Aero Vodochody transforms training with AI assistant, Wingman

Summary

Aero worked with NTT DATA to build an AI assistant in Microsoft Copilot Studio that helps employees instantly search 400+ hours of training content. Integrated into Microsoft Teams, Wingman copilots make finding knowledge effortless — and content is securely stored in Aero’s Microsoft 365 environment.

Help employees find the right training video

Aero Vodochody is a leading aerospace manufacturer and producer of military and training aircraft. To match the agility of flying, they modernized the systems supporting their operations on the ground with a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) and product lifecycle management (PLM) platform.

Training on how to use and support the new systems was essential to the project’s success. Over three months, more than 100 key users participated in extensive training sessions. More than 400 hours of video training were stored in Microsoft SharePoint, and this information had to be accessible and searchable. Also, because Aero operates in a highly regulated defense environment, the data had to remain entirely within the company’s private Microsoft 365 tenant.

"We had so much training material — hundreds of hours of video and transcripts," says Martin Soukup, CIO of Aero Vodochody. "Nobody can remember all that. We wanted people to be able to ask a question and get a meaningful answer in seconds, rather than searching through entire recordings."

"We had licenses for Microsoft 365 Copilot and we started our own experiments. We really liked the idea of using an AI chatbot to search the videos and get a direct AI response, with the reference to the specific video and the right timestamp. But the scope of the project meant we needed help."

Building Wingman with Microsoft Copilot Studio

"We had already worked with NTT DATA successfully on previous automation projects," says Martin Soukup. "So, when we needed help with the AI Agent concept, it was natural to call them. They know our environment, they know our people — and they delivered what we needed with minimum effort from our side."

Working closely with Aero’s IT team, NTT DATA developed the company’s first AI agent built in Microsoft Copilot Studio. It works by linking user queries to cleaned transcript data (obtained from video subtitles) and retrieving the relevant video segment. Integrated directly into Microsoft Teams, the chatbot allows users to ask questions and instantly receive precise answers.

The team named the first solution "Orion Wingman." "Orion" for the name of the ERP and PLM implementation and "Wingman" for their industry. Just as a wingman supports the lead pilot, the AI assistant supports Aero’s employees — helping them navigate complex information and stay on course during the company’s broader digital transformation.

The success of the first pilot encouraged Aero to do more with the platform. "We expanded Wingman to include HR documents, IT guides and quality standards," Martin explains. "Now, the whole company — around 1,200 employees — can access information instantly. It’s like having a knowledgeable colleague who never sleeps."

They named this AI assistant "Aero" Wingman. It connects to documents on SharePoint and intranet content, and uses domain-specific subagents (such as HR Wingman and IT Wingman) for specialized queries. The AI assistant tailors responses to the user’s role: an IT engineer receives detailed technical guidance, while HR staff see simplified process information. This role-based design made the tool useful across the organization — from engineers troubleshooting network issues to employees checking HR policies.

"Since we’re fully integrated with Microsoft 365 and use SharePoint, it’s easy for us to share information," says Martin Soukup. "We have more teams who are interested in having an AI wingman, like our development team."

Wingman is deployed in Microsoft Teams through Copilot Studio, keeping all company data securely within Aero’s Microsoft environment while providing seamless access to knowledge across departments.

A knowledgeable coworker who never sleeps

With Wingman, 1,200 Aero employees have faster, more accurate access to internal knowledge and training.

The AI assistant delivers faster, more relevant answers while protecting sensitive data within Aero’s Microsoft 365 environment.

"The main advantage of developing Wingman in Copilot Studio was that we could build on what we already had," explains Soukup. "The solution runs in Teams, uses our SharePoint data and doesn’t require any extra infrastructure. It’s simple, secure and available to everyone."

Employees save time and gain confidence that they are working with accurate information, reducing the need to dig through files and rewatch long training videos. The platform has received positive feedback from early users, who value being able to ask a question and instantly receive an answer linked to a specific moment in the relevant training material.

As Martin Soukup notes: "Wingman helps people find what they need, when they need it, and that’s what really matters. The idea is simple, but the impact is powerful."

Encouraged by these results, Aero plans to extend Wingman to new data sources including ERP and Microsoft Power BI systems, creating a foundation for broader AI-driven innovation. As more information is added, Wingman assistants will continue to streamline work and improve efficiency across departments.

"The real business benefits are still ahead of us," Soukup adds. "It will definitely save a lot of time for the development team."