Cummins recognized that generative AI would only be as useful as the quality and security of the data behind it. To prepare for Microsoft 365 Copilot and other AI tools, the company focused on **clean, well-governed data** inside its Microsoft 365 environment. Key steps Cummins took:

• Upgraded to Microsoft 365 E5 to gain access to the full Microsoft Purview suite for security, governance, and compliance.
• Automated data classification and sensitivity labeling with Microsoft Purview Information Protection so that content is consistently tagged as, for example, confidential or restricted.
• Applied persistent sensitivity labels that travel with the document or email, inside and outside the Cummins domain, so AI-generated content and underlying data are handled according to policy.
• Used Purview data classification features to help ensure that when Copilot creates responses, those responses are appropriately tagged and access is limited to the right people.
• Started a Microsoft 365 Copilot pilot alongside a broader information governance program, so AI adoption and data cleanup happened together rather than in isolation.

By combining Microsoft Purview with Copilot pilots, Cummins is reimagining how AI and information governance work together: AI can operate on **secure, well-labeled data**, while Purview provides the visibility and controls needed to keep that AI usage compliant.

Cummins needed to manage more than a century of data, much of it unstructured (emails, documents, chats, videos) spread across Microsoft 365 and multiple inherited IT environments. To handle this at scale, the company turned to Microsoft Purview to automate as much of the governance work as possible. Here’s how Cummins is reshaping its information governance:

• Automated classification and labeling
  Using Microsoft Purview Information Protection, Cummins automatically classifies and labels content based on sensitivity and record type. This includes:
  • More than 1 million files labeled with Purview.
  • Over 50 label types configured for auto-tagging email messages.
  • Millions of email messages auto-tagged in 2024, reducing manual effort.
• Data Lifecycle Management for retention
  With Purview Data Lifecycle Management, Cummins assigns customized lifecycles to documents and records. This helps the company:
  • Meet legal and regulatory retention requirements, including data that must be kept for the life of a product (often decades).
  • Automatically delete outdated records to avoid unnecessary storage and maintenance costs.
• Machine learning–driven records automation
  Cummins uses Purview’s machine learning capabilities to automate a significant portion of its records schedule:
  • 10–15% of the global record schedule is already automated.
  • The company plans to extend this with generative AI capabilities for records management.
• Integrated, actionable classification
  Unlike the previous static labels and separate records repository, Purview labels are tied to protection settings such as encryption and access controls. When a document is labeled confidential, its handling rules are enforced automatically across the Microsoft 365 environment.

This integrated, automated approach reduces manual records work, cuts storage and tool costs, and makes it easier for Cummins to stay compliant while still allowing employees to collaborate on “living” documents.

By standardizing on Microsoft Purview, Cummins has been able to rethink how it manages data, compliance, and collaboration across a global workforce of about 76,500 employees in more than 180 countries. Key benefits include:

• Cost savings and reduced data bloat
  • Purview Data Lifecycle Management helps identify what to retain and what to delete, which reduces storage and maintenance costs.
  • Automated deletion of outdated records means fewer unnecessary files for AI tools and eDiscovery to process, lowering complexity and cost.
• Improved security and compliance
  • Purview identifies confidential information using hundreds of prebuilt rules tailored to different regions, helping Cummins meet diverse regulatory requirements.
  • Persistent sensitivity labels and encryption-based protections reduce the risk of human error and help preserve confidentiality across the entire Microsoft 365 environment (email, SharePoint, Teams, and more).
  • Automation ensures consistent application of policies, even as data volumes grow.
• Better user experience and collaboration
  • Employees can keep working in familiar tools like Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams while Purview handles classification and labeling in the background.
  • Unlike the old centralized records repository, users can now co-author and update sensitive documents without breaking compliance rules.
  • The Purview dashboard provides a “bird’s eye view” of compliance, giving governance teams clearer insight into the data landscape.
• Stronger foundation for AI
  • Clean, well-classified data supports safer and more accurate use of Microsoft 365 Copilot and other AI tools.
  • Cummins is exploring Microsoft Purview AI Hub to gain visibility into AI interactions and use audit trail logging to support secure AI adoption.

Overall, Microsoft Purview is helping Cummins move toward a model where information governance, data protection, and AI readiness are integrated into everyday work, rather than managed as separate, manual processes.