If I understand correctly, your primary concern is getting a rolling total;
if you need monthly totals as well, that could easily be added to your
sheet.

If you want this annual rolling average to be useful, you will need to
backload your old data, e.g. start your first row at exactly 12 months ago,
and fill in the history for each employee. Without doing so, there is no
(easy) way to calculate your rolling number on a daily basis. With some
effort, you could factor in (probably from a different sheet) a historical
number of absences per month, but whatever the level of resolution of your
back-data will be the best level of resolution you can get from your
output...so if you only backload months, then your 12-mo rolling will only
be accurate to the month- and it would require a different sheet setup.

Assuming you back-load daily data, here is how I would set it up, prefixed
with the row # (don't actually add that to your sheet):
A B C
1 Formula Formula
2 Name1 Name2 etc
3 Date
4 Date
etc

so at this point, you just need to know what the current date is (last used
row, whether it has data in it or not), and sum the last 365 rows ending
with that final row. I don't have my references with me, so I'll have to
post more details on getting the last row tomorrow, but once you have that,
the rest is essentially:
=SUM(OFFSET(B431,-364,0,365,1)) if today's date is in A431
Now instead of B431, we need to insert the moving cell reference for that
column that containts the current date.

You can ultimately get the row by putting =int(now()) in A1 and formatting
it to match how you enter your dates (you have to pull of the time), then
use the match function to find the same entry in A:A. Then build that in
with an indirect function... so something like...
=SUM(OFFSET(INDIRECT("B" & match(A1, A2:A10000,False),-364,0,365,1))
where you would just change the B to C (to D, etc) for each column.
I haven't tested this yet to verify. It may give you enough of a lead to
start with, and post back if you get stuck.

This does give you a true 365 day rolling average; if you decide you only
want it on a monthly basis, then post back and I can give some suggestions
on how to do that instead.

