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MAXPRODUCTIVITY(/COLUMN/MAX-PRODUCTIVITY/)
ByJDSartain(/author/JDSartain/),PCWorld
MAR10,20179:59AMPT

UPDATE

Excellogicalformulas:8simpleIFstatementstogetstarted
Thisiswherethenumber-crunchingfunstarts.LearntheinsandoutsofthelogicalformulaslikethefamousIFStatementsthatrepresentthe
heartofExcel.

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Excelfunctions,orformulas,lieattheheartoftheapplicationsdeepwellofcapabilities.TodaywelltackleIFstatements,astringof
commandsthatdeterminewhetheraconditionismetornot.Justlikeayesnoquestion,ifthespecifiedconditionistrue,Excelreturns
oneuserdeterminedvalueand,iffalse,itreturnsanother.
TheIFstatementisalsoknownasalogicalformula:IF,then,else.Ifsomethingistrue,thendothis,else/otherwisedothat.Forexample,
ifitsraining,thenclosethewindows,else/otherwiseleavethewindowsopen.

Thesyntax(orsentencestructurethatis,thewaythecommandsareorganizedintheformula)ofanExcelIFstatementis:
=IF(logic_test,value_iftrue,value_if_false).IFstatementsareusedinallprogramminglanguagesand,althoughthesyntaxmayvary
slightly,thefunctionprovidesthesameresults.

[Furtherreading:YournewPCneedsthese15free,excellentprograms](http://www.pcworld.com/article/2082305/your-new-pc-needs-
these-22-free-programs)

Remember:LearningExcelfunctions/formulasandhowtheyworkarethefirststepstowardusingVisualBasic,Microsoftseventdriven
programminglanguage.HerearefiveeasyIFstatementstogetyoustarted.

Past-duenotices
Inthisspreadsheet,thecustomerspaymentduedateislistedincolumnA,thepaymentstatusisshownincolumnB,andthecustomers
companynameisincolumnC.Thecompanyaccountantentersthedatethateachpaymentarrives,whichgeneratesthisExcel
spreadsheet.ThebookkeeperentersaformulaincolumnBthatcalculateswhichcustomersaremorethan30dayspastdue,thensends
latenoticesaccordingly.

A.Entertheformula:=TODAY()incellA1,whichdisplaysasthecurrentdate.

B.Entertheformula:=IF(A4TODAY()>30,PastDue,OK)incellB4.

InEnglish,thisformulameans:IfthedateincellA4minustodaysdateisgreaterthan30days,thenenterthewordsPastDueincell
B4,else/otherwiseenterthewordOK.CopythisformulafromB4toB5throughB13.

(https://cmsimages.idgesg.net/images/article/2015/08/excel_logical_formulas_screen1
100610996orig.png)

UseanIFstatementtoflagpast-dueaccountssoyoucansendnoticestothose
customers.

Pass/Faillifeguardtest
TheOregonLifeguardCertificationisaPass/Failtestthatrequiresparticipantstomeetaminimumnumberofqualificationstopass.
Scoresoflessthan70percentfail,andthosescoresgreaterthanthat,pass.ColumnAliststheparticipantsnamescolumnBshows
theirscoresandcolumnCdisplayswhethertheypassedorfailedthecourse.TheinformationincolumnCisattainedbyusinganIF
statement.

Oncetheformulasareentered,youcancontinuetoreusethisspreadsheetforever.Justchangethenamesatthebeginningofeach
quarter,enterthenewgradesattheendofeachquarter,andExcelcalculatestheresults.
A.EnterthisformulaincellC4:=IF(B4<70,FAIL,PASS).ThismeansifthescoreinB4islessthan70,thenenterthewordFAILincell
B4,else/otherwiseenterthewordPASS.CopythisformulafromC4toC5throughC13.

(https://cmsimages.idgesg.net/images/article/2015/08/excel_logical_formulas_screen2
100610997orig.png)

UseanIFstatementtoconvertnumericscorestoapass-failstatus.

Sales&bonuscommissions
WilcoxIndustriespaysitssalesstaffa10percentcommissionforallsalesgreaterthan$10,000.Salesbelowthisamountdonotreceive
abonus.ThenamesofthesalesstaffarelistedincolumnA.EntereachpersonstotalmonthlysalesincolumnB.ColumnCmultiples
thetotalsalesby10percent,andcolumnDdisplaysthecommissionamountorthewordsNoBonus.Nowyoucanaddtheeligible
commissionsincolumnDandfindouthowmuchmoneywaspaidoutinbonusesforthemonthofAugust.

