Let’s try something different. I will share a data analytics challenge here. Post your solutions in the comments.
Our first challenge involves Employee Data Analysis. You can score maximum of 35 points.
Imagine you have employee data in this “staff” table (in Excel / Power BI / SQL / Python or whatever tool you fancy)
Download sample data file (it has all the 28 employees) or use the below CSV.
Emp ID Name Reports to
TO-0002 Jim Halpert TO-0007
TO-0004 Pam Beesly TO-0015
TO-0007 Michael Scott TO-0067
TO-0009 Erin Hannon TO-0004
TO-0010 Jan Levinson TO-0067
TO-0013 Karen Filippelli TO-0076
TO-0015 Dwight Schrute TO-0007
TO-0018 Andy Bernard TO-0002
TO-0021 Cathy Simms TO-0002
TO-0024 Kevin Malone TO-0035
TO-0028 Creed Bratton TO-0007
TO-0030 Toby Flenderson TO-0067
TO-0031 Kelly Kapoor TO-0028
TO-0033 Robert California TO-0067
TO-0035 Angela Martin TO-0007
TO-0039 Stanley Hudson TO-0007
TO-0043 Ryan Howard TO-0031
TO-0046 Oscar Martinez TO-0035
TO-0050 Meredith Palmer TO-0028
TO-0051 Gabe Lewis TO-0072
TO-0055 Phyllis Vance TO-0030
TO-0059 Roy Anderson TO-0004
TO-0063 Nellie Bertram TO-0030
TO-0066 Darryl Philbin TO-0039
TO-0067 David Wallace TO-0072
TO-0068 Pete Miller TO-0015
TO-0072 Jo Bennet
TO-0076 Todd Parker TO-0002
1. How many people are directly reporting to my boss? (5pts)
The first question is simple. For a given employee ID (say TO-0021, Cathy Simms), how many people are directly reporting to their boss (TO-0002, Jim Halpert)? The answer should be 3.
Write the necessary Excel formula / DAX / Power Query / SQL or Python code to find the answer.
2. Who is my boss’s boss? (10pts)
We are going to level up. For a given employee ID (say TO-0021, Cathy Simms), find out their boss’s boss. The answer should be TO-0007, Michael Scott.
3. What is my reporting chain? (Score=20pts)
For a given employee (say TO-0021, Cathy Simms), print their entire reporting chain, delimited by the symbol ->.
Expected Answer is:
Cathy->Jim->Michael->David->Jo
Note: You may assume a maximum depth of 7 nodes if that helps.
Download Sample File
Grab the sample data file (Excel format) here. Use it to solve the problems. Alternatively, I have pasted the data above. Copy it and paste it in Python or SQL.
Post your answers below.
Leave a comment with your solutions / approach. All the best
Want more?
Check out my Excel Homework Tag page for more challenges and problems.
24 Responses
I’d suggest simply using the subtotal function and filtering the data using the Win/Loss column. You get the same results and the formula is more comprehensible.
@John
That is one option.
There are times however when you want to see the whole data table or a filtered subset and still want to produce summary reports against an unfiltered field.
Is there a particular reason why you are using a comma and the unary (–) operator for the second array in the SUMPRODUCT formula? It seems to work the same if you were to string the arrays together using the asterisk (*). The advantage is that SUMPRODUCT treats the entire string of arrays as a single array.
@Mathew
Your correct, There is no difference.
I thought it may have been easier to explain this method.
Is there a way to do this on a large set of data? As in ~100,000 rows? When I try I get an error because the formula becomes too long. It says the max length of a formula is 8,192 characters. Excel 2010.
How do I incorporate a specific text within a cell for the second array. For instance, – -(C7:C13=”Apple”)
when I chose a specific text the formula does not work.
