Excel - Help on VLOOKUP Problem - Expert Solution

Question description:
This user has given permission to use the problem statement for this blog.

I need help with a vlookup for multiple duplicate references
Solved by M. D. in 16 mins
This is the chat thread from the real Excelchat help session. It contains no private user information.
Excelchat Expert 30/08/2018 - 01:03
Hello! How are you?
User 30/08/2018 - 01:03
Hello, I'm well, how are you?
Excelchat Expert 30/08/2018 - 01:04
I'm good. Thanks
Excelchat Expert 30/08/2018 - 01:04
Could you please elaborate further on the duplicate references and provide an example so I could better understand the problem and ask?
User 30/08/2018 - 01:06
So I have a document that has codes, but multiples of the same codes. I am trying to run a vlookup to pull a piece of information from a second sheet, using the code as the reference, but the second sheet does not list the duplicates.
Excelchat Expert 30/08/2018 - 01:06
Could you please share the file with me?
User 30/08/2018 - 01:07
I need a formula to find the piece of information tied to the code, instead of the cell position
Excelchat Expert 30/08/2018 - 01:08
I'll be at a better position to help you if I am able to see the actual data structure and better understand how the duplicates are affecting your vlookup.
Excelchat Expert 30/08/2018 - 01:08
You may send the file as an attachment to the chat by clicking the paperclip button to the right of the chatbox
User 30/08/2018 - 01:08
Sure, one sec
User 30/08/2018 - 01:10
Okay, I have it attached
[Uploaded an Excel file]
Excelchat Expert 30/08/2018 - 01:10
Downloading now
Excelchat Expert 30/08/2018 - 01:11
Okay - which sheets should I be looking at?
User 30/08/2018 - 01:12
So in the "Automated Access Request" sheet, I'm using the Concatenated cells as the initial reference.
User 30/08/2018 - 01:13
I need to pull the "Manager" from the WIP sheet based on the Concatenated code. There should only be one instance of each code in the WIP sheet
Excelchat Expert 30/08/2018 - 01:14
So you need column B in the "Automated Access Request" sheet, right?
User 30/08/2018 - 01:14
Yup, that's where I need to put the information
Excelchat Expert 30/08/2018 - 01:15
Could you please check attached?
[Uploaded an Excel file]
User 30/08/2018 - 01:17
Wow that was fast! I can see where I was going wrong. I was trying to do IF Vlookups instead of indexes
Excelchat Expert 30/08/2018 - 01:17
For rows with #N/A, that means that it cannot be found from your list of identified references in column A ("WIP sheet")
User 30/08/2018 - 01:17
Yeah and there's bound to be a few like that
User 30/08/2018 - 01:17
But that is exactly what I was looking for
Excelchat Expert 30/08/2018 - 01:18
Yes - i try to avoid using VLOOKUP because it can be very taxing to your process (e.g., makes your computations slower to load)
Excelchat Expert 30/08/2018 - 01:18
Cool. Happy to help :)
Excelchat Expert 30/08/2018 - 01:18
Anything you wish to clarify on the solution provided?
User 30/08/2018 - 01:19
Nope, it makes sense to me, I was just hung up on those dumb vlookups lol
User 30/08/2018 - 01:19
Thank you!

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