Quick Summary for multi-tab workbooks

Hi all,

You inherited a workbook with multiple tabs, with all tabs containing the same structure. Maybe the tabs are split by region, or by month, or anything else. Of course, for proper analysis, you’ll want to consolidate all the tabs in one data tab, but this is not our goal right here.

Question: Assuming you need to keep the file in the current format, how can you quickly look at data from a specific cell in all the tabs at once.

Answer: Using the INDIRECT() function, which turns a string reference into a range you can use in formula.

In a new sheet, build a table with your tab names in a column (you can also use my Table Of Contents macro), and the cell references in a row. Concatenate column and row to get a properly formed range reference, e.g. FL!A5, or ‘Northern Division’!B6:C20. Use the indirect function to return the reference in whatever formula you need. If you reference one cell, you can retrieve it directly. If you reference a range, you need to use it in a formula that accept ranges (SUM, COUNT, COUNTIF, etc.). If your tab name has special characters, such as a space, make sure you surround it with inverted commas.

In the screenshot below, the formulas are ready to be copied down, to pull cell B50 for each of your tabs, and the sum of range D2:F25 for each tab.

INDIRECT Function example

 

Try it, you might like it.

 

Thomas

 

For more reading on the INDIRECT function, you can see the Microsoft Office website here.

The Great Splitter And Sender Of Reports

On a monthly basis, at least, you’re faced with slew of reports that need to be sent to various managers, with some managers getting one part of the report, some getting others, and some getting all the parts.

You will usually have to copy tabs to new workbooks, save temporary files and e-mail them.

Here comes the Great Splitter And Sender of Reports to make your life easier and generally better: use the Command Center tab to define who gets which tabs in the workbook, set the parameters of the e-mail, etc. then press the Split and Send button to, you guessed it, split and send the tabs. You just have to go to Outlook to press Send on all those e-mails and you’re done.

To include that functionality to one of your report files, copy the Command Center tab and the module mSplitAndSend to your report workbook. Voilà.

Here’s the file: The Great Splitter and Sender of reports.

Try it, you might like it,

Thomas