Course Outline
DAY 1
Module 1 — Claude Fundamentals, Prompting and Personalisation
Gain a deeper understanding of Claude beyond the chat interface. Identify its unique strengths, determine when it is the most suitable AI tool over alternatives, and learn how to personalise the tool to align with the user’s specific profile. Topics • Claude’s positioning and what differentiates it from other AI tools in 2026 • Model families: Fable, Opus, Sonnet, and Haiku, including guidance on when to deploy each • Probabilistic AI behaviour, managing hallucinations, and risk mitigation strategies • Distinctions between subscription plans and the benefits of a paid account • Effective prompting: prioritising context over syntax, foundational structures, and determining when to start a new chat • Custom Instructions for individual user profiles: defining role, priorities, and communication tone
Exercises
• Exercise 1 — Construct a comprehensive prompt to address a customer 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. View Artifacts as a production environment within the chat, and develop working procedures through Skills.
Topics:
• Projects: persistent workspaces with their own history and dedicated knowledge bases
• Project Instructions versus Profile Preferences — understanding how they complement one another
• Sharing Projects across teams: capabilities for Team and Enterprise plans
• File uploading: supporting PDFs, Excel files, and images
• Artifacts: creating documents, dashboards, and interactive prototypes directly within the chat
• Web Search: accessing real-time information with verifiable citations
• Skills: defining and applying repeatable procedures
Exercises:
• Exercise 3 — Develop a functional Project tailored to the user’s own context
• Exercise 4 — Generate a functional Artifact for the user’s own context
• Exercise 5 — Create a functional Skill for the user’s own context
DAY 2
Module 3 — Cowork, agents and Microsoft 365 integration
Shift your perspective from viewing AI as a chatbot to treating it as a work partner capable of performing background operations on day-to-day operational data.
Topics:
• Claude Desktop: installation, requirements, authentication, initial setup, and key differences compared to browser-based use
• Claude in Chrome: installing the official extension, managing permissions, practical use cases, limitations, and security best practices
• Claude Mobile: usage in mobile scenarios, device synchronisation, and best practices for working on the go
• Cowork: overview of its functionality and appropriate use cases
• Microsoft 365 connector: establishing links to Outlook, OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams
• Multi-step tasks: searching, reading, summarising, writing, and sending
• Scheduled tasks: utilising Scheduled Prompts
• MCP: Model Context Protocol and the Connectors ecosystem
• Current limitations of Cowork and strategies to work around them
Exercises:
• Exercise 6 — Create a Cowork project and structure its folder system
• Exercise 7 — Configure a complete Cowork project with Skills, instructions, and folders; test the project on a complex task.
Module 4 — Claude in Excel, Word and PowerPoint
Utilise Claude alongside Microsoft 365 applications, including documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. Apply the user’s own files to accelerate analysis, writing, review, and the preparation of work materials.
Topics:
• Excel: data analysis, formula creation, table cleaning, indicator interpretation, and drafting executive summaries
• Word: review, rewriting, document structuring, and creating proposals, reports, minutes, and professional communications
• PowerPoint: converting content into presentation narratives, scripting, enhancing key messages, and tailoring content for the target audience
Exercises:
• Exercise 8 — Use 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 participate in the practical sessions, please ensure the following are ready before the course commences:
- Active Claude Account (Paid): A Pro, Team, or Enterprise plan is necessary to access Projects, Artifacts, and the advanced models utilised in Module 2.
- Microsoft 365 Access: A functioning account with access to OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint is required to complete the integration exercises in Modules 3 and 4.
- Laptop with Installation Rights: A computer where you have the authority to install Claude Desktop and the Chrome extension, which is essential for Module 3.
- Your Own Files (Highly Recommended): Please bring 2–3 real-world documents (such as a PDF manual, an Excel spreadsheet, or a Word report) to utilise during the hands-on activities. Ensure these files do not contain highly confidential information.
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
