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Comparison

Lasso vs Microsoft Copilot

Copilot makes Excel smarter. But your product data problem isn't an Excel problem.

Microsoft Copilot can add columns, generate formulas, and summarize data inside your Excel file. For working within a single spreadsheet, it's genuinely useful.

But product data for e-commerce doesn't live in one file. It arrives from multiple suppliers in different formats and languages. It needs a schema. It needs AI enrichment, not just formulas. And it needs to end up in your store, not in another .xlsx. Copilot helps you work faster inside Excel. Lasso replaces the need for Excel in this workflow entirely.

The Microsoft Copilot workflow, step by step

You know this routine. Maybe you're doing it right now.

You

I have a supplier product list in this Excel file. Can you add columns for SEO title, SEO description, and standardized category, then fill them in for all 200 rows?

Microsoft Copilot

I've added three new columns. Here are the generated values for the first 20 rows. The SEO descriptions are based on the existing product titles and specifications in columns B through F.

You

Good. Now I need to merge this with another supplier file that uses completely different column names. 'Produktname' instead of 'Název', 'Gewicht' instead of 'Hmotnost'. Map them to the same structure.

Microsoft Copilot

I can help you map columns within this workbook. You'd need to paste the second supplier's data into a new sheet, then I can help match columns. But I can't automatically detect that 'Gewicht' maps to 'Weight'. You'll need to tell me each mapping.

You

I have 8 suppliers. Each uses different column names, different languages, different units. I need them all in one standard schema. And I need this to work again next month with updated files.

Microsoft Copilot

For recurring workflows across multiple files, I'd suggest creating a Power Query template or a macro. I can help you write the formula logic, but I work within a single Excel session. I can't store supplier mappings or automate the process across separate files.

You

So you're saying I need to build a macro, maintain a mapping table, and run it manually for each supplier file every month?

Microsoft Copilot

That's the Excel approach, yes. I can assist with each step, but the orchestration, storage, and cross-file coordination would need to be set up and managed by you.

You

...

The result:

You spent hours doing what should take minutes. And next month, when the supplier sends an updated catalog, you start from scratch.

Same task, two ways

The task: Consolidate product data from 8 suppliers with different column names, languages, and units into one store-ready schema. Repeat monthly.

With Microsoft Copilot

  1. 1.Open the first supplier file in Excel
  2. 2.Ask Copilot to add and fill new columns
  3. 3.Paste the second supplier's data into a new sheet
  4. 4.Manually tell Copilot which columns map to which
  5. 5.Repeat for 6 more suppliers
  6. 6.Build a Power Query or macro to merge everything
  7. 7.Debug the macro when a supplier changes their format
  8. 8.Save the workbook, email it to your colleague, hope they don't break it
Time:8+ hours initial setup. 2-4 hours each monthly repeat (when nothing breaks).
Reusability:Only if you build and maintain macros. One format change from a supplier breaks the pipeline.
Team handoff:Email a 15MB Excel file. Pray your colleague has the same version of Excel and doesn't overwrite anything.
Lasso

With Lasso

  1. 1.Upload the supplier file (CSV, Excel, PDF, XML, plain text)
  2. 2.Select or create a schema (your store's product structure)
  3. 3.Lasso extracts and enriches all 200 rows using AI agents
  4. 4.Review in a spreadsheet-style workspace. Fix exceptions inline.
  5. 5.Export in your store's format, or push directly to Shopify.
Time:Minutes for the extraction. Review time depends on data quality.
Reusability:The schema is saved. Next supplier file uses the same structure. Even the prompts are auto-generated per column.
Team handoff:Share the table. Your colleague sees the same workspace, same data, same progress.

Microsoft Copilot

0products processed

Lasso

0products processed

What makes Lasso different

Your product structure, defined once

Create a schema that matches your store's exact requirements. Column types, attribute names, validation rules. Every extraction uses it. Every supplier maps to it. Change it once, it applies everywhere.

Microsoft Copilot has no concept of a persistent schema. Every conversation starts blank.

AI agents, not chat prompts

Lasso runs specialized AI agents across your entire table. Not one product at a time. Hundreds or thousands of products, processed in parallel. Each column can have its own prompt, auto-generated based on context. You control what runs and when.

Microsoft Copilot processes one prompt at a time in a single conversation thread.

A workspace, not a chat window

See all your products in a spreadsheet-style table. Filter, sort, search, multi-select. Edit cells inline. Track what's been processed, what failed, what needs review. Work with your team in real time with live collaborative editing.

Microsoft Copilot gives you a conversation. You're responsible for organizing the output.

Export that matches your store

Export to CSV in your store's exact format using configurable export keys. Push to Shopify directly. Or import into your product catalog with built-in deduplication. Shadow fields let you include computed data without cluttering your main view.

Microsoft Copilot gives you text. Getting it into your store is your problem.

When Microsoft Copilot is the right choice

This page isn't about Microsoft Copilot being bad. It's about using the right tool for the job.

Use Microsoft Copilot when:

  • You're already working in Excel and need quick in-cell AI help
  • You need to generate formulas or summarize data in a single file
  • Your product data lives in one spreadsheet and doesn't need a schema
  • You're doing a one-time cleanup, not a recurring workflow

Use Lasso when:

  • You process supplier data regularly (weekly, monthly, per new catalog)
  • You need consistent output across hundreds or thousands of products
  • Multiple people touch the product data
  • Your output needs to match a specific store format or feed spec
  • You want the extraction to be repeatable without re-prompting every time

Try Lasso with your own supplier file