A.EnterthisformulaincellC4:=SUM(B4*10%),thencopyfromC4toC5throughC13.Thisformulacalculates10percentofeachpersons
sales.

B.EnterthisformulaincellD4:=IF(B4>10000,C4,Nobonus),thencopyfromD4toD5throughD13.Thisformulacopiesthe
percentagefromcolumnCforsalesgreaterthan$10,000orthewordsNoBonusforsaleslessthan$10,000intocolumnD.

C.EnterthisformulaincellD15:=SUM(D4:D13).Thisformulasumsthetotalbonusdollarsforthecurrentmonth.

(https://cmsimages.idgesg.net/images/article/2015/08/excel_logical_formulas_screen3
100610998orig.png)
UseanIFstatementtocalculatesalesbonuscommissions.

ConvertscorestogradeswithnestedIFstatements
ThisexampleusesanestedIFstatementtoconvertthenumericalMathscorestolettergrades.ThesyntaxforanestedIFstatementis
this:IFdataistrue,thendothisIFdataistrue,thendothisIFdataistrue,thendothisIFdataistrue,thendothiselse/otherwisedo
that.YoucannestuptosevenIFfunctions.

ThestudentsnamesarelistedincolumnAnumericalscoresinColumnBandthelettergradesincolumnC,whicharecalculatedbya
nestedIFstatement.

A.EnterthisformulaincellC4:=IF(B4>89,A,IF(B4>79,B,IF(B4>69,C,IF(B4>59,D,F)))),thencopyfromC4toC5throughC13.

Note:Everyopen,leftparenthesisinaformulamusthaveamatchingclosed,rightparenthesis.Ifyourformulareturnsanerror,count
yourparentheses.

(https://cmsimages.idgesg.net/images/article/2015/08/excel_logical_formulas_screen4
100610999orig.png)
UseanestedIFstatementtoconvertnumericscorestolettergrades.

DetermineslidingscalesalescommissionswithnestedIFstatements
ThislastexampleusesanothernestedIFstatementtocalculatemultiplecommissionpercentagesbasedonaslidingscale,thentotals
thecommissionsforthemonth.ThesyntaxforanestedIFstatementisthis:IFdataistrue,thendothisIFdataistrue,thendothisIF
dataistrue,thendothiselse/otherwisedothat.ThenamesofthesalesstaffarelistedincolumnAeachpersonstotalmonthlysales
areincolumnBandthecommissionsareincolumnC,whicharecalculatedbyanestedIFstatement,thentotaledatthebottomofthat
column(incellC15).

A.EnterthisformulaincellC4:=IF(B4<5000,B4*7%,IF(B4<8000,B4*10%,IF(B4<10000,B4*12.5%,B4*15%))),thencopyfromC4toC5
throughC13.

B.EnterthisformulaincellC15:=SUM(C4:C13).Thisformulasumsthetotalcommissiondollarsforthecurrentmonth.

(https://cmsimages.idgesg.net/images/article/2015/08/excel_logical_formulas_screen5
100611000orig.png)

UseanestedIFstatementtocalculatedifferentcommissionsbasedondifferent
percentages.

Calculateproductpricebasedonquantity
Manyretailersandmostwholesalersprovidecustomersapricebreakbasedonquantity.Forexample,awholesalermaysell1to10T
shirtsfor$10.50each,and11to25Tshirtsfor$8.75each.UsethefollowingIFstatementformulatodeterminehowmuchmoneyyou
cansavebypurchasingwholesaleproductsforyourcompanyinbulk.

1.EntertheheaderWholesalePricesincellA3.EntertheheadersQtyandCostincellsB3andC3.

2.EnterthequantitybreaksincellsB4throughB9.

3.EnterthepricebreaksincellsC4throughC9.

Thisisthequantity/pricematrixforyourwholesalebusiness.

(https://cmsimages.idgesg.net/images/article/2017/03/06calculateproductpricesbasedon
quantity100711899orig.png)
 PCWorld/JDSartain

Calculateproductpricesbasedonquantity.

4.Next,entertheheadersQtyOrderedandQtyCostincellsB11andC11.

5.EntertheheaderWholesaleProductsincellA11,thenenterasmanyproductsasyoulikebelow.

6.EnterthequantityorderedforeachproductincolumnB.

