If you want to return a value from column I:
=SUMPRODUCT(--('[Reporting 10-01-04.xls]Sheet2'!B$2:$B1000=B1), '[Reporting
10-01-04.xls]Sheet2'!$I$2:$I1000)
I think your formula try to count how many times the name in B occurred in
the table when the I column had 6 (?) blanks in it.

Have you tired SUMIF or INDEX/MATCH ?
best wishes
--
Bernard Liengme
Microsoft Excel MVP
http://people.stfx.ca/bliengme

"Steve" wrote in message
...
hi,

i have this formula that i have set up but i dont know if i am going down
the wrong route or its just the final bit i cannot work out....
i am trying to view the value in coloum 'I' when the first value in coloum
'B' is found....
there will (or should) only be one value of coloum 'B' as this is a list
of
names which gets generated each day. how to i view the value it brings up
in
coloum 'I'?

=SUMPRODUCT(--('[Reporting
10-01-04.xls]Sheet2'!B$2:$B1000=B1),--('[Reporting
10-01-04.xls]Sheet2'!$I$2:$I1000=" "))

thank you in advance!