Northwestern users that have purchased an M365 copilot license will have access to use several custom copilot agents published by Microsoft. Below you'll find some information on the Analyst Agent.
FAQs
General Information
- What is the Analyst agent? It is a specialized, built-in agent in Microsoft 365 Copilot that helps users analyze, manipulate, and visualize data from files, such as Excel spreadsheets or CSV files.
- What technology powers it? The agent is built on OpenAI's o3-mini reasoning model, optimized for data analysis tasks.
- How does it differ from standard Copilot? While Copilot is designed for general productivity and content generation, the Analyst agent is specialized for deep, multi-step data analysis, including coding (Python) to solve problems.
Access and Licensing
- Who can use the Analyst agent? It is available to users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license.
- How do I access it? In the Microsoft 365 Copilot app, navigate to the "Agents" section and select "Analyst".
Use the following link https://m365.cloud.microsoft or if already logged into M365, select the M365 copilot app from the waffle menu.
- Are there usage limits? Yes, there is a combined limit of 25 queries per user per month for the Researcher and Analyst agents.
Functionality and Usage
- What can the Analyst agent do? It can turn raw, fragmented data (e.g., from multiple spreadsheets) into insights, including forecasts, demand planning, and, visualization, such as graphs and charts.
- Can I see its work? Yes, the agent allows you to view the Python code it generates and runs in real time, enabling you to verify its methodology.
- What data sources can it use? It analyzes data from files attached to the Copilot chat, such as spreadsheets, and can work with data indexed via Microsoft Graph.
- What types of files are supported? It works with common data formats, including CSV and XLSX.
Security and Privacy
- Is my data secure? The Analyst agent operates within the Microsoft 365 commercial data processing boundary. It inherits existing security, privacy, and compliance commitments of the Microsoft 365 suite.
Support Resources
Interested in using the Analyst Agent? An M365 copilot license is available for purchase through iBuyNU via CDW.
Your feedback on this article is welcome, and we review comments regularly. However, if you have an issue or question requiring immediate attention or want to discuss your feedback on this article, please get in touch with the Northwestern IT Service Desk at 847-49
1-4357 (1-HELP) or
consultant@northwestern.edu.