How to accelerate high-tech innovation with Dynamics 365 Copilot

When Microsoft first introduced Copilot, it acted more like a contextual help system. It guided users through basic tasks and provided summaries of customers, items, or vendors. Useful, but not game-changing.

Now, with the latest Dynamics 365 releases, Copilot is moving into a more active role. It can:

• Generate summaries of records and highlight key information.
• Support prediction, for example on customer payments or supplier delays.
• Streamline reporting with OCR-based expense capture.
• Simplify onboarding by allowing text-to-data input: users type “create a new customer” instead of navigating complex menus.

But for electronics and high-tech, the most promising use cases are in R&D and innovation.

Use cases for electronics & high-tech

1. Accelerating rapid prototyping

High-tech companies often run through multiple iterations of prototypes before reaching production. Traditionally, engineers need to manually compare new concepts with existing designs, which is a time-consuming process.

“Imagine pointing Copilot to a SharePoint site with CAD drawings,” says James Solomon, Dynamics 365 consultant at 9altitudes. “You propose a new concept, and instead of manually comparing, Copilot scans the other drawings, suggests similarities, and brings back insights. That speeds up review cycles and links new product concepts directly to operational data in Dynamics 365.”

This means R&D teams can focus less on searching and more on designing, which accelerates the path from concept to viable prototype.

2. Knowledge management made practical

In high-tech environments, valuable know-how is often buried in documentation, reports, and legacy systems. Copilot makes this easier by searching across different sources – like ERP, engineering databases, or collaboration tools – and bringing the most relevant information to the surface instantly. 

As James Solomon explains: “Where previously it was one silo against another silo, Copilot can now delve into different systems and create relevant data for other processes. That makes collaboration much easier.”

3. Smarter collaboration across teams

Innovation rarely happens in isolation. R&D, engineering, quality assurance, and supply chain teams need to align quickly on design changes, test results, or production constraints.

With Copilot acting as a common interface, teams can query information in natural language, share insights in real time, and reduce the friction of working across multiple tools. For high-tech companies, ERP doesn’t stand alone. It must work with engineering and collaboration tools. Copilot helps to bridge those worlds, so people spend less time switching systems and more time focusing on the idea itself.

4. Supporting quality and maintenance

High-tech businesses depend on consistent product quality, not just at the end of the line but throughout the entire process, from assurance and traceability to guarantees. This is where Copilot, working in combination with Azure AI Services (Microsoft’s cloud-based AI platform), can make a difference.

Predictive copilots help detect anomalies earlier and flag when equipment may require maintenance before it causes downtime. Visual recognition and anomaly detection powered by Azure can feed into Copilot, which then surfaces insights directly to users in Dynamics 365.

As Willem Sanders, Dynamics 365 expert at 9altitudes explains: “Quality is extremely important, not only in the final product but across the end-to-end process. The predictive mechanisms within Dynamics can help spot issues early, whether in asset maintenance or in data anomalies. With Copilot and AI services working together, problems can be addressed before they escalate, safeguarding both reliability and customer trust.”

AI as a catalyst for innovation

Many first-time users describe Copilot as a time-saver. And while reducing manual work is valuable, the real impact for high-tech companies lies in driving innovation.

By accelerating prototyping, unlocking hidden knowledge, and simplifying collaboration, Copilot frees up R&D talent to focus on creativity instead of administration. It supports faster iteration, shorter development cycles, and ultimately, quicker time-to-market.

As James Solomon highlights: “Some customers ask, can I just write: give me my top 10 customers for revenue in the last two years? A few months ago, that wasn’t possible. Now we’re getting closer. That’s more than productivity; it’s insight for better decisions.”

For teams in high-tech, this means Copilot isn’t just a digital assistant. It’s a strategic tool to speed up innovation while maintaining control and quality.

The 9altitudes perspective: don’t wait, start now

For 9altitudes, the advice to high-tech leaders is straightforward: start today.

“You should jump on the train now, because your competitor is doing the same,” says Willem Sanders. “If you wait until everything is mature, you are running behind. Of course, you are pioneering, but that’s what entrepreneurs do. You want to be in the lead.”

The good news is, businesses don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Out-of-the-box copilots in Dynamics 365 already deliver tangible benefits. For organizations with specific needs, Copilot Studio allows the creation of tailored copilots that integrate ERP with engineering systems, knowledge bases, or collaboration platforms.

Yet 9altitudes always advises customers to take a pragmatic approach. As James Solomon puts it: “We can develop custom copilots, but we always question whether it’s really needed. Sometimes a Power BI report or standard Dynamics functionality is the better solution. The key is to match the use case to the right tool.”

Practical advice for leaders

If you’re a decision-maker in electronics or high-tech, how do you get started with Copilot?

1. 1. Explore the basics: Use the standard copilots in Dynamics 365 to familiarize your teams with the concept.
   2. Focus on R&D bottlenecks: Identify where slow prototyping, scattered knowledge, or poor collaboration is holding innovation back.
   3. Experiment and scale: Run pilots in areas where Copilot can deliver quick wins, then expand strategically.
   4. Leverage expertise: Work with a partner like 9altitudes to align use cases with business goals and decide when customization can add value.