The use of the Sumproduct function for doing multiple criteria Sum If’s is possibly one of the greatest extensions of an Excel function beyond what it was primarily designed for. Maybe it was actually designed with that in mind ?
However Sumproduct can be extended even further through use 2D Ranges together with carefully constructed queries.
The examples below are included in the Example File, Excel 2003 Example File.
Scenario 1: Lookup a value within a 2D Range matching 2 criteria
You have a table of Dates and Fruit Sold and Number Sold each Day
How many Bananas did I sell on the 4thMay?
In the above I have setup 3 Named Ranges
Named ranges are used as it makes the reading of forthcoming formulas easier.
Fruit: C2:H2
Dates: B3:B12
FruitData: C3:H12
So, How many Bananas did I sell on the 4th May?
Using the equation =SUMPRODUCT((Fruit=D16)*(Date=D15)*FruitData)
Returns the correct answer 31
Related: Doing 2way lookups in Excel
Scenario 2: Sum all values within a 2D Range matching 2 criteria
You have a table of Dates and Cars Sold and Number Sold each Day. There are multiple entries for on various days, possibly from various salesmen.
How many Holden cars did I sell on the 3rd May?
So, How many Holden cars did I sell on the 3rd May?
Using the equation =SUMPRODUCT((Dates=D17)*(Cars=D18)*CarData)
Returns the correct answer 9 = (1 + 5 + 3)
Scenario 3: Sum values within a 2D Range matching multiple unordered criteria
You have a table of Dates and Cars Sold and Number Sold each Day, There are multiple Entries for on various days.
How many Ford and Suzuki cars did I sell on the 10th May?
So, How many Ford and Suzuki cars did I sell on the 10th May?
Using the equation =SUMPRODUCT((Dates=D24)*((Cars=D25)+ (Cars=E25))*CarData)
Returns the correct answer 13 = (4 + 5 + 3 + 1)
Note that this can be extended to add additional queries where the Car Type can be entered in any cell in the Range D25:H25
=SUMPRODUCT((Dates=D24)*((Cars=D25)+ (Cars=E25) + (Cars=F25) + (Cars=G25) + (Cars=H25))*CarData)
Scenario 4: Sum values within a 2D Range matching multiple ordered criteria
You have a table of Dates and Cars Sold and Number Sold each Day, There are multiple Entries for on various days.
How many Toyota and Holden cars did I sell on the 10th May?
How many Toyota and Holden cars did I sell on the 10th May?
Using the equation =SUMPRODUCT((Dates=D30)*(Cars=D31:H31)*CarData)
Returns the correct answer 21 = (3 + 6 + 6 + 6)
Note that this can be extended to allowing additional queries but the Car Type must be entered into the same position as in the Header Row.
How Does This Work?
The above techniques is using matrix arithmetic to setup a conjunctive truth table within the Sumproduct formula.
Using =SUMPRODUCT((B4:B6=D10)*(C3:E3=D9)*(C4:E6))
The conjunctive truth table logic (B4:B6=D10)*(C3:E3=D9) is simply saying make a matix of elements that are true when the conditions are met and false otherwise
Sumproduct then takes this and multiplies and it by the data values and accumulates the values to get the sum of the matching values.
It is important to note that the Width and Height of the Criteria Row and Column must match the Width and Height of the data area or a #Value! error is returnd.
The Maths
To understand and explain how this works I will use a simple model with 3 rows and 3 columns see below
The formula: =SUMPRODUCT((B4:B6=D10)*(C3:E3=D9)*(C4:E6)), shown above consists of 3 areas
(B4:B6=D10) is a 3 Rows x 1 Column range
(C3:E3=D9) is a 1 Row x 3 Columns range
(C4:E6) is a 3 Row x 3 Column range
Breaking the formula into components
=SUMPRODUCT((B4:B6=D10)*(C3:E3=D9)*(C4:E6))
(B4:B6=D10)*(C3:E3=D9) is the same as multiplying 2 arrays, representing the 2 areas as shown below
You can see that where the components are True I have put a 1 and a 0 where they are false
Where the Date was 3-May Excel evaluates this to 1 and similarly where the Fruit was a Banana, Excel evaluates this to 1.
Where the criteria isn’t met Excel evaluates this to a 0
The multiplication of a 3 x 1 and a 1 x 3 array is a 3 x 3 array
Representing the (B4:B6=D10)*(C3:E3=D9) part of the equation
Next this is multiplied by the data area
=SUMPRODUCT((B4:B6=D10)*(C3:E3=D9)*(C4:E6))
This is the same as multiplying two 3×3 arrays which produces a 3 x 3 array, below:
Sumproduct then adds up all the array components to get the final answer of 3.
Modifications
The Data Area can be included in the Truth Table Logic or as a seperate component of Sumproduct.
=SUMPRODUCT((B4:B6=D10)*(C3:E3=D9)*(C4:E6)) and =SUMPRODUCT((B4:B6=D10)*(C3:E3=D9), (C4:E6)) are both equal
Multiple “OR” crietria can be added by use of the+ operator within criteria
In Scenario 3 above, we sum the number of Ford or Suzuki cars sold on the 10th May.
