Customer reference · Pharma · Headquarters in Rueil-Malmaison
BMS France: from 20% to 72% regular use of generative AI
The tools were already deployed, but usage was stagnating. In 22 months and six short waves led by ten internal Champions, the proportion of employees regularly using Copilot and the group's internal conversational assistant increased from 20% to 72% by the fourth wave (April 2025), with a stable satisfaction level between 4,7 and 4,8 out of 5 in each wave.
The starting point: access without use
By summer 2024, BMS France employees already had access to the generative AI tools provided by the group: Microsoft Copilot and an internal chatbot. The problem wasn't access, but usage. The assessment made in summer 2024 was clear: only one adoption initiative had taken place, the perception was very positive, but usage remained low due to a lack of experience, and generative AI had not yet been established as a collective priority.
The tools are deployed, the perception is positive, but actual usage remains low: without a support system, nothing will take off.
The objective is operational: to facilitate the adoption of the two tools to improve or accelerate daily tasks for approximately 450 headquarters employees across all departments, within an initial timeframe of six months. NextStart was selected based on a comprehensive proposal submitted in the middle of August and a supportive approach that empowers internal teams, rather than a top-down consulting model. The project will go to the executive committee in September 2024 for an initial three-month phase, comprising two rounds and ten Champions.
The device: a four-step mechanism, repeated six times
Each wave follows the same architecture, from the co-construction of use cases to the measurement of usage, which allows for comparison of the results from one wave to another.
Prepare
Two one-hour meetings with the project team to select six concrete use cases per wave, based on the needs reported by the business: writing, translation, indicators, summarizing verbatim, reports, creating PowerPoint presentations, analyzing files, then reasoning models, web research and deep research, Excel, image, audio and video.
Train
A half-day and then two-hour "starter pack" is used to train ten volunteer internal Champions from different departments, supported by an internal project team. The Champions are retrained before each wave.
Prompt Partythen Agent Party
45-minute workshops (one hour for theAgent Party), in person, in groups of about twelve, with voluntary registration from around twenty available time slots, always co-facilitated by a BMS Champion and a NextStart expert. In 2026, each participant leaves with a Microsoft 365 Copilot agent built during the session: a study analysis tool, a monitoring tool, or a "deliverable coach" that reviews and challenges a document before sending.
debrief
A feedback session with the Champions at the end of each wave, a satisfaction questionnaire, and usage measurements before and after. Around the workshops: a library of prompts and replays on SharePoint, Viva Engage facilitation, stickers, and regular internal communication.
The measured results
Before the first Prompt Party20% of respondents use generative AI regularly, 60% occasionally, and 20% never. After waves 1 and 2 (December 2024): 47% regularly, 9% never. After wave 4 (April 2025): 72% regular use. Debriefings of waves 3, 4, and 5 reveal regular or occasional use at 90%, 90%, and 93%, respectively.
4,74 (128 respondents) and 4,81 (123) on waves 1 and 2; 4,71 (109), 4,79 (86) and 4,77 (81) on waves 3 to 5; 4,71 (104 respondents) on theAgent PartyFrom the first wave, 97% judged the use cases relevant and 100% rated the performance of the facilitators as "excellent or good".
Attendance rate of 90 to 98% compared to registered participants. 220 registered for 200 places in wave 1, 110 registered in one day at the opening of wave 5, 134 registered in the middle of a school holiday week for the...Agent Party.
At the end of wave 6, 20% of the 104 respondents reported having already created their own Copilot agent after the workshop. The program has been renewed three times by the Executive Committee, from the initial three-month wave to the 2025 program in three rounds, and then to the...Agent Party 2026.
Key figures
What they say
"We have succeeded in making PROMPT PARTY a real success, and it's time to celebrate this incredible adventure together."
Project team, BMS France, 2024
"A score of 4,79 is one of our best scores."
Project team, BMS France, 2025
What we take away from this
45 minutes, around twenty time slots, in person, six concrete cases per wave: these are the success factors listed by BMS from the very first debriefing. The time constraint forces practice.
The Champion brings professional legitimacy and knowledge of internal tools, while the external expert provides methodology and insights into new developments. BMS cites this partnership as one of the keys to the system.
The measurement before and after each wave made it possible to show the Executive Committee a continuous progression and to obtain three successive renewals.
To advance usage, not just knowledge
Your tools are deployed but usage is stagnating? Let's talk about a short-wave approach, internal relays, and usage measurement tailored to your organization.
The program in pictures
The workshops in this program, as listed on our References page.
Customized skills development program for employees at the headquarters of the pharmaceutical laboratory Bristol Myers Squibb, consisting of 5 phases through 84 practical workshops. Prompt Party » of 45 minutes per group of about twelve. Prompt Party level 1 => rating of 4.74/5. Prompt Party level 2 => rating of 4.81/5. Prompt Party level 3 => rating of 4.71/5. Prompt Party level 4 => rating of 4.79/5. Prompt Party level 5 => rating of 4.77/5. From the fourth wave onwards (April 2025), regular use increased from 20% to 72%!
In 2026, 15 workshops Agent Party » of 1 hour with 134 registered participants => average rating of 4.71/5.
10 champions trained (half a day then two hours), then 84 workshops Prompt Party » 45-minute sessions co-hosted by pairs according to 5 waves
The same program for your organization
What BMS France has implemented is available in catalogue format: the AI Ambassadors programDescribe your situation in a few lines, and we'll get back to you within 24 business hours with a proposal. You can also book a 30-minute consultation directly.
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Explore more!
The formats used in this program and related references.