Plan and prepare for Finance agents in Microsoft 365 in 2025 release wave 1

Overview

Microsoft 365 Copilot for Finance is a role-based Copilot agent that helps finance professionals make an impact faster. It brings insights that support strategic decision-making and cuts down the time spent on manual, repetitive tasks. Copilot connects productivity tools like Microsoft Excel with existing financial systems such as ERP. This connection supports critical business processes and delivers insights and actions in real time.

In the 2025 release wave 1, we focus on the following capabilities:

• In Excel, you can use variance analysis in pivot tables with time-series data. This feature helps you identify variances by using criteria you enter in natural language. It also provides detailed analysis of the underlying data that explains the key drivers for these variances. You can fine-tune variance analysis results with multiturm prompts, add extra insights, and collaborate with others. You can share analysis results with stakeholders by using custom report formats.
• When you analyze financial data in Excel, you can access data from external data sources and use natural language to query it.
• Use Microsoft Copilot Studio to extend Copilot for Finance.
• Copilot for Finance offers experiences in Microsoft Teams. It supports collections calls by using Teams telephony capabilities. It provides suggested conversation scripts based on company-defined procedures and customer financial information. The system automatically records action items and follow-ups in the financial system.
• Finance professionals can use generative AI to create meaningful and timely summaries of macroeconomic conditions. By drawing from multiple selective market data sources, they can optimize their investment and business decisions.

For more information about Copilot for Finance, see:

• Microsoft 365 Copilot for Finance documentation

Updates to Microsoft Copilot for Finance 2025 release wave 1

Investment areas

Microsoft Excel experiences
Microsoft 365 Copilot for Finance helps finance professionals work with financial data in Microsoft Excel while protecting the integrity of financial data in ERP systems. With next-generation AI support from Copilot for Finance, finance professionals can reconcile their financial data, compare financial data structures, create reconciliation reports, and troubleshoot and correct discrepancies.

To learn more about the entire set of capabilities being delivered during this release wave, check out the release plan for Finance agents in Microsoft 365 below: