I think you're right that it's time to switch to your actual worksheets
instead of my coming up with hypothetical columns N and O and what-not. But
looking at the below I'm not sure I'm reading it right. Want to switch to
email? Send me your .xls - use the email from my profile, after properly
modifying it - and I'll show you a couple examples of INDIRECT using your own
workbook. That and a few more back-and-forths oughta knock in the head
whatever confusion we're having.

--- "Steve" wrote:
I'm still having trouble with it. Perhaps if I ID the pertinent
data on each sheet, and their columns, you'll see exactly what I need.

Sheet A
B K S (my Vlookups results)
U
12345 NNNNNYY THUFRI =If "sheeta!"S2="sheetB!"
L2,"","Alert"


Sheet B L
B
12345 TUEWED

So U2 would show the ALERT because the sheet A THUFRI did not match the
Sheet B TUEWED
But it won't be that simple for my if/alert formula, because remember the
same employees are in different rows on each sheet, and some are on A & not
on B, and vice-versa. That's why I think the indirect match is needed, which
I can't grasp.

--- "Bob Bridges" wrote:
Right you are, I missed what you were (I see now) saying very plainly. Yeah,
I agree you need a conversion from NNYNYNN format to TUETHU format. You
have one now, I gather, so that part's taken care of, right? What comes after
that? I mean, how much have you already figured out and what are you asking
about next?...I'll tell you how I'd go about it, just off-hand:

1) In both sheets: EmpNbrs in col A, other stuff (name etc) in cols B-D,
days off in col E. I'll pretend that on SheetA the days-off format is MONTUE
and on SheetB it's NYYNNNN.

2) In both sheets, =MATCH in column N.

3) In SheetB col O, a conversion of col E's NYYNNNN days-off value to MONTUE
format, to match SheetA.

4) In SheetA col F, a check to see whether this employee's days off match
the same schedule on SheetB, using IF functions and INDIRECT, maybe like
this:

=IF(ISERROR(N3),"Emp not on SheetB",IF(INDIRECT("SheetB!O"&N3+1)=E3,"Emp
matches","Alert: DaysOff nomatch!"))

That formula has a lot of pieces in it, so take your time. N3+1 contains
the row the same employee is in on SheetB, so INDIRECT("SheetB!O"&N3+1)
gives you that row's converted days-off code so you can compare it with col
E on this sheet, which is the point here. Did I do any better?

--- "Steve" wrote:
Also, I don't understand the indirect part for the days-off values....

--- "Bob Bridges" wrote:
....If it finds the value you can use the row number with INDIRECT to
compare the days-off values....