Let’s be honest, being an M365 admin can sometimes feel like you’re trying to herd cats while juggling chainsaws. One minute you’re resetting a password for the third time this week for “Dave from Accounts,” and the next you’re deep in the trenches trying to figure out why SharePoint is throwing a wobbly.
It’s hard yakka. But what if I told you there’s a way to get some of that time back so you can actually focus on the big-ticket items (or just enjoy your morning flat white while it’s still hot)?
Enter AI automation. It’s not just a buzzword for the suits in the boardroom; it’s a fair dinkum game-changer for us in the IT trenches. Here is how AI can take the “boring” out of your BAU (Business As Usual) and make you look like a legend in the process.
1. The “Have You Tried Turning It Off and On Again?” Bot
We all know that 80% of support tickets are for things that could be solved if users just read the FAQ. But they don’t. AI-powered agents (like those in Copilot Studio) can sit on the front line. They can triage the incoming flak, answering the simple stuff—”How do I add a signature?”, “Where did I save that file?”—without you ever lifting a finger. It’s like having an apprentice who works 24/7 and never complains about the coffee.
2. PowerShell Scripting: No More Brain Freeze
You know those afternoons when you need to whip up a PowerShell script to audit user licenses, but your brain is absolute mush? Instead of staring at a blinking cursor or frantically Googling syntax from 2018, just ask AI. Prompt: “Write me a PowerShell script to find all users with an E3 license who haven’t logged in for 90 days and export it to a CSV.” Boom. It spits out the code. You double-check it (always trust but verify, folks), run it, and you’re done before lunch. It turns a 30-minute headache into a 2-minute job.
3. Security: Spotting the Dodgy Stuff
Trying to monitor security logs manually is like trying to find a needle in a haystack the size of the Outback. AI tools in the M365 Defender stack don’t sleep. They learn what “normal” looks like for your users. If “Susan from HR” suddenly logs in from a basement in a country she’s never visited at 3 AM to download the entire payroll database, the AI goes “Yeah, nah, that looks dodgy” and flags it immediately. It catches the phishy stuff before it turns into a full-blown drama.
4. Meeting Summaries: Because You Can’t Be Everywhere
Double-booked? Stuck in a server room? No worries. Copilot in Teams can attend meetings for you. I’m dead serious. It can transcribe the chat, summarize the key points, and list the action items. You can come back later, ask “Did anyone mention my name?” and get the lowdown in seconds. It’s the ultimate cheat code for staying across projects without spending your life on video calls.
The Verdict? Give It a Burl
Look, adopting AI automation isn’t about replacing us. It’s about getting rid of the drudgery so we can do the cool stuff architecture, strategy, and actually improving the environment. So, give it a burl. Start small, automate a few annoying tasks, and watch your ticket queue shrink. Your future self (and your stress levels) will thank you for it.
Ready to take the next step
If you want structured guidance on how to build real AI capability in your workplace, join the Insentra Generative AI Sprints. We offer hands on support, practical learning, and a clear path to adopting AI in a way that delivers immediate value.
