Carmarthenshire County Council, a prominent local authority in Wales, accelerated its digital transformation by harnessing the combined strengths of Microsoft 365 Copilot and the strategic insights provided by Trustmarque’s Prism tool. Prism played a pivotal role in Copilot’s adoption, offering real-time analytics and comprehensive visibility into usage patterns across the organisation. By delivering actionable data on user engagement, feature adoption, and areas requiring additional support, Prism empowered project leaders to monitor progress, address challenges swiftly, and tailor training to staff needs. This data-driven approach ensured Copilot’s integration was efficient, secure, and aligned with the Council’s operational goals.

Business Drivers

Carmarthenshire County Council, like many public sector bodies, found itself at the crossroads of multiple challenges. The ongoing reality of budget cuts and restricted resources was compounded by rising expectations from residents and businesses for high-quality, responsive services. Staff were frequently under strain, managing escalating workloads with limited tools or support.

A critical driver for change was the Council’s observation of staff turning to free, publicly accessible AI tools to assist with content creation, summarisation, and data analysis. While these platforms held promise for boosting productivity, they posed substantial risks in terms of data security and regulatory compliance, especially for an organisation responsible for safeguarding sensitive citizen information. The unchecked use of external AI solutions increased the risk of data breaches and regulatory infractions, potentially undermining public trust and organisational integrity.

Recognising the dual challenge of operational pressure and growing digital risk, the Council sought a more secure, scalable, and centrally managed AI solution. Addressing issues of compliance and data protection was non-negotiable, given the council’s accountability for the privacy of thousands of residents.

Data-Driven Adoption with Trustmarque Prism

A cornerstone of the Council’s successful Copilot deployment was its partnership with Trustmarque and the adoption of the Prism tool. Prism provided the analytics backbone that enabled real-time monitoring and granular evaluation during the pilot phase, which lasted eight months and involved almost 250 users across departments.

“Trustmarque’s Prism tool quickly became an essential part of the Council’s Copilot journey. With Prism’s clear, real-time insights, project leaders could easily see how different teams were using Copilot, spot where it was making the biggest impact, and respond to staff needs as they arose.”

James Mounsey-Moran, Trustmarque Prism Lead

With Prism for Copilot, the Council gained unprecedented visibility into user engagement, adoption rates, and the specific ways that Copilot was being leveraged day-to-day.

This data-driven approach ensured that resources were allocated efficiently and that the AI initiative remained agile, responsive, and closely aligned to staff needs. By continually monitoring adoption, the Council could adapt its rollout, address barriers, and share best practices, leading to broad and sustainable engagement.

Solution

The solution chosen by Carmarthenshire County Council was the full-scale deployment of Microsoft 365 Copilot, deeply integrated within its Microsoft 365 ecosystem, spanning Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, and other familiar productivity applications. Copilot uses advanced large language models and Microsoft Graph data to provide intelligent assistance, enabling staff to:

• Draft and refine documents and emails with greater speed and accuracy
• Summarise meetings, emails, and large data sets
• Analyse information and generate reports directly within applications
• Automate repetitive administrative tasks

Crucially, Copilot was deployed in a manner that adhered to the Council’s rigorous internal frameworks for data security, privacy, and governance. The implementation was supported by Microsoft, which contributed both Copilot licences and $15,000 in expert consultancy to facilitate effective onboarding and adoption.

Trustmarque played a pivotal role, delivering eight hours of remote, structured training and ongoing support to pilot users. Training included practical demonstrations and hands-on learning for tasks like meeting preparation, email summarisation, content generation, and advanced data analysis.

“One user noted that tasks which once took significant time could now be completed in just five minutes, allowing consistent responses well within the Council’s policy window. Copilot made drafting complaint replies faster and less stressful, often needing only minor edits before sending, and reducing follow-up questions from customers.”

Georgia N Sweet – Digital Transformation Project Officer Trustmarque’s Prism for Copilot Tool

The Prism tool was integral in evaluating the pilot’s effectiveness and ensuring continuous improvement. By capturing rich usage data, the Council could:

• Identify which teams or roles benefited most from Copilot’s features
• Reallocate unused licences to areas with higher demand
• Tailor support and resources based on real-world use cases

This iterative, evidence-based approach enhanced both the efficiency and the impact of the Copilot deployment.

Benefits

The difference for Carmarthenshire County Council was felt right away—and not just in numbers, but in the day-to-day lives of staff and teams across the organisation. People noticed they had more time for what matters, with less effort spent on repetitive work. Tasks that once seemed tedious or time-consuming became quicker and easier, opening up space for creative thinking and more meaningful contributions.

Future Transformation

Building on the pilot’s success, the Council is actively pursuing further AI-driven transformation. Plans include pinning Copilot Chat in Teams for universal access and developing custom Copilot agents tailored to specialised service areas, such as planning, social care, and customer services.

Conclusion

Carmarthenshire County Council’s strategic adoption of Microsoft 365 Copilot, bolstered by Trustmarque’s Prism analytics, stands as a model for secure, data-driven AI integration in the public sector. By focusing on compliance, staff empowerment, and ongoing evaluation, the Council has set the stage for continued digital innovation, delivering better outcomes for employees and the citizens they serve.