Copilot Studio and Azure AI Foundry: Microsoft’s Tools for Creating Custom AI Agents
Microsoft’s agent ecosystem is built on two key tools: Copilot Studio and Azure AI Foundry. Copilot Studio helps you design and manage task-driven or conversational agents, while Azure AI Foundry gives you access to advanced models and development capabilities for deeper reasoning and more complex workflows. These tools allow you to build agentic solutions that retrieve information, automate steps, and interact with your systems in meaningful ways.
Stoneridge Software helps you understand which tool fits your scenario and guides you through designing, building, and refining agents that create measurable outcomes for your business.
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What You Can Create with Copilot Studio
Purchasing Assistant
Automates vendor follow-ups
Sales Order Agent
Simplifies order entry and updates
Customer Inquiry Bot
Answers product and order queries
Operations Assistant
Automates approvals and triggers Power Automate flows
Financial Close & Controls Agent
Automated reconciliations and approvals
Supplier Risk & Compliance Monitor
Monitors supplier risk and compliance
Field Service Dispatch Optimizer
Optimizes technician routing and dispatch
Inventory Forecast & Replenishment Agent
Predicts demand and recommends replenishment
Contract Intelligence & E-Signature Coordinator
Extracts terms and coordinates signatures
Data Quality & Stewardship Agent
Detects issues and proposes corrections
Sales Forecast & Capacity Planner
Generates sales and capacity forecasts
Manufacturing Yield & Scrap Analyzer
Identifies scrap drivers and improvements
The sky is the limit! View more AI agent ideas from Microsoft.
Who Can Build Copilot Agents?
Business Leaders
Define the goals, workflows, and outcomes agents should deliver to align with strategic priorities.
Developers
Build advanced, integrated agents using pro‑code tools, APIs, and Microsoft Foundry for enterprise scale.
Power Users
Leverage Copilot Studio’s low‑code environment to create your own agents that automate everyday tasks.
Microsoft
Creates pre‑built Copilot agents and templates embedded in Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365 apps.
Microsoft Partners
Design and deploy custom agents for clients, combining business process expertise with technical know‑how.
Your Data Never Leaves Your Tenant.
- Built on existing permissions
- Governed by enterprise policies
- Admin visibility & lifecycle management
- No training on your prompts or files
- Copilot and Microsoft AI follow your existing security and compliance standards.
Where do you start?
Copilot Studio vs. Microsoft Foundry
Copilot Studio
What it is:
A low‑code/no‑code agent builder inside the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
Primary use:
Rapid design and publishing of custom Copilot agents that answer questions, automate tasks, and show up in Teams, Outlook, and other M365 experiences.
Who uses it:
Makers, analysts, and app owners (with IT oversight).
Strengths:
Templates, guided topics, connectors/plug‑ins, quick publishing to M365; great for departmental agents and fast iteration.
Microsoft Foundry
(formerly Azure AI Foundry)
What it is:
A unified AI + agent engineering platform for builders.
Primary use:
End‑to‑end AI solution development, select/evaluate models (OpenAI + Anthropic + open‑source), wire up data and tools, manage endpoints, track usage, and govern deployments at scale.
Who uses it:
Technical teams (AI engineers, solution architects, DevOps, IT).
Strengths:
Model/catalog choice; project workspaces; lifecycle management, observability, security/compliance controls; integration across Azure, Fabric, and Microsoft data/services.
When to Choose Which
Start fast with business users → Copilot Studio
Build a helpdesk bot, a purchasing assistant, or seller prep agent that runs in Teams/Outlook with no pro code required.
Scale and operationalize → Microsoft Foundry
Move promising agents into a governed, observable engineering platform with model choice, performance tuning, and enterprise deployment.
Stoneridge experts help guide you through the process of determining your business needs and the best tools for the job.
Discover Smarter Workflows with AI Agents
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