indexmatch

Reconciling messy names from different data sources? Let AI simplify it.

Reconciling two name columns when neither dataset plays by the same rules is a familiar frustration. You've got "First Last" on one side, "Last, First" on the other, and that's before the misspellings and partial labels like "M&S" versus "Projected M&S." A simple XLOOKUP or INDEX/MATCH key won't cut it when the data itself is inconsistent. Instead, think about building a fuzzy match approach. Use functions like TRIM, SUBSTITUTE, and maybe even a helper column that strips common prefixes or punctuation.