Exercise 2, Task 5: Use Copilot Studio to update the instructions for the RFP response agent

In the previous task, you used Copilot in Teams to analyze the transcript from a cross-functional meeting involving colleagues from Sales, Product Management, and Engineering. The discussion focused on identifying actionable enhancements to the EcoSense 360 RFP Response Agent, with the goal of improving the quality and effectiveness of its RFP responses to increase proposal win rates. Copilot then synthesized the top five recommended improvements, which you captured for reference.

You’re now ready to use Copilot Studio to update the agent’s instructions, ensuring these new recommendations are incorporated to further strengthen the agent’s capabilities. Once you apply the update to the agent’s instructions, you plan to test the revised agent by having it generate a new response to the VanArsdel RFP. In doing so, you can compare this new response to the original RFP response that was generated in Task 3 to determine whether the agent applied the updated instructions.

Perform the following steps to complete this task:

  1. In your Microsoft Edge browser, select a new tab and open Microsoft 365.

  2. In the Microsoft 365 navigation pane, under the Agents section, select the ellipsis icon that appears to the right of the EcoSense 360 RFP Response Agent. In the menu that appears, select Edit.

[!TIP] The Agents section in the navigation pane only displays the most recently used agents. Since space is limited in the navigation pane, you might not see all your agents in this list. In the real world, if you need to access or edit an agent that doesn’t appear in this list of agents, then select All agents in the navigation pane. The Agent Store window that appears displays all your agents. If you want to use an agent, then select it in the Your agents section. If you want to edit it, then select the ellipsis icon that appears next to the agent, and then select Edit from the drop-down menu.

  1. In the EcoSense 360 RFP Response Agent, Copilot Studio should display the Configure tab for the agent. In the Configure tab, scroll down to the Instructions field.

  2. At the end of the prior task, you copied to your clipboard the instructions that Copilot in Teams generated for the top five improvements that would make the biggest effect on improving the agent. Place your cursor at the end of the current instructions and paste in the copied instructions.

  3. Scroll back up through the instructions to where the new instructions begin. If extraneous text was pasted in at the start of the new instructions (such as “Agent Instructions (EcoSense 360 RFP Response Agent),” then delete this extraneous line of text.

  4. Select the Update button that appears at the top of the form.

  5. In the Your agent was updated successfully dialog box that appears, select the Go to agent button. The agent is now ready to apply these top five improvements the next time it’s used.

  6. With the updated instructions now in place, you want to test them out. On the EcoSense 360 RFP Response Agent window, select the Generate an RFP response suggested prompt (Create an RFP response for the attached RFP). Attach the VanArsdel_RFP.docx file from your OneDrive account and then submit the prompt.

  7. Review the results. You don’t need to copy the results into a Word document. You can just view the response online that the agent generated.

  8. At the end of Task 3, you were instructed to leave the VanArsdel-RFP-Proposal.docx open for use in this task. If you inadvertently closed the doc, then open it now. Compare the contents of the VanArsdel-RFP-Proposal.docx with the RFP response the agent just generated based on the updated instruction set. You should see the new content in this latest response that was generated based on the updated instructions to the agent. While everyone’s updated instructions might be different, here’s a sample of some things from the latest RFP response that we noticed during our testing based on the updated instructions that we applied:

    • The Executive Summary mentioned certifications that were supported.

    • The new response listed supported PMS vendors when it described platform interoperability. It also specified APIs (REST and GraphQL), authentication methods, event patterns, and rate-limit guidance.

    • Each RFP requirement was mapped to the corresponding control or certification with citation lines (for example, ISO 27001 Annex A, and SOC 2 Type II).

    • It added a dedicated Sustainability & ESG section, a compliance matrix that tied RFP asks to evidence, and SLA tables with clearly stated service levels and response times.

    • The currency was stated (USD by default) in every pricing section. It also included tax treatment, implementation effort ranges, optional services, discount policy, and any minimums (such as property count).

    • It presented volume tiers and bundle SKUs using consistent tables.

    • It also included a notes column for assumptions that materially affect price.

    • Deviations from policy were tagged as “Requires Commercial and Legal Review.”