Finance Finland
Finance Finland (Finanssiala ry) has taken a bold step toward integrating artificial intelligence into everyday work. With the help of Sulava’s Copilot Essentials service, the organization has successfully embedded generative AI into experts’ workflows — not just as a technical solution, but as a transformative force in how work is done. Agility, strong communication, and a desire to lead the way have been key to the successful adoption.
Quick Facts
- Sulava has been a long-term partner of Finance Finland since their cloud migration.
- Training, support, and up-to-date information provided through Copilot Essentials have been critical to success.
- The organization followed the topic closely and planned the rollout carefully, selecting representatives from each internal group.
- In addition to training, Finance Finland invested heavily in communication and sharing inspiring use cases.
Quick Reaction and Determined Progress
Finance Finland was ready to activate its first Copilot licenses as early as January 2024, when Microsoft lifted license restrictions and made them available to smaller organizations. ICT Specialists Katri Vilppola and Mika Seppänen had prepared the Microsoft 365 environment in advance for generative AI deployment.
The organization had been actively following the topic and already participated in Sulava’s “Microsoft 365 Copilot in a Day” training in November 2023.
“We didn’t wait – once Copilot licenses became available to smaller organizations, we activated them immediately.”
– Katri Vilppola, ICT Specialist
The rollout was carefully planned: the actual project began in March, with representatives selected from every organizational group – from public affairs to infrastructure and security, and from administration to financial and prudential legislation.
Finance Finland’s values include being a pioneer, which is also reflected in their AI adoption. The organization is eager to experiment with new ways of working and share its learnings with others. During the project, internal guidelines for responsible use of generative AI were also created.
Focus on Training, Communication, and Inspiring Use Cases
Project team members – called “Smart Pilots” – received Copilot licenses as soon as Finnish-language support became available. At the same time, they gained access to Copilot Essentials training, which provided a solid foundation for effective AI adoption.
Afterward, training was opened to all employees, and participation was actively encouraged. Today, new hires and returning experts (e.g., from parental leave) receive Copilot Essentials training as part of onboarding.
Additionally, AI Evergreen trainings targeted at ICT specialists and those responsible for AI deployment have been praised for their rich content and usefulness in staying up to date with new features.
“Training in the use of AI is absolutely essential.”
– Katri Vilppola, ICT Specialist
Copilot Essentials
Copilot Essentials is a fixed monthly fee-based service that helps organizations implement Microsoft 365 Copilot and drive changes in work practices. In Copilot Essentials trainings, Sulava’s experts coach and inspire customers to utilize Microsoft 365 Copilot in their daily work across various applications.
Copilot Essentials customers can view all Copilot trainings for end users in the training calendar and register for them. The trainings are available in Finnish and English, with subtitles in other languages.
Trainings include topics such as:
- How to utilize Microsoft 365 Copilot in different applications (Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, and Word)
- How to create successful prompts
- How to approach work in the age of AI and how to make Copilot a truly effective assistant
In addition, trainings designed for teams responsible for AI implementation cover topics such as preparing the M365 environment, protecting data to ensure safe usage, the responsible AI playbook, creating a communication plan, extension and integration possibilities, and AI agents.
Although the deployment of Copilot at Finance Finland was swift and well-planned, the organization identified a clear challenge: the busy day-to-day easily diverts attention, and new tools tend to go unused unless their adoption is continuously supported. A change in working methods doesn’t happen through technology alone – it requires change management, ongoing training, and a new mindset toward tasks.
In Finance Finland, this challenge has been addressed, in addition to training, by investing in communication and the sharing of inspiring use cases.
“Sharing positive experiences and use cases spark ‘aha’ moments, and that supports the active use of Copilot.”
– Katri Vilppola, ICT Specialist
Tips for using Copilot were presented in group-specific sessions, which sparked discussion and encouraged experimentation with new approaches. Prompts found to be useful were prominently shared in Teams channels, and concrete use cases were highlighted in IT clinics. Additionally, there are plans to implement regular short info sessions that fit into experts’ busy schedules.
Use cases have been identified in areas such as information search, communication, and text processing:
- Supporting blog writing based on internal meeting transcripts
- Summarizing and translating web content
- Processing long documents
- Assisting expert work, such as drafting statements and emails
Copilot’s Researcher and Analyst Agents have also sparked interest, particularly in enhancing legal information search.
Collaboration with Sulava Laid a Strong Foundation for AI Adoption
Sulava has been a long-term partner of Finance Finland since the cloud transition. The training, support, and up-to-date information provided through the Copilot Essentials service have been crucial to success. The collaboration has been experienced as smooth, professional, and trustworthy.
“I can definitely recommend Sulava’s Copilot Essentials service to others! It’s an effective way to learn the basics of Copilot and how to leverage AI,”
Katri Vilppola comments and continues:
“On top of that foundation, it was easy to start collecting examples and tips on how we can effectively utilize Copilot.”
According to a survey conducted by Finance Finland at the end of 2024, work has become more efficient thanks to support with routine tasks. Finance Finland continues to explore ways to leverage AI and aims to identify processes where AI agents can be particularly helpful. Regular short info sessions and role-specific training are in development to deepen skills and expand usage even further.
Writer: Johanna Järäinen
Published in September 2025
Copilot & Agent Partner of the Year 2025 🏆
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Sulava was recognized among a global field of Microsoft partners for excellence in innovation and implementation of customer solutions based on Microsoft technology.
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Copilot Essentials is a fixed-monthly-fee evergreen service that assists organizations in the implementation of Microsoft 365 Copilot and the execution of workplace transformation!
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