Retail scenario: Optimize supply chain management

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Available with: Microsoft 365 Copilot and Copilot Studio Scenario level:
Extend

KPIs impacted

Store revenue

Conversion rate

Value benefit

Cost savings

Increase revenue

Using Copilot to optimize supply chain management


1. Summarize and prioritize emails

A supply chain manager receives a high volume of email daily from suppliers, customers, and colleagues containing urgent information, requests, and feedback. Some of which is time sensitive.

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Business Chat2

Benefit: Summarize and prioritize emails received. Review critical issues impacting supply and delivery.

2. Review and respond

The supply chain manager can click on the links provided to open specific emails and quickly deal with time sensitive issues, such as customer shipment delays.

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Copilot in Outlook

Benefit: Use Copilot in Outlook to draft response to acknowledge delay and confirm new delivery details.  Draft email to customer on shipment changes.

3. Review purchasing agreements

The next critical email is to review and sign a new purchasing agreement with a supplier. The supply chain manager must ensure they are accurate, complete, and getting the best terms.

Microsoft Copilot icon

Business Chat3

Copilot Studio icon

Copilot Studio

Benefit: Identify gaps and risks for each purchasing agreement with automated contract comparison to compare new purchasing agreements with standard agreements to identify potential conflicts or gaps.​

4. Manage contract signatory process

After completing the contract review, the updated contract must be sent back to the supplier with changes highlighted for their review and signature.

Microsoft Copilot icon

Business Chat3

Copilot Studio icon

Copilot Studio

Benefit: Send revised contract and request and track signatures using the companies e-sign app to attach the word document.

5. Marketing copy for new products

The third email requires collaboration with the marketing team on reviewing copy to showcase the features and benefits of a new product.

Microsoft Copilot icon

Business Chat2

Benefit: Use Copilot to review draft copy from marketing to compare with information and product description from the supplier. Use Copilot to search supplier catalog for images. Draft email to marketing with suggested changes and images.

6. Monitor and analyze inventory data

The next item is a request for latest product forecast to ensure there is enough stock to meet customer demand without carrying too much inventory.

Microsoft Copilot icon

Business Chat3

Copilot Studio icon

Copilot Studio

Benefit: Access and analyze inventory data from various sources, such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, the warehouse management (WMS) system, and the point of sale (POS) system.

1Access Copilot at copilot.microsoft.com or the Microsoft Copilot mobile app and set toggle to “Web”.

2Access Business Chat at copilot.microsoft.com or the Microsoft Copilot mobile app and set toggle to “Web”.

3Copilot agents allow Microsoft 365 Copilot to access your company-specific apps. In the past, this would have required an API call to get data from a system of record. The content in this example scenario is for demonstration purposes only. You should evaluate how Copilot aligns with your organization’s business processes, regulatory requirements, and responsible AI principles.

The content in this example scenario is for demonstration purposes only. You should evaluate how Copilot aligns with your organization’s business processes, regulatory requirements, and responsible AI principles.