7.Andlast,enterthefollowingformulaintheadjacentcellsofcolumnC:

=B12*IF(B12>=101,3.95,IF(B12>=76,5.25,IF(B12>=51,6.3,IF(B12>=26,7.25,IF(B12>=11,8,IF(B12>=1,8.5,))))))

Notetherearenospacesinthisformula.CopydowntheformulaasfarasneededincolumnCtoapplytoallthewholesaleproductsand
quantitiesincolumnsAandB.

8.Oncetheorderiscomplete,createatotalline:IncolumnA(inthiscase,A20),typeTOTALInvoiceAmount.IncolumnC(inthis
case,C20),usetheSUMfunctiontototalthecolumn.

Now,thatalltheformulasareinplace,allyouhavetodoeachweek(ormonth)isenterthenewquantitiesincolumnB,andExceldoes
therest.Ifthepriceschange,justmodifythematrixatthetopofthespreadsheet,andalltheotherformulasandtotalswillautomatically
adjust.

UsingotherfunctionsinsidetheIFstatement
Inthisexample,wellnesttwoIFstatementsandinserttheSUMfunctionallintothesameformula.Thepurposeistodeterminewhether
theindividualsgoalsarelessthan,equalto,orgreaterthanthecompanysmonthlycap.

1.EnteramonthlycapamountinB1,whichcanbechangedeverymonthtoreflectthecompanysexpectations.

2.EnterthefollowingheadersincellsA3throughG3:Goals,1stQtr,2ndQtr,3dQtr,4thQtr,GoalsorCap?,andBonus.

3.Enterthetopfivemarketingpersons'goalamountsincellsA4throughA8.

4.Enterthesameindividuals'quarterlytotalsincellsB4throughE8.

(https://cmsimages.idgesg.net/images/article/2017/03/07usingotherfunctionsinsidetheif
statement100711897orig.png)
 PCWorld/JDSartain

UsingotherfunctionsINSIDEtheIfStatement

Foremployeeswhoachievedtheirgoals,thebonusis10%ofthegoalamount.Foremployeeswhoexceededthemonthlycap,the
bonusis25%oftheiractualsales.Usetheseformulastodeterminethebonusamounts.

5.EnterthisformulaincellsF4throughF8:=IF(A4<=B1,A4,IF(A4>B1,SUM(B4:E4,0)))

6.EnterthisformulaincellsG4throughG8:=IF(F4<=A4,F4*10%,IF(F4>=B1,F4*25%,0))

UseIFtoavoiddividingbyzero
InExcel,ifyoutrytodivideanynumberbyzero,theerrormessagethatExceldisplaysisthis:#DIV/0!

So,whattodoifyouhavealargedatabasethatrequiresacalculationbasedondivision,andsomeofthecellscontainzeros?Usethe
followingIFstatementformulatoaddressthisproblem.

1.TotrackthemoneycollectedpermonthbythestaffatFriarTucksFundraisers,openaspreadsheetandcreatethefollowingheaders:
DollarsinA1,DollarsperWorkerinB1,DollarsLeftOverinC1.

2.EntersomedollaramountsincolumnAandthenumberofstaffworkingperdayincolumnB.ColumnBwillincludesomezeroes
because,somedays,nobodyworks(butdonationsstillcomeinthroughthemail).

2.EnterthisformulainC2throughC11:=IF(B2<>0,A2/B2,0).ByusinganIFstatementtopreventExcelfromdividinganyofthefunds
collectedbyzero,onlythevalidnumbersarecalculated.

(https://cmsimages.idgesg.net/images/article/2017/03/08useiftoavoiderrorsfromdividing
byzero100711898orig.png) PCWorld/JDSartain
08UseIFtoavoiderrorsfromdividingbyzero

3.YoucoulduseanotherIFstatementtolocatethezeroesincolumnB,thentotalthecorrespondingdollarsincolumnA,whichwould
thenbedividedequallyamongallthestaff.CopythisformulainD2throughD11:=IF(B4=0,A4,0).

4.Next,moveyourcursortoB12andenterthisformula=MAX(B2:B11)tolocatethelargestnumberofworkersincolumnB,whichis
eight.

5.MoveyourcursortoD12andenterthisformula:=SUM(D2:D11)/B12.Theansweris$392.50foreachoftheeightstaffmembers
workingatFriarTucksFundraisers.

Editor'snote:ThisarticlewasupdatedfromitsoriginalpostingonSeptember8,2015.

TocommentonthisarticleandotherPCWorldcontent,visitourFacebook(https://www.facebook.com/PCWorld/)pageorourTwitter
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