Best,
Keith


"AdministrationIntern" <[email protected]>
wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Keith,
>
> Thanks for the advice. I actually heard the same thing from several
others,
> so I have reformatted the attendance database to do exactly what you are
> saying. Dates going down in Column A and Names going across the top row.
>
> A friend has helped with some formatting and writing of formulas for the
> rolling calendar, but I'd like to hear what you suggest. For the rolling
> calendar, I'd like it to count backwards. So, in August of 2006, I'd like
to
> see the database tally totals from August 06, July 06, June 06, May 06,
April
> 06, March 06, Feb 06, Jan 06, Dec 05, Nov 05, Oct 05, Sept 05. Does this
make
> sense?
>
> Oh and the reason why I began mid-month is because this is when the new
> attendance policy is being formally introduced, this Friday, July 14th.
>
> Also, when this database is introduced, it doesn't mean that previous
> attendance totals from before will be erased. The company would still like
to
> factor in whatever present totals are for each employee. So is there a way
to
> do this? I assume that what needs to happen is that the calendar needs to
> start a full year previous to this one. And the managers would input the
> absences from the previous year. But then, for example, on July 14th,
2006,
> the totals from before August 14th, 05 would not be counted. Is there a
way
> to do this too?
>
> Thank you in advance for all of your help.
>
> -Angie
>
> "KR" wrote:
>
> > Angie-
> >
> > If I were setting this up from scratch, I would probably put the dates
in
> > Column A, and the names across the top (assuming you don't have over
~200
> > people).
> >
> > By having all the dates (365/year) even if you don't use them all, you
have
> > several options:
> > (1) you could use an employee total on a rolling 365 days, giving you a
> > true, accurate rolling total with a simple formula, and
> > (2) if you need quarterly summary data (although your date ranges seem
> > unusual, I've never seen a company with quarters that start in the
middle of
> > the month) you could adjust your formula to only include the months of
> > interest.
> >
> > You would no longer need to worry about multiple sheets, or adding
sheets
> > each quarter and updating your formulas to reference them.
> >
> > If you decide to go this route, re-post and I'd be glad to help you with
the
> > 365 day rolling formula (based on brilliant work from others in this
group)
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Keith
> >
> > "AdministrationIntern" <[email protected]>
> > wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> > > Alf,
> > >
> > > Yes, sorry for not being clear before.
> > >
> > > As for the date, it is a daily thing. So yes, it would proceed as
> > 7/14/2006.
> > > Then 7/15/2006. Then 7/16/2006.
> > >
> > > Also, after the end of this current year, I think new worksheets would
be
> > > added. This is only for the ease of the people inputting the data - so
> > they
> > > wouldn't have to go and clear old information out.
> > >
> > > Does this make sense?
> > >
> > > -Angie
> > >
> > >
> > > "Alf Bryn" wrote:
> > >
> > > > Thanks for clarification. I see now that did not understand what you
> > wanted
> > > > to do.
> > > >
> > > > I'm sorry that I can't help you with your problem. My advice to you
if
> > you
> > > > don't get any help is to repost your problem in 3 to 4 days
describing
> > in
> > > > detail what you want to do.
> > > >
> > > > A cople of quick questions. The date column in the "Q1" is this
dayly
> > basis?
> > > > I.e first date column is July 14th, the next July 15th and so forth
or
> > is it
> > > > done in some other formate?
> > > >
> > > > After a year do you plan to uppdate "Q1" with "new" data or are you
> > adding a
> > > > new sheet?
> > > >
> > > > "AdministrationIntern"
<[email protected]>
> > > > wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> > > > > Alf,
> > > > >
> > > > > Thanks for your reply. Not quite sure I understand your
> > recommendations
> > > > > because I am VERY new to Excel.
> > > > >
> > > > > Let me clarify how the database is set up. Currently, there are 5
> > > > > worksheets. The first is a "Year-to-Date". The next four
worksheets
> > are
> > > > > for
> > > > > each quarter "Qtr1" "Qtr2" "Qtr3" and "Qtr4".
> > > > >
> > > > > The policy is going to begin July 14th, so in Qtr1 worksheet, it
> > begins on
> > > > > July 14th and goes until October 13th. Qtr2 worksheet begins with
> > October
> > > > > 14th and goes until Jan 13th. I have my dates going across the
top,
> > and
> > > > > the
> > > > > employee names going down the side. The "Year-to-Date" worksheet
sums
> > up
> > > > > the
> > > > > four quarters.
> > > > >
> > > > > So my question is whether or not I'll be able to sum absences for
a 12
> > > > > month
> > > > > basis. So in July of 2006, the number of absences from June 05
would
> > not
> > > > > be
> > > > > counted. Similarly, in August of 2006, the number of absences from
> > July 05
> > > > > would not be counted.
> > > > >
> > > > > Does this make sense?
> > > > >
> > > > > Thank you in advance for any help that you may be able to give.
> > > > >
> > > > > -Angie
> > > > >
> > > > > "Alf Bryn" wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > >> Not sure I understood your problem righ but perhaps you could do
> > > > >> something
> > > > >> like this.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> Sub Auto_Open()
> > > > >>
> > > > >> '
> > > > >> Dim i As Integer
> > > > >> Application.DisplayAlerts = False
> > > > >> For i = Sheets.Count To 12 Step -1
> > > > >>
> > > > >> If i > 13 Then
> > > > >> Sheets(i).Delete
> > > > >> End If
> > > > >> Next i
> > > > >> Application.DisplayAlerts = True
> > > > >>
> > > > >> End Sub
> > > > >>
> > > > >> This assumes that the oldest sheet is the last one in the row of
> > sheets.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> "AdministrationIntern"
> > <[email protected]>
> > > > >> wrote in message
> > > > >> news:[email protected]...
> > > > >> >I am creating an attendance database for my company.
> > > > >> >
> > > > >> > There are 19 different departments in the company and each
manager
> > > > >> > tallies
> > > > >> > his/her own employee attendances.
> > > > >> >
> > > > >> > I had a spreadsheet set up, but it wasn't on a rolling calendar
> > basis.
> > > > >> > Then,
> > > > >> > I was going to have the managers delete old months, but that
would
> > most
> > > > >> > likely mess with the formulas.
> > > > >> >
> > > > >> > So the new spreadsheet needs to be on a rolling calendar basis,
so
> > that
> > > > >> > when
> > > > >> > a new month comes up, the previous month from last year will
drop
> > off
> > > > >> > in
> > > > >> > calculations.
> > > > >> >
> > > > >> > My file has three worksheets, one titled "Summary", one titled
> > > > >> > "Details"
> > > > >> > and
> > > > >> > the last "Setup".
> > > > >> >
> > > > >> > The Summary page should tally the total absences from the year
for
> > each
> > > > >> > employee. It serves as a quick view. The Details page is where
> > > > >> > Managers
> > > > >> > enter information about each individual employee, each day they
are
> > > > >> > late,
> > > > >> > or
> > > > >> > don't show up for work. What I would like to do on the set-up
page
> > is
> > > > >> > to
> > > > >> > create a reference start date, so the Details page can
reference
> > this
> > > > >> > and
> > > > >> > add
> > > > >> > 365 days...and sum the number of absences within that range. I
> > don't
> > > > >> > know
> > > > >> > how
> > > > >> > to do this. How should the sheets be set up. Can someone please
> > help?
> > > > >> >
> > > > >> > Thank you.
> > > > >> >
> > > > >>
> > > > >>
> > > > >>
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> >
> >
> >