strategy that leverages the Microsoft Copilot Enablement Framework to plan and execute the adoption and technical implementation workstreams in parallel; this approach prioritizes the user experience and lays the foundation for establishing the success factors we saw at Mark43."

- Jason Price | Copilot Adoption Lead, Ravanty

"To ensure a successful implementation of Microsoft 365 Copilot, I would recommend the following steps based on the success criteria of the Mark43 Copilot project," Jason Price noted. "Develop a comprehensive adoption plan, emphasize change management, tailor training and empower champions, conduct a pilot and gather feedback, foster collaboration and communication, prioritize Security and Compliance, amplify success stories and optimize".

AI Transformation at Mark43

Jason Jackson, Modern Work Lead at Microsoft, highlighted how Mark43 has started transforming into an AI-driven organization through their work with Ravanty and the adoption of Microsoft 365 Copilot. This transformation led to increased productivity and further expansion of Copilot licenses. "Ravanty conducted persona-based use cases to understand how different departments and business units at Mark43 could leverage Microsoft 365 Copilot," Jason explained.

The next steps for Mark43's AI journey include leveraging Copilot Studio to build agents for various business purposes and continuing to work with Ravanty to develop strategic plans for AI integration. "The goal is to ensure AI is at the fingertips of Mark43, both from a productivity aspect and a resource standpoint for product development," Jason noted. "Ravanty conducted persona-based use cases to understand how different departments and business units at Mark43 could leverage Microsoft 365 Copilot," Jason explained.

Kieran Garcia from Microsoft explained that Mark43 chose Microsoft 365 Copilot over ChatGPT due to their recent migration from Google to Microsoft and their investment in the E5 suite, which includes advanced security and compliance features. "The comprehensive integration with their existing Microsoft investment and the advanced features offered by the E5 suite were key factors in their decision," Kieran noted. Kieran further elaborated that Microsoft 365 Copilot integrates seamlessly with the existing Microsoft 365 environment, inheriting all security and compliance controls, which makes it a natural fit for organizations heavily invested in Microsoft technologies.

"Mark43 identified various use cases and personas within their organization where Copilot could drive significant productivity gains, making it a valuable tool for their operations"

- Kieran Garcia | Modern Work Specialist, Microsoft

The Importance of Data Security

Yesai Tchouldjian, CTO at Ravanty shared valuable insights about the collaboration with Mark43. Yesai expressed excitement about working with the Mark43 technical team, particularly in helping the organization utilize Microsoft Purview's capabilities, including data loss prevention and information protection, to enhance data security. "It was exciting to showcase the technology to the Mark43 team and demonstrate how information protection, sensitivity labels, and data loss prevention could enhance their data security," Yesai remarked. Yesai also highlighted the importance of deploying Copilot securely and working closely with the Mark43 team to ensure a safe implementation.

"We emphasized the importance of understanding data usage and implementing appropriate security measures to ensure a secure deployment of Copilot"

- Yesai Tchouldjian | CTO, Ravanty

Partnership and Investments

Roman Avanesyan, Founder & CEO of Ravanty, shared valuable insights on how Ravanty delivered the project for Mark43 and the significant investments made to ensure its success.

"The combined efforts and resources from both Ravanty and Microsoft allowed us to deliver a comprehensive solution that addressed Mark43's unique needs and challenges. Additionally, we tripled our investment in this initiative, and the results have been outstanding"

- Roman Avanesyan | CEO, Ravanty

This substantial investment underscored Ravanty's commitment as a Microsoft Solutions Partner to delivering a high-quality solution that would drive meaningful improvements for Mark43. This partnership with Microsoft ensured that Mark43 could leverage the full potential of Microsoft 365 Copilot, driving significant productivity gains and cost savings.

Specific Benefits Experienced by Mark43

1. Enhanced Operational Efficiency: By integrating Microsoft 365 Copilot, Mark43 significantly improved their operational efficiency. The automation of routine tasks allowed employees to focus on more strategic activities, leading to better resource allocation and productivity.
2. Cost Savings: Maximizing the use of existing Microsoft 365 licenses helped Mark43 save on SaaS expenditure. This cost efficiency allowed the company to reinvest savings into other critical areas of their operations.
3. Improved Security Posture: Utilizing Microsoft's advanced security tools like Purview, Defender, and Entra P2, Mark43 enhanced their security measures. This robust security posture ensured compliance with regulations such as FedRAMP, CJIS, and NIST, protecting both the company and its customers.
4. Accelerated Deployment: With Ravanty's expertise, the deployment timeline for Copilot was accelerated by six to eight weeks. This rapid implementation allowed Mark43 to quickly realize the benefits of Copilot and maintain their competitive edge.
5. Increased Productivity: The adoption of Copilot led to a noticeable increase in productivity across various departments. The well-executed adoption plan, including comprehensive training and customized documentation, ensured that employees could effectively utilize Copilot's capabilities.
6. Data-Driven Decision Making: Through Viva Insights, Mark43 was able to track Copilot usage and ROI, providing valuable data on actions taken and time saved. This data-driven approach enabled informed business decisions and continuous improvement.
7. AI-Driven Transformation: The collaboration with Ravanty and the adoption of Microsoft 365 Copilot marked the beginning of Mark43's transformation into an AI-driven organization. This shift not only increased productivity but also positioned Mark43 as a forward-thinking leader in their industry.

Measuring Success & ROI

I pulled a report the other day and it looks like we have 220+ Copilot assisted hours within past couple of weeks, which resulted in $20K ROI. Microsoft 365 Copilot definitely made a significant difference in Mark43 using AI to boost productivity and save time.

- Alex Cisneros | IT Manager, Mark43

$50K+ / month in Copilot Assisted Value & ROI

Organizational Activity

• 4,231 Chat Responses
• 7,153 Total Actions
• 322 Documents Drafted
• 605 Emails Drafted
• 617 Meetings Summarized

Per User Deltas

• -13 Meetings/Month
• -24% Meetings/Month
• -14 Meeting Hours/Month
• -29% Meeting Hours/Month
• +16% Emails Sent

Conclusion

The collaboration between Mark43, Ravanty, and Microsoft has been instrumental in enhancing operational efficiency, security, and productivity. The successful rollout of Microsoft 365 Copilot, driven by a well-executed adoption plan and robust project management, has set Mark43 on a path towards becoming an AI-driven organization. This case study demonstrates the value of strategic partnerships and the importance of leveraging advanced technology to stay competitive in the market.