Something like

=SUMPRODUCT(--(LEFT(M1:M1000,1)="C"),--(M1:M100="ABC"))

which counts the number in category ABC for cost centres starting with C.

If you want to sum another column, use

=SUMPRODUCT(--(LEFT(M1:M1000,1)="C"),--(M1:M100="ABC"), L1:L100)

--

HTH

RP
(remove nothere from the email address if mailing direct)


"Blackcat" wrote in message
...
I hope someone can help!

I have a number of workbooks with various staff data including staff costs
and proportion of time worked and cost centre by individual employee in
one
worksheet and need to do some analysis of this based on staff category in
another sheets withinh the individual workbooks.

I have proportion in column "N", category in "F" and cost centre in "M".

Cost centres are in the format C********* and other cost centres start
with
either H or O

The info has to be reported against staff category and cost centres (split
between "C" and others).

For example a list of ten staff may have three different categories and
two
different cost centres.

I've tried IF and SUMIF using wildcards but can't get it to look at the
two
variables ie the category and cost centre.



I hope this makes sense and any ideas gratefully received.