Roland,

One solution to this would be
- keep the numbers on their own in one column
- use a vlookup to give the description (VL etc.)
- concatenate these two cells to give the combined version
Then, if you just want the number, refer only to the cell with the
number in it.
e.g. any statistical analyis would just involve referrring to the
numbers (or the description if that's your preference).

If you don't want to see the two individual columns, hide them.

It may mean adding a column or two to your spreadsheet, but otherwise
it should provide a fairly simple solution to your problem.

It really depends on how the cell values you describe (e.g. 23.5 (VL))
were generated in the first place. Regardless, it should be a fairly
simple operation.

If you need clarification, let me know. As an aside, I'm quite
familiar with the area you're working in.

Let me know if I can help further,

Eddie


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