SUMPRODUCT((Dates=D24)*((Cars=D25) + (Cars=E25) + (Cars=F25) + (Cars=G25) + (Cars=H25))*CarData)
The Or logic is added to the criteria by use of the + operator above within the criteria for Cars
the And logic is added by use of the * between the Dates and Cars criteria
Other Logic Elements
You can add Greater Than (>), Less Than (<) etc and other logic elements to the queries to suit your requirements.
Sample File
The examples below are included in the Example File, Excel 2003 Example File.
What do you think of the above technique ?
What do you think of the above technique ?
Let us know in the comments below.
13 Responses to “Gantt Box Chart Tutorial & Template – Download and Try today”
Hi Chandoo
As one of your students I have followed your detailed example through with great success. However, Excel is acting in an unexpected way and I wonder if you could take a look?
http://cid-95d070c79aef808e.office.live.com/self.aspx/.Public/Gantt%20Box%20Chart.xlsm
On my version, I have to type 40239 (Which equates to 2 Mar 2010) to get the chart to display 31 May 2010 (which should be 40329)!!??
Have I done something wrong or is Excel acting up?
Thx
Oli
PS Your example file in 2007 displays correctly.
Hi,
I like this idea a lot, but I agree the name is a little drab.
As an American I may just be seeing things, but to me the combination of lines and bars on your chart looks like a bunch of cricket bats.
Maybe you could work that into a catchier name. 🙂
Cheers!
Here is some code I use to keep the axis synched.
It may be useful to some of your readers
It is based on a comment I saw on Daily Dose of Excel.
Function SynchGanttAxis(Cname, lower, upper)
'Sets the X min and X max for Category axis
Application.Volatile
On Error Resume Next
'
'Top Horizontal Axis
With ActiveSheet.Shapes(Cname).Chart.Axes(xlCategory, 1)
.MinimumScale = lower
.MaximumScale = upper
End With
'Bottom Horizontal Axis
With ActiveSheet.Shapes(Cname).Chart.Axes(xlValue, 2)
.MinimumScale = lower
.MaximumScale = upper
End With
End Function
Function SynchVerticalAxis(Cname, lower, upper)
Application.Volatile
On Error Resume Next
' Excel 2007 only
'Right hand vertical axis
With ActiveSheet.Shapes(Cname).Chart.Axes(xlValue, 1)
.MinimumScale = 0
.MaximumScale = upper
End With
End Function
@Oli.. Can you check your file again.. I see 40329...
@Dave: Even I saw things.. the bars actually looked like lollipops. How about calling this lollipop chart - now that would be yummy and goes along the tradition of naming charts after eatables (bar, pie, donut...)
@Bob: Superb stuff... thanks for sharing 🙂
Hi Chandoo
This looks really good and I think it can also be applied to show project phases / milestones.
Question: Thinking further could this be amended to display a project lifecycle (Idea through to Implementation say 7 phases) on one bar / row? Just imagine 20 projects within a programme all on one chart one bar each showing their respective lifecycle stages i.e. on one page.
Idea: As the Gantt Box Chart this is quite intensive to set up re formatting etc how about the added extra of once you have completed this to "Save as template" i.e. saves the formatting and layout of the chart as a template so you can apply to future charts. Simple to do and will save the time formatting etc again and again and again.
Therefore tip: Click on your chart demo and then click on Save As template icon (2007) - edit file name and click on save. Ready to use / apply via Templates in Change Chart Type window.
Thanks and be very interested if the lifecycle question can be resolved
Mike
How embarrassing.
I was obviously suffering from numerical dyslexia. I was one of those days.
@Mike H: You can easily make this chart to work like a generic project lifecycle plan chart. All you have to do is,
1. in a separate sheet define the steps of lifecycle and various dates in a table (with 5 columns for each of the projects you have).
2. now use a control cell to input the project name you want to show in the chart
3. based on the input, use OFFSET Formulas to get the correct data
4. Rest is same as the tutorial above
For more info on the dynamic charting visit http://chandoo.org/wp/tag/dynamic-charts/ and http://chandoo.org/wp?s=OFFSET
Your solution is really smart but in the en Excel isn't meant to do stuff like this. I, as a former PM, always thought is was frustrating that you had to do stuff like this for something simple like a Gantt chart. So I built Tom's Planner. And would like to plug it here. I think it really solves the problem you are trying to solve in the most efficient way. Check out http://www.tomsplanner.com for a free account or play around with the demo.
Hi there,
Chandoo - this is really a very nice and helpfull chart - I adopted it, so I can report a forecast or the delay of a certain task (coming from my role as an auditor for projects).
One topic I´m currently struggeling with: I do have a project lasting for lets say 12 month. For a management reporting, I want to have kind of snapshot, lets say one month back and 2 month in the future. I tried with the offset formula, but failed. Any idea?
Thx
Lopi
[...] Ein viel geliebter Klassiker ist die Erstellung von GANTT-Diagrammen mit Excel. Wir hatten das Thema wiederholt schon hier. Chandoo.org hat sich mal wieder mit einer neuen Variante hervorgetan: Das GANTT-Box-Chart. [...]
[...] [...]
Hi Chandoo - fantastic xls. One thing I can't figure out how to do is adjust the alignment of the vertical axis. I would like to left align so that I could indent to represent sub tasks. Can that be done? Or is there a better way?
I've been trying to work out if there's a way to show weekends on the graph. The closest thing I've got is to add them on a secondary axis, but then I haven't been able to keep both axis lined up together! Any ideas?
Following on from this - is it possible to show things like holidays?