Written by Bandit | 22 January 2010

I love to create data cubes.  One of the most intense aspects of data cubes is the data collection, which I’ll leave for a future tip.  Data organizing and formatting for analysis / reporting closely follows data collection intensity for me.  So for you number jockeys, today’s tip is the formula SUMPRODUCT and why it is so valuable.

Technically, SUMPRODUCT, allows you to work with arrays and perform vector math.  You can go to Excel / Calc help and look up the formula name and get the basic limited view of how to use the formula.  I am going to give a practical example that has allowed me to simplify and automate the data organizing and analysis.