Maximize Excel: Using Advanced Lookup Functions

Date: 11/17/2026
Time: 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM EST
CPE Credit: 2 hours


In this informative webinar, Excel expert David Ringstrom, CPA, offers some helpful tweaks you can use with the venerable VLOOKUP function. Many users rely on VLOOKUP to return data from other locations in a worksheet. However, because using VLOOKUP isn’t always the most efficient approach, David explains alternatives, including the INDEX and MATCH, SUMIF, SUMIFS, SUMPRODUCT, IFNA, and OFFSET functions.
 
David demonstrates every technique at least twice: first, on a PowerPoint slide with numbered steps, and second, in the subscription-based Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) version of Excel. David draws your attention to any differences in the older versions of Excel (2021, 2019, 2016 and earlier) during the presentation as well as in his detailed handouts. David also provides an Excel workbook that includes most of the examples he uses during the webcast.
 
Microsoft 365 is a subscription-based product that provides new feature updates as often as monthly. Conversely, the perpetual licensed versions of Excel have feature sets that don't change. Perpetual licensed versions have year numbers, such as Excel 2021, Excel 2019, and so on.


Topics Covered

• Contrasting the INDEX and MATCH combination to VLOOKUP or HLOOKUP.
• Diagnosing #N/A errors that arise when numbers are stored as text or when text contains extraneous spaces.
• Discovering how to use wildcards and multiple criteria within lookup formulas.
• Discovering the capabilities of the SUMPRODUCT function for calculating payroll and other amounts.
• Displaying alternate results with XLOOKUP by populating the If_Not_Found argument instead of using IFERROR or IFNA.
• Eliminating inputs that could cause VLOOKUP to return #N/A with Data Validation.
• Employing the SUMIF function to sum values related to multiple instances of criteria you specify.
• Exploring  the XLOOKUP worksheet function in Excel 2021 and Microsoft 365.
• Future-proofing VLOOKUP by using Excel’s Table feature versus referencing static ranges.
• Identifying situations where VLOOKUP may return #N/A instead of a value.
• Investigating the risks associated with the obsolete LOOKUP function.
• Learning about the IFNA function available in Excel 2013 and later.


Learning Objectives:

• Identify the limitations of VLOOKUP and learn about alternative functions.
• Recall how to future-proof VLOOKUP by using Excel’s Table feature versus referencing static ranges.
• Define how to improve the integrity of your spreadsheets with Excel’s VLOOKUP function.