How EWPA aligned 10 people on AI before turning on Microsoft Copilot

The client

EWPA / HRIA

The Elevating Work Platform Association is the peak industry body for the Australian elevating work platform sector. EWPA also delivers training and member services for the Telescopic Handlers Association and the Hire and Rental Industry Association. The reach is national: the EWPA Yellow Card is held by more than 26,000 professionals across Australia. A team of 10 manages national accreditation programs, member communications, events, publishing and commercial operations from their Sydney office.

The challenge

Everyone on the same page, before the switch gets flipped.

EWPA was preparing to roll out paid Microsoft Copilot across the team. Three people were already on the paid version. Usage was inconsistent and self-taught. Across the wider team, AI confidence ranged from daily users to people openly calling AI use "cheating".

The leadership team wanted everyone on the same page before flipping the switch. They also wanted Copilot mapped to their Microsoft 365 tenancy with guidelines and governance in place from day one, not retrofitted later.

• →No shared understanding of what AI could and should be used for
• →Manual, repetitive work across admin, reporting, events and member communications
• →Knowledge sitting in individuals’ heads, not documented systems
• →No AI use policy or brand guidelines for consistent, responsible use
• →AI literacy ranging from confident to unfamiliar with basic terminology
• →A national convention coming up, and pressure to work smarter

What we did

A full day in the room. Built around EWPA\u2019s actual work.

A full-day in-person boardroom strategy session at EWPA\u2019s Sydney office, structured around the REIMAGINE framework. Rather than generic AI training, the day was built on EWPA\u2019s actual workflows, tools and team dynamics.

Part 1: Pull everything out of the cupboard

The morning was deep discovery. Each team member walked the room through their role, day-to-day responsibilities, where their work intersects with others, the client and member touchpoints they manage, their current pain points and tech frustrations, and how they honestly feel about AI. This surfaced the full spectrum. Some were already using Copilot for email search, content drafting and data work. Others needed foundational concepts. Tracy worked across this range in real time, landing explanations for beginners while building on what experienced users already knew.

Part 2: Show, build, apply

In the afternoon, Tracy connected to the boardroom screen and walked the team through interactive sessions:

• →Side-by-side comparison of Copilot paid versus free, so the team could see exactly what their investment unlocks
• →What a prompt actually is, how to write effective ones, and common mistakes to avoid
• →Onboarding and personalising Copilot to individual roles and workflows
• →AI agents and practical use cases mapped directly to the challenges from the morning
• →Live co-creation of foundation documents including an AI use policy, brand guidelines and a website audit

What was delivered

Three foundation documents. Ready to use.

The outcome

Sceptics left with confidence and clarity.

The session shifted the team from fragmented, uncertain AI use to a shared foundation. Existing Copilot users found capabilities they didn\u2019t know existed. The whole team left with a common language and shared expectations for how AI fits into their work.

Within hours of the session wrapping:

• →The Office and Tech Manager began mapping an organisation-wide AI framework against the new guidelines, identifying ownership of agents and process flows across the team
• →The Commercial Manager personalised his Copilot setup using the onboarding guide from the day
• →The Training and RTO Manager began exploring how existing learning and development content could be repurposed using AI tools to increase efficiencies across the national training program

\u201cWe thought it was such an invaluable session.\u201d

Is this right for your organisation?

Built for peak bodies, associations and membership organisations.

• →Have a small but stretched team wearing multiple hats
• →Manage complex technology stacks with limited integration
• →Need to balance internal efficiency with member-facing obligations
• →Want to adopt AI responsibly, with governance and compliance front of mind
• →Are looking for practical outcomes, not just awareness

About Tracy

Tracy Sheen CSP.

Tracy Sheen is an AI strategist, Certified Speaking Professional and two-time award-winning author. She works with organisations from boardrooms to regional councils, making AI practical and accessible. Tracy has delivered more than 2,000 presentations across Australia. She is a National Board Director with Professional Speakers Australia, a member of Women Chief of Enterprise International and Senior Board Adviser to Software Australia. She appears on Channel 7\u2019s The Morning Show and contributes to the AFR and ABC Radio.

Author of AI & U: Reimagine Business (2025 finalist, Australian Business Book Awards) and The End of Technophobia (2021 Business Book of the Year).