First of its kind
This was the first AI agent deployed within the organisation's Microsoft environment, demonstrating a practical, low-risk application of emerging tools to a real team problem.
Case Study - AI & Instructional Design
PowerAutomatedPower-
Automated
AI Agent
Challenge
Replacing a manual process with an intelligent first point of contact
The Learning Design team at New Zealand Customs Service used a manual form to handle course page requests. It was a slow, inconsistent process with too much back-and-forth. With AI tools available in Microsoft 365, there was a clear opportunity to streamline it.
Approach
Self-driven, end-to-end - from research to working product
Self-initiated and end-to-end. I identified the opportunity, ran the research, and designed and built the solution independently, spanning UX, conversational flow, Power Automate integration, and instructional design.
Research
Needs analysis with the full team
I spoke with every team member to surface pain points in the existing process. The key issues were:
- The current process was too time-consuming
- Communication spread across multiple emails led to unclear expectations from the client
- Documentation was often inconsistent
Problem Framing and Development
A clear design question, and three rounds of testing
From that research I framed a How Might We question to guide the design direction:
How might we create an agent that automates new course page requests and minimises manual labour?
Once a working prototype was in place, I ran three rounds of usability testing with five participants each. The sessions focused primarily on information architecture and structure, making sure the conversation flow felt logical, that questions appeared in the right order, and that the language matched how the team actually talked about their work.
Solution
An AI agent that guides clients through the request process
Built in Microsoft Copilot Studio, the agent serves as an intelligent intake form. It guides clients through a structured conversation - gathering all the information the Learning Design team needs to begin work on a new course page - then automatically compiles the responses and sends a formatted summary to the team via Outlook.
The back end connects Copilot Studio topics and triggers to a Power Automate flow, which processes the collected answers using dynamic text and routes the completed request to the appropriate inbox - no manual chasing required.
Flow
The agent, step by step
Scroll to watch the back-end logic unfold alongside the user's experience. Back-end Copilot Studio logic on the left, the live conversation on the right.
← Back-end · Copilot Studio
Front-end · User →
Trigger
User says a phrase
- "Request new course page"
- "Create a course page"
- "Add new course page to the learning room"
- "I need a new course page"
- "Submit request for a course page"
"I want a new course page"
New course page request
Welcome message displayed. Instructs user to fill out as much information as possible.
New course page request - in order to create a new course page please fill out as much information as possible. A Learning Room advisor will then work with you to develop the course page.
Question
What is the name of the course?
Identify: User's entire response
{x} CourseName | stringWhat is the name of the course?
"Maritime unit"
Question
Who will be the course owner?
The team taking responsibility for the learning.
{x} CourseOwner | stringWho will be the course owner? (This should be the team taking responsibility for the learning.)
"Maritime unit team"
Question
What is the contact for the owner?
Usually an email address for the responsible person or team.
{x} CourseContact | stringWhat is the contact for the owner? This is usually an email address for the responsible person or team.
"maritimexxx@customs.govt.nz"
Question
Please describe the course.
Will appear on the course page and in the Find Learning catalogue.
{x} CourseDescription | stringPlease describe the course. Briefly describe the purpose and what people will get from it.
"The course will need to have resources, an interactive module and a knowledge check"
Question
Who is the course for?
Multiple choice: All of Customs / Specific work area or role
{x} CourseAudience | choice
Condition
= "Specific work area or role"
Question
Please specify work area or role:
{x} SpecificWorkArea | stringWho is the course for?
All of Customs
Specific work area or role
Please specify work area or role:
"Maritime unit"
Question
What do you need from this course page?
{x} CourseNeeds | stringWhat do you need from this course page?
"I need it to have three sections tied to work area frameworks"
Question
Will all items on the course page be mandatory?
Multiple choice: Yes, everything is mandatory / No, some items are optional
{x} MandatoryItems | choice
Condition
= "No, some items are optional"
Question
Please specify which items are mandatory and which are optional:
{x} OptionalDetails | stringWill all items on the course page be mandatory?
Yes, everything is mandatory
No, some items are optional
Please specify which items are mandatory and which are optional:
"Quiz will be mandatory, the rest is optional"
Question
Do you have a course image to provide?
Multiple choice: Yes / No
{x} CourseImageProvided | choice
Condition
= "Yes" → attach file
{x} CourseImageFile | fileDo you have a course image to provide?
No
Yes
Action
Calls: Outlook_flow
10 variables passed to Power Automate with each variable allocated to Text#:
CourseName · CourseOwner · CourseContact · CourseDescription · CourseAudience · SpecificWorkArea · CourseNeeds · MandatoryItems · OptionalDetails · CourseImageProvided
Power Automate
When an agent calls the flow
Send email (V1) to xxxx@customs.govt.nz - Subject: New Course Page Request. Body built with dynamic text from all variables. Text is formatted as:
TriggerBody()?['text#']Respond to agent - result: OK
Processing
📧 New Course Page Request
Course name: Maritime unit
Owner: Maritime unit team
Contact: maritimexxx@customs.govt.nz
For: Specific work area - Maritime unit
Completion: No, some items optional
Image provided: No
New Course Page Request - summary
Displays all collected variables back to the user for confirmation.
New Course Page Request
Course name: Maritime unit
Course owner: Maritime unit team
Description: Resources, interactive module and a knowledge check
Audience: Specific - Maritime unit
Needs: Three sections tied to work area frameworks
Completion: No, some optional - Quiz mandatory
Image provided: No
Thank you, you're all done!
Confirmation message. Advises a Learning Room advisor will be in touch.
Thank you, you're all done! I've sent your new course page request to the Learning Room team. A Learning Room advisor will be in touch to help you develop the course page. 🎉
Outlook
Learning Room team receives email
All entered data delivered to xxxx@customs.govt.nz - ready to action.
📬 Email delivered to Learning Room
The team receives a fully formatted request with all answers - no manual follow-up needed.
Final Product
The agent in action
The finished agent deployed inside Microsoft Teams - ready for staff to use as the first point of contact for all new course page requests.
Impact
Pioneering AI adoption
across the organisation
A traditional course request takes around 12 minutes to process, not counting follow-up emails. With 31 requests a year, that's over 6 hours of admin time. The agent handles the same task in roughly 24 seconds, bringing the annual total down to about 12 minutes.
Knowledge transfer
To ensure the work had lasting value, I documented the entire build process and created cheatsheets and instructional videos so other staff could confidently build their own agents.
Streamlined intake
The agent replaced an inconsistent manual form, ensuring every request arrives with the right information - reducing turnaround time and freeing up the team administrator to focus on higher-value work.