Course Outline
DAY 1
Module 1 — Claude Fundamentals, Prompting and Personalisation
Gain a deeper understanding of Claude beyond the chat window. Learn to identify where it excels, when it is the optimal choice compared to other AI tools, and how to personalize the tool to align with specific user profiles.
Topics
• Claude’s market positioning and its unique differentiators among AI tools in 2026
• Model families: Fable, Opus, Sonnet, and Haiku, including best practices for selecting each
• The probabilistic nature of AI, managing hallucinations, and risk mitigation strategies
• Plan differences and the added value of a paid account
• Effective prompting: why context outweighs syntax; foundational structures; and determining when to start a new chat
• Custom Instructions tailored to 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 for 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 standardized workflows through Skills.
Topics:
• Projects: Persistent workspaces featuring dedicated history and knowledge bases
• Project Instructions vs. Profile Preferences — understanding their complementary roles
• Sharing Projects with teams: Features of Team and Enterprise plans
• File upload capabilities: 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 — Build 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 mere 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, requirements, authentication, initial configuration, and key differences from browser-based usage
• Claude in Chrome: Installing the official extension, managing permissions, practical use cases, limitations, and security best practices
• Claude Mobile: Utilization in mobile contexts, cross-device synchronization, and best practices for mobile work
• Cowork: Understanding its function and identifying optimal use cases
• Microsoft 365 connector: Linking to Outlook, OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams
• Multi-step tasks: Searching, reading, summarizing, writing, and sending
• Scheduled tasks: Using Scheduled Prompts
• MCP: The Model Context Protocol and the Connectors ecosystem
• Identifying current limitations in Cowork and strategies to work around them
Exercises:
• Exercise 6 — Create a Cowork project and organize its folder structure
• Exercise 7 — Configure a complete Cowork project with Skills, instructions, and folders. Test this setup on a complex task.
Module 4 — Claude in Excel, Word and PowerPoint
Utilize Claude alongside Microsoft 365 software—including documents, spreadsheets, and presentations—by leveraging 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 executive summary preparation
• Word: Reviewing, rewriting, document structuring, and creating proposals, reports, minutes, and professional communications
• PowerPoint: Transforming content into presentation narratives, creating scripts, refining key messages, and adapting content for the target audience
Exercises:
• Exercise 8 — Use Claude to analyze an Excel spreadsheet and produce an executive summary with conclusions and recommendations
• Exercise 9 — Transform a Word document or a set of notes into a PowerPoint presentation structure
Requirements
To fully participate in the practical exercises, please ensure the following are prepared before the course begins:
- Active Claude Account (Paid): A Pro, Team, or Enterprise plan is required to access Projects, Artifacts, and the advanced models utilized in Module 2.
- Microsoft 365 Access: A functional account with access to OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint to complete the integrations in Modules 3 and 4.
- Laptop with Installation Rights: A computer where you have the authority to install Claude Desktop and the Chrome extension (required for Module 3).
- Your Own Files (Highly Recommended): Bring 2–3 real-world documents (e.g., a PDF manual, an Excel sheet, or a Word report) to use during the hands-on exercises. Please ensure they 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
