Microsoft Excel: using INDEX and MATCH instead VLOOKUP

Using INDEX and MATCH instead of VLOOKUP in Excel offers several advantages:

• Flexibility in column selection: Unlike VLOOKUP, which only retrieves data from the column to the right of the lookup column, INDEX and MATCH allow you to fetch data from any column in the table. This flexibility is particularly useful when the desired data is not adjacent to the lookup column.
• Improved performance: In larger datasets, INDEX and MATCH tend to perform better than VLOOKUP. VLOOKUP scans columns sequentially, which can result in slower processing times. In contrast, INDEX and MATCH locate the position of the lookup value and retrieve the data directly, potentially leading to faster lookup operations.
• Handling sorted or unsorted data: VLOOKUP requires the data to be sorted in ascending order based on the lookup column. Conversely, INDEX and MATCH can handle both sorted and unsorted data, as they don't rely on the data's sorting.
• Adaptability to column order changes: If the column order in your data changes, VLOOKUP breaks as it relies on column index numbers. INDEX and MATCH remain unaffected by column order modifications because they utilize the position of the lookup value.
• Retrieving data from multiple columns: While VLOOKUP only retrieves data from a single column, INDEX and MATCH can extract data from multiple columns. This capability is valuable for complex lookup scenarios where you need to retrieve data based on various criteria from different columns.
  INDEX and MATCH across multiple columns
• Enhanced error handling: INDEX and MATCH offer superior error handling options. For instance, if the lookup value is not found, MATCH returns an error value (#N/A), allowing you to handle the error using functions like IFERROR or IFNA.

To use INDEX and MATCH instead of VLOOKUP in Excel, follow these steps:

Use MATCH to find the position: In a cell, use the MATCH function to find the position of the lookup criteria within a specific range. The syntax is:

=MATCH(lookup_value, lookup_array, match_type)

• lookup_value: The value or criteria you want to match.
• lookup_array: The range of cells where you want to search for the lookup value.
• match_type: Specify 0 for an exact match, -1 for a smaller value match, or 1 for a larger value match.

Use INDEX to retrieve the data: In another cell, use the INDEX function to retrieve the desired data based on the matched position. The syntax is:

=INDEX(array, row_num, [column_num])

• array: The range of cells containing the data you want to retrieve.
• row_num: The row number from which you want to retrieve the data.
• column_num: (Optional) The column number from which you want to retrieve the data. If omitted, the function will return the entire row.

Combine MATCH and INDEX: To complete the lookup, combine the MATCH and INDEX functions. Use the result of the MATCH function as the row_num argument in the INDEX function. For example:

=INDEX(data_range, MATCH(lookup_value, lookup_range, 0))

• data_range: The range of cells containing the data you want to retrieve.
• lookup_value: The value or criteria you want to match.
• lookup_range: The range of cells where you want to search for the lookup value.