Pairing/Grouping People

**gslgroup** · 12-16-2014, 03:36 PM

I am looking for a way to optimally group people in threes, based on the last time they met.

Example, I am part of a group of 30 people that meets monthly. Each month, I am grouped with two others to meet outside of the group for lunch/breakfast, whatever. I want to let Excel (might need macro?) group me with the two that I have met with the LONGEST AGO. But it needs to be the same with all three relationships. By "the same" I mean optimized (or maximized) for all three of us.

So each month, all the data of who met is entered, and out comes the grouping (which becomes part of the data for the following month, etc.)

I hope I am explaining this sufficiently. When I do Google searches for models, I am getting all kinds of stuff that doesn't apply.

Thanks!

**FDibbins** · 12-16-2014, 04:25 PM

To best describe or illustrate your problem you would be better off attaching a dummy workbook. The workbook should contain the same structure and some dummy data of the same type as the type you have in your real workbook - so, if a cell contains numbers & letters in this format abc-123 then that should be reflected in the dummy workbook.

To attach a file to your post,
click advanced (next to quick post),
scroll down until you see "manage file",
click that and select "add files" (top right corner).
click "select files" find your file, click "open" click "upload" click 'done" bottom right. click "submit reply"

Once the upload is completed the file name will appear below the input boxes in this window.
You can then close the window to return to the new post screen.

**gslgroup** · 12-16-2014, 09:12 PM

Yeah not even sure how to set it up. There is no "real workbook".

**FDibbins** · 12-17-2014, 01:17 AM

OK, so do you have anything set up at all yet? Any layout/template or tables?

**gslgroup** · 12-30-2014, 02:58 PM

Hi and thanks for the reply. And happy holidays. Attached is a template I came up with. I guess it would look something like this. The only thing I'm not sure about is how new people are added, and how the date fields (C4:W24) would automatically update.