Course Outline
DAY 1
Module 1 — Claude Fundamentals, Prompting and Personalisation
Go beyond the basic chat window to understand Claude. Identify its unique strengths, determine when it is the optimal choice over other AI tools, and learn how to personalise the interface to align with the user’s specific profile.
Topics
• Claude’s market positioning and its differentiators from other AI tools in 2026
• Model families: Fable, Opus, Sonnet, and Haiku, including guidance on when to deploy each
• The probabilistic nature of AI, managing hallucinations, and risk mitigation strategies
• Distinctions between subscription plans and the benefits of a paid account
• Effective prompting strategies: prioritising context over syntax, foundational structures, and determining when to initiate a new conversation
• Custom Instructions for individual user profiles: defining roles, priorities, and communication tone
Exercises
• Exercise 1 — Construct a comprehensive prompt to address a complaint
• Exercise 2 — Set up Custom Instructions tailored to a specific user profile
Module 2 — Projects, Artifacts and Skills
Leverage Projects to establish persistent workspaces equipped with dedicated knowledge bases, such as manuals, technical sheets, and standards. Explore Artifacts as a production environment within the chat and develop working instructions through Skills.
Topics:
• Projects: Persistent workspaces with independent history and dedicated knowledge bases
• The interplay between Project Instructions and Profile Preferences
• Collaborating on Projects with teams via Team and Enterprise plans
• File handling: Uploading PDFs, Excel files, and images
• Artifacts: Creating documents, dashboards, and interactive prototypes directly within the chat
• Web Search: Accessing real-time information with verifiable sources
• Skills: Defining and applying repeatable workflows
Exercises:
• Exercise 3 — Develop a functional Project for the user’s specific context
• Exercise 4 — Generate a functional Artifact for the user’s specific context
• Exercise 5 — Create a functional Skill for the user’s specific context
DAY 2
Module 3 — Cowork, agents and Microsoft 365 integration
Shift perspective from viewing AI as a simple chatbot to treating it as a capable work partner that can operate in the background on real, day-to-day data.
Topics:
• Claude Desktop: Installation, system requirements, authentication, initial setup, and key differences from browser-based usage
• Claude in Chrome: Installing the official extension, managing permissions, practical applications, limitations, and security best practices
• Claude Mobile: Utilisation in mobile environments, cross-device synchronisation, and best practices for mobile work
• Cowork: Overview, functionality, and use cases
• Microsoft 365 connector: Integrating with Outlook, OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams
• Multi-step workflows: Searching, reading, summarising, writing, and sending
• Scheduled tasks: Configuring Scheduled Prompts
• MCP: Understanding the Model Context Protocol and the Connectors ecosystem
• Current limitations of Cowork and strategies to navigate them
Exercises:
• Exercise 6 — Establish a Cowork project and structure its folder system
• Exercise 7 — Configure a complete Cowork project incorporating Skills, instructions, and folders; test this setup on a complex task
Module 4 — Claude in Excel, Word and PowerPoint
Integrate Claude with Microsoft 365 applications, including documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, leveraging the user’s existing files to accelerate analysis, writing, review, and the preparation of work materials.
Topics:
• Excel: Data analysis, formula generation, table cleaning, indicator interpretation, and executive summary creation
• Word: Reviewing, rewriting, structuring documents, drafting proposals, reports, minutes, and professional communications
• PowerPoint: Converting content into presentation narratives, scripting, refining key messages, and tailoring content for the target audience
Exercises:
• Exercise 8 — Utilise Claude to analyse an Excel spreadsheet and generate an executive summary with conclusions and recommendations
• Exercise 9 — Transform a Word document or a set of notes into a structured PowerPoint presentation
Requirements
To fully engage with the practical components, please ensure the following are ready prior to the course:
- Active Paid Claude Account: A Pro, Team, or Enterprise subscription is mandatory to access Projects, Artifacts, and the advanced models utilised in Module 2.
- Microsoft 365 Access: A functional account with access to OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint is required to complete the integrations in Modules 3 and 4.
- Laptop with Installation Rights: A computer where you have the permissions to install Claude Desktop and the Chrome extension (necessary for Module 3).
- Personal Files (Highly Recommended): Please bring 2–3 real-world documents (such as a PDF manual, an Excel spreadsheet, or a Word report) for use in the hands-on sessions. Ensure these files do not contain strictly confidential data.
Testimonials (2)
Learning how to prompt Claude and use it to digest all of the data I have available.
Mike Hartleroad - Furniture Row
Course - Claude AI for Data Analysis and Business Intelligence
how to engage with the Office environment and set up repetitive tasks
