Auto filling cell based on initial letters in previous cell

So I need help trying to figure this one out.

I can't give too much details as the data is sensative but I have a column with policy numbers for different products they start with 3 letters and end with 9 numbers, the initial 3 letters (for instance "HPT, YTM" etc) are indicators as to the policy type.

So I have the policy number column and then the policy type column, is there a way to auto populate the "policy type" column based on the initial 3 letters in the corresponding "policy number" cell?

You could set up a table of two columns somewhere (e.g. in columns X and Y), where you list in column X all the 3-letter codes and in column Y the policy types associated with each code, then you could use a formula like this:

=IFERROR(VLOOKUP(LEFT(A2,$X:$Y,2,0),"not found")

assuming that your policy number is in A2. Then you can copy the formula down as far as you need to.

Hope this helps.

Pete

Oops, I've just noticed a mistake in the formula I posted - it should be this:

=IFERROR(VLOOKUP(LEFT(A2,3),$X:$Y,2,0),"not found")

Hope this helps.

Pete