I think there may be an easier way to do this using MS Query (built into Excel) - however what you'll end up with is one sheet in the billing document, a data validation cell (from which you would select the person), doing so will provide you with a more effecient way of viewing billing for each person
However, explaining MS Query to someone who is learning could be quite difficult - but here goes
Open your excel document (Billing)
From the menu
Data > Get External Data > New Database Query > Excel Files & select the location of your excel file (WIP)
Double click the excel file once found, ‘Add Tables’ will appear & you need to select the sheet which has all the data on & add
There is a little hash (*) in a box under the toolbar – double click this
Doing so will select all headings on your excel sheet, simply remove the ones you don’t want showing as you would when deleting columns in excel
The 7th button from the left – click this (this is the parameter button, you will use to select the initials)
You will now have an extra set of boxes between your sheet table & your data table, from the sheet table ( the one you inserted by clicking the (*) )drag and drop the column heading that you are using for initials, drag this into criteria field
Type in Value
like []
Then exit (4th button from the left on the toolbar)
Enter Parameter box will appear, click cancel
Select the destination where you want the data to appear (if you want this information in the billing workbook, you will need to do all of the above in the billing.xls file)
Click the parameters & like this to the cell where you will have a data validation (the must be in your billing document – Are you familiar with naming ranges for data validation?)
To have the list for your validation, you will need to list on a separate shee in billing.xls all of the initials, then select the list (highlight all cells), from excel menu
Insert > Name > Define
Names in workbook – give your range a name
Then refers to, select the range – it might be on sheet2 of billing (=sheet2!$A$1: $A$10) (EXAMPLE ONLY)
Then for your drop down list, place this in A1 of your results sheet
Data > Validation > (Allow) > List > =initials (thype =& whatever you named the range)
The query parameter you will set, will work from this list
Using ms query (I feel) will better suit your needs, however it will take away the need to have a sheet for each person, by compacting this results data & you can filter for any person as required
Alternatively, you could email me (dont think my office will mind) and i will do this for you
