speed up array formula - arrays

Question

I have the following formula which I will explain below:
{=SUM(IF(($G$1:$L$1=$O$1)*($G$2:$L$2=$O$2)*($G$3:$L$3=$O$3)*($G$4:$L$4=$O$4)*($G$5:$L$5=$O$5)*($G$6:$L$6=$O$6)*($G$7:$L$7=$O$7);G21:L21))}
Here is what the worksheet looks like:
Under columns G - L we have a 'database' of all data. These columns will be added cumulatively each quarter (approx 30 columns a quarter). So after a few years we have ended up with a bunch of database columns (1000 + columns of raw data). For the sake of this demo, I have only included those 6 columns.
As you can see, each column contains specific parameters, between rows 1 - 7, which allows to identify specific CountryCode + Project Code + Category + Fiscal Year, + ... (etc.). This allows us to track down a unique specific project and retrieve its data.
What we have afterwards on the column O is a specific project we are trying to retrieve values for (you can see that the rows 1 - 7 are the same as under column G (we are trying to retrieve values for this particular project).
Here comes our formula. I have attached above. Here is what it looks like when I press F2. As you can see the IF statement is first simply checking whether the particular columns match the pre-defined criteria under column O and it sums all the columns that match all the criteria between rows 1-7.
Now here is the problem. We have a worksheet, which contains 20 projects (such as column O) and we are using this array formula there to retrieve values. The problem is that retrieving data using this way takes A LOT OF TIME. We have also adopted a principle via VBA that we iterate through all the cells, then we insert a formula, calculate array cell, and then we copy & Paste resulting value inside (so that we won't end up with full sheet of array formulas). However it still takes LONG to calculate (1 minute or so).
I was wondering, if there is a better solution how to retrieve the data in the already mentioned format (that means we have a specific criteria we are trying to find)? Maybe SUMIFS could be better? Or sumproduct? Or even compeltely different solution?
I am open to any proposal which would fasten the process.

Answer 1

i met similar problem about 2 weeks ago. At first i use a helper column/row. The helper column is to concatenate the 7 string in each column. then only use the IF function to check if the joined text match. Such as, assuming the helper row is row 8 per your sample, cell G8 formula would be
=CONCATENATE(G1,"|",G2,"|",G3,"|",G4,"|",G5,"|",G6,"|",G7)
and do the same for the rest including column O
=CONCATENATE(O1,"|",O2,"|",O3,"|",O4,"|",O5,"|",O6,"|",O7)
Then do a HLOOKUP
=HLOOKUP(O8,G8:L21,14,0)
In my case, the calculation time reduce from 10 min to a few seconds!
Alternatively I also found a way to do without helper column, using array again, but the idea is pretty much the same,
the formula in O21 as per your sample would be
=SUM(IF(CONCATENATE(G1:L1,G2:L2,G3:L3,G4:L4,G5:L5,G6:L6,G7:L7)=CONCATENATE(O1,O2,O3,O4,O5,O6,O7),G21:L21))
(i didn't add in the "|" delimiter for this formula, but it is better to do so)
But in the end I prefer the helper column method.
For your reference
HTH

Answer 2

To improve performance avoid reapeating same calculations multiple times.
This allows us to track down a unique specific project and retrieve its data.
If a combination of 7 values is unique, calculate the position of chosen project only once in helper cell (for example O15) with array formula (confirmed with Ctrl+Shift+Enter:
=MATCH(1;(G1:L1=O1)*(G2:L2=O2)*(G3:L3=O3)*(G4:L4=O4)*(G5:L5=O5)*(G6:L6=O6)*(G7:L7=O7);0)
Use the following formula in O21 and drag down:
=INDEX(G21:L21;1;$O$15)