@RB
I am not sure what is the issue as if I use the sample data in the post the following work fine
Count:
=SUMPRODUCT(SUBTOTAL(3,OFFSET(C7:C13,ROW(C7:C13)-MIN(ROW(C7:C13)),,1)), –(C7:C13=”L”))
Sum:
=SUMPRODUCT(SUBTOTAL(3,OFFSET(C7:C13,ROW(C7:C13)-MIN(ROW(C7:C13)),,1)),(C7:C13=”L”)*(D7:D13))
You may want to check that there are no leading or trailing spaces in your list of Apples
I should have given a better explanation. Heres my situation. I have a column with cells filled with names like Column 1, Column 2, Pier 1, Pier 2, etc. If the cell just contained Pier and searched for that it works. But because it has other characters in the cell its not recognizing the pier. So how can I extract specific characters of a string of text in this formula?
Hopefully this was a better explanation
Hello-
This formula works pretty well for me except that it slow down excel and prevents some of my macros from working. I was wondering if there was a way to program this in VBA so that excel isn’t always trying to recalculate it. I would like to use a push of a button to get it to run then paste in a cell.
Thanks!
I am trying to sum filtered data in a column, but would want to ignore the negative values in the column. How to go about doing this?
@Akshay
Why not just add a filter to that column to only show the values greater than zero?
The negative values are required for reporting purposes, but their effect on the total is distorting the required output. Please advise.
@Akshay
I’d suggest making a post in the Chandoo.org Forums
http://forum.chandoo.org/
Attach a sample file to simplify the task
I have this working for counting and summing, however, I have a list and for the second array, I need a criteria. That is, I’m looking for b13:b200=”01.??.??” or =left((a1,2) or something like that. These types of criteria matches do not appear to work as I get a blank as a result.
Thanks!
@Bob
As your formula b13:b200=”01.??.??” looks like you are trying to check the first day of the month of the range
What about trying Day(B13:B200)=1
Hai Experts,
i understood this formula well and working fine in MS Excel 2013
but when the same am trying to place in google Spreadsheet it shows error as
“SUMPRODUCT has mismatched range sizes. Expected row count: 1. column count: 1. Actual row count: 2014, column count: 1.” and as a result #VALUE! Appears in cell.
Can anyone please help me how would i get it done in Google Spread sheet
or is there any other formula as a substitute for this.
Thank you very much.
thanks for providing this.. but why does excel keeps on prompting Circular referencing in cell D3?
@Vivek
I don’t know
I just downloaded the file and it is working fine and not showing that error
Goto the Formulas, Calculation Options Tab and check that Calculation is set to Automatic
What version of Excel and Windows are you using ?
I know that this forum is for MS Excel, but I am trying to help someone who is working in Google Sheets. The below formula works in Excel but Google Sheets returns:
“SUMPRODUCT has mismatched range sizes. Expected row count: 1. column count: 1. Actual row count: 39000, column count: 1.” and as a result #VALUE! Appears in cell.
This is the same problem asked by Srichirin above. Does anyone know if there is a formula for Google Sheets that will replicate what MS Excel does?
=SUMPRODUCT(SUBTOTAL(3,OFFSET($C$6:$C$39500,ROW($C$6:$C$39500)-MIN(ROW($C$6:$C$39500)),,1)),- -($C$6:$C$39500=H1),($D$6:$D$39500))
Trying to find a SUMPRODUCT formula that counts the word Closed by date for the last 7 days in a filtered list.
=COUNTIF(M:M,”>”&TODAY()-7) works ok for unfiltered count Column M contains Closure dates (blank if open) and Column L is Status Open or Closed
@ Terry
Please ask the question at the Chandoo.org Forums
https://chandoo.org/forum/
Please attach a sample file to ensure a quicker more accurate answer
I used this formula and worked like a charm! But, now I’ve been requested to use it but adding not one but two criteria in the same formula. For instance the sum I was doing added negative and positive numbers. I’ve been asked to use the exact same formula but adding that only positive numbers were considered… any idea on how to do this?
How exactly do you do sum filtered cells when two criteria are need not just one?
Thank you so much brother literally I have been struggling since morning to get the sum of the filtered category, however, after reading your blog attentively i got my solution, so thanks a lot once again.