Summary
Lenovo says employees receiving role-specific guidance, tailored training and manager support used Microsoft 365 Copilot daily at a higher rate than a license-only cohort. The company reports 91% daily use in the supported group versus 67% in the comparison group.
Lenovo says an internal comparison of Microsoft 365 Copilot users found daily use was 91% among employees given tailored adoption support, compared with 67% among employees who received licences without that support. The 24-percentage-point gap amounts to about 36% higher daily use relative to the license-only group, according to the company.
The supported group also reported saving 3.5 hours per person each week, compared with 1.8 hours in the license-only group. Lenovo said satisfaction was 4.27 out of five, versus 3.67, while the issue rate was 18%, compared with 33%.
A three-phase approach to AI adoption
Lenovo developed its model through internal AI deployments, bringing together change practitioners, learning and development specialists, AI experts and employees from functions including finance, sales, customer support and delivery. The company says it used the Prosci ADKAR framework as a foundation, combined with its own transformation experience.
The approach divides adoption into three connected phases. First, an organisation prepares by defining objectives, assessing readiness and involving managers early. Next, it enables change with role-relevant communications, training, hands-on practice and support from employee champions. Finally, it reinforces adoption by tracking usage and business value, gathering feedback and addressing barriers over time.
The emphasis on managers and role-specific support reflects a practical distinction: providing access to an AI tool is not the same as helping employees identify where it fits into their work. Lenovo says early deployments showed that managers needed more time and guidance to explain the change and prepare teams. Its later Microsoft 365 Copilot work included hands-on “prompt-a-thons” so employees could try the tool on tasks relevant to their roles.
What Lenovo’s comparison measured
For its internal comparison, Lenovo contrasted a cohort given Microsoft 365 Copilot licences without tailored adoption support with a cohort given the technology alongside role and use-case guidance, tailored training, manager involvement and continued feedback. The company reports higher daily use, time savings and satisfaction, as well as a lower issue rate, for the supported cohort.
Lenovo also describes refining the model through its internal deployment of Lenovo Knowledge Super Agent, which eventually reached approximately 3,000 employees. The company says that rollout used a phased launch, persona-based enablement, manager engagement, a champion network and adoption dashboards.
These results offer a company-specific example of how training, management and ongoing measurement can accompany an AI rollout. They are not a universal estimate of the effect of adoption support: Lenovo’s account does not give the Copilot cohorts’ sizes, comparison period or assignment method. The findings are best understood as reported outcomes from Lenovo’s own deployments.
Lenovo has since packaged the approach as AI Adoption and Change Management Services. The company describes the services as helping organisations assess readiness, prepare managers and users, measure progress and reinforce adoption after launch.