Microsoft identifies 31 firms across 7 industries and 11 countries as forward-thinking companies that are driving ROI with Copilot and agents—and illuminating the path ahead for every organization.
AI-powered companies are gaining an edge—and redefining the rules of business. Organizations of every size and across industries are using Copilot and agents to make big gains from their AI investments, bending the curve on innovation, reshaping business process, reinventing customer engagement, and enhancing employee productivity. Their stories offer a blueprint for every leader and organization looking to apply the transformative capabilities of AI.
Bending the Curve on Innovation
Leveling the Playing Field for a Five-Employee Firm
When Industrialized Construction Group spun off from its parent firm last year, the startup needed to run lean. ICG specializes in offsite construction, with components manufactured remotely before on-site assembly. For a team of five employees with outsized ambitions, AI became the secret weapon.
Take the case of a complex construction simulation for a data center. The team was tackling the challenge of optimizing overhead crane utilization in a virtual environment. By integrating Copilot into the process, they were able to analyze crane cycle times against the rate of demand from various manufacturing stations. Copilot surfaced insights that even seasoned engineers found valuable. For co-founder Nick Masci, the experience was a revelation: “It’s like turning on the nav in your car—suddenly, everything is laid out, and the next move becomes obvious.”
Copilot helped with strategy and growth too. At the start, the company needed all the business basics: an employee handbook, letterhead, PowerPoint templates, compelling proposal language, case studies, and social media content. “Copilot effectively served as the equivalent of two additional full-time employees,” Masci says. It even allowed the company to delay hiring for an administrative position, freeing up resources to invest in the newly formed position of process engineer.
Copilot also helped conduct market research, identifying the optimal market niche and calculating the company’s serviceable obtainable market, as well as set cascading goals for the team and map out the buyer’s journey. With this support, ICG was ultimately able to shift from an hourly consulting model to value-based pricing, increasing gross margins by 20%.
"We thought we needed more people. But what we really needed was a smarter way to work."
Co-founder, ICG
