Mercian Education Trust partnered with Marra to address a growing challenge: internal HR, Finance, and Governance teams were struggling with a constant flow of repetitive employee queries. These requests came in through inconsistent channels, creating inefficiencies, long response times, and mounting frustration among staff.​

Employees were left waiting for answers, while admin teams were tied up with low-value tasks. The Trust knew something had to change and turned to Marra for a solution that would streamline support and create space for more meaningful work.​

A smarter way to support employees​

Marra’s solution was built on Microsoft’s Power Platform, leveraging the Trust’s existing licensing. The aim was to reduce pressure on internal teams and improve response times by introducing a self-service Copilot Agent.​

Built using Microsoft Copilot Studio, the agent was fully tailored to the Trust’s needs. It was embedded within Microsoft Teams and connected to SharePoint and other internal knowledge bases. Employees were encouraged to make the Copilot Agent their first stop for routine questions, and freeing up human teams to focus on the work that mattered most.​

When the agent couldn’t resolve a query, it would escalate it to the right team member, ensuring nothing fell through the cracks. The Trust maintained full ownership of the Copilot, with the ability to update and expand it over time.​

Launching with confidence​

To ensure a smooth transition, Marra worked closely with stakeholders across departments. We provided comprehensive technical, business and operational documentation, empowering internal teams to own the agent post-launch. The result was a well-governed, easy-to-manage solution that supported both the IT team and wider workforce.​

Impact from day one​

The Copilot Agent made an immediate difference. User satisfaction averaged 4.5 out of 5, with staff praising the simplicity and speed of the new system. Employees could get accurate answers instantly, even outside of working hours. Over 70% of routine queries were resolved without human intervention. As a result, internal teams saved time, reduced response bottlenecks, and focused more on strategic and engaging tasks.​

Ready for scale​

As the Trust grows, so can the Copilot Agent. It’s built to handle increased demand without needing more administrative resource. By surfacing usage data and insights, the agent also helps the Trust identify emerging themes, highlight training needs, and continuously improve internal support.​

All this has contributed to cost savings, stronger governance, and a better experience for every employee, helping the Trust build a smarter, more scalable organisation.

Interested in Using Copilot Agent in your business?

Find out more about our AI consultancy and build services here. Microsoft Copilot Agent Development