6.5. Reflection Checkpoint

Key Takeaways

Before proceeding, ensure you can:

• Match common workflow problems to the right Microsoft-built agent, and spot retired or conditional agents (Surveys, Sales, Workflows)
• Explain why prebuilt agents can't be customized, and choose between a prebuilt agent, Agent Builder and Copilot Studio
• Apply agents from Copilot Chat, Teams and meetings, and state the Channel Agent limits
• Describe how Cowork plans, uses skills and asks for approvals, and choose between built-in skills, custom skills and plugins
• Use Cowork's side panel, approval options, soft and hard pause, and cancel
• Compare Cowork automations (25, event triggers, Automations page) with Copilot Chat scheduled prompts (10, Settings)
• List Cowork's security properties and known limitations

Connecting Forward

Phase 7 moves to the business content and collaboration domain: drafting and transforming documents, reaching sources beyond Microsoft 365 with connectors, generating visuals, and validating that AI-generated content actually meets the business goal.

Self-Check Questions

1. A colleague says, "I'll ask Researcher to compile the vendor comparison and then email it to the procurement team for me." What's wrong with this plan, and how would you split the work between Researcher and Cowork?
2. Your team wants Cowork to always format client briefs to the company standard. Explain why this calls for a custom skill rather than a custom agent, and one risk you should manage when sharing it with the team.