DMIN Function in Excel: Explained
In this article, you will learn how to use the DMIN formula in Excel.
What is the DMIN function in Excel?
The DMIN function in Excel is a database function that returns the minimum value selected from a database table-like array or range using a specified condition.
When is the DMIN function in Excel beneficial?
The DMIN function in Excel can be very useful for analyzing large amounts of data when you need to find the minimum value of a specific column based on specific criteria. Here are some scenarios where the DMIN function might be beneficial:
- Financial Data Analysis: The DMIN function can be used to extract the minimum value from large financial datasets, for example, to find the lowest closing stock price for a specific company over a defined period.
- Business Data Analysis: If you're running a business and have a large database of sales, the DMIN function could be used to identify the lowest sales made by a specific salesperson or in a particular region.
Understanding the syntax of the DMIN function in Excel
The syntax for the DMIN function is the following:
Database: This argument is required and refers to the range of cells that make up the database. It is important that the database encompasses the entire table, including its headers.
Field: This is a required argument that represents the column within the database on which the function will operate. You can either specify this by entering the column title enclosed in quotation marks, or by using the column number (relative to the dataset, not the sheet) without quotation marks, with the first column as 1, the second as 2, and so forth.
Criteria: This is a required argument that signifies the range of cells containing the conditions you want applied to the calculation. It's crucial that the criteria range comprises at least one column label, along with at least one cell beneath the column labels to define the condition.
How to use the DMIN function in Excel
Let’s say you have a collection of sales data with columns labeled “Region”, "Product", "Salesperson", and "Sales", and you want to find the smallest sale under certain conditions. In such a case, the DMIN function proves to be handy. For example, if your aim is to discern the smallest sale in the South region or the smallest sale made by the salesperson named Rachel for Product C, the DMIN function can be employed. Below is an image of how the DMIN function can be utilized in these instances.
As seen through the annotations, the database argument includes the entire dataset, headers included. As mentioned before, the field parameter can be inputted as the column header in quotes or as the column's numeric position in the dataset. In the example shown, the aim is to find the smallest sale, necessitating the use of the sales column as the field parameter. This can be done by either entering "Sales" within the function or by acknowledging that the Sales column is the fourth column in the dataset and inputting "4". Both types of entries are interchangeable and lead to an identical outcome. The above example illustrates the application of both types of entries. Then, the criteria parameter is composed of an array separate from the database, which defines the conditions you want to enforce in the calculation. For example, in the second formula, two conditions are present, so a small table is constructed with the relevant headers (Product and Salesperson) and the specific values beneath them (C under Product and Rachel under Salesperson).
What is the difference between the DMIN and MINIFS functions in Excel?
The DMIN and MINIFS functions are both used in Excel to find the minimum value within a set of data, but they serve different purposes and are used in different contexts:
- The DMIN function is used to find the minimum value in a specified column of a database table based on one or more conditions. This function is most useful when working with structured data where you want to apply one or more conditions to find the minimum value in a specific column. It's especially helpful when dealing with large datasets.
- The MINIFS function is used to return the minimum value among cells specified by a given set of conditions or criteria. Unlike the DMIN function, the MINIFS function does not require the data to be in a database format with column headers and is simpler to use when you need to apply conditions to only a specific set of cells.
Ultimately, when deciding which function to use depends on the structure and size of your data and the complexity of your conditions.
Go to the page LiveFlow‘s How to Guides to find more information about Excel and Google Sheets formulas and tips that were not covered here.
