Quick Win: Summarizing Large Documents with Copilot

Overview

One of Copilot’s most immediately valuable features is document summarization. In just five minutes, you’ll learn how to use Copilot to quickly extract the key information from lengthy government documents, saving hours of reading time.

Perfect for busy professionals who need to process large volumes of documentation quickly.

What You’ll Learn

• Open and summarize documents in Word with a single prompt
• Extract specific sections or topics from long files
• Generate executive summaries and talking points
• Use summarization for policy reviews, contract documents, and reports

Transcript

[00:00 - Introduction]

Hi, I’m Jane Smith. Today we’re covering one of Copilot’s killer features: document summarization. If you’ve ever faced a 60-page policy document due for review tomorrow, this video will save your life.

[00:30 - The Scenario]

You just received a 75-page draft policy for review. You need to understand the key changes, identify any concerns, and provide feedback by end of day. Traditionally, this means hours of reading. With Copilot, you can get up to speed in minutes.

[01:00 - Basic Summarization]

Open the document in Word. Click the Copilot icon and type: “Summarize this document.” That’s it. In seconds, Copilot will provide a multi-paragraph summary covering the document’s main points, structure, and conclusions.

This gives you a high-level understanding before you dive into details.

[02:00 - Targeted Summaries]

You can ask for specific types of summaries: “Summarize this document in bullet points.” “Create an executive summary of this policy document suitable for leadership review.” “What are the three most important changes in this document?”

The more specific your prompt, the more tailored the result.

[03:00 - Extracting Specific Information]

Need information on a specific topic? Ask Copilot: “What does this document say about security requirements?” “Where are budget allocations discussed?” “What are the compliance implications mentioned?”

Copilot will scan the entire document and extract the relevant sections, saving you from searching manually.

[04:00 - Generating Talking Points]

Before a meeting where this document will be discussed, ask Copilot: “Create talking points for discussing this policy with my team.” Copilot will generate a structured list of key discussion topics, potential concerns, and decision points.

[04:30 - When to Verify]

Important: Always verify critical details. Copilot is excellent at summarization but can occasionally miss nuances or misinterpret complex language. Use summaries to guide your review, but check source material for final decisions.

[05:00 - Conclusion]

Document summarization is the quickest Copilot win. Start using this technique today on your next long document, and experience immediate time savings. It’s that simple.