Create and modify tables

I need the quarterly sales and expense tables cleaned and merged so managers can trust the numbers. Combine the regional sales table on Sheet Sales_Q1 with the updated expense table on Sheet Expenses_Q1, keep the original rows and add a source column, remove duplicate invoice lines, and make sure dates are actual dates so the totals recalc. After that, create a single table named Consolidated_Q1 and freeze the header row for review on Friday.

Before I hand this to budgeting, make the table easy to review. Put the net sales and total expenses columns up top, highlight any negative margins in orange, flag invoice lines that lack a vendor ID, and add a one-row summary showing count of duplicates removed and rows with missing dates so a manager can sign off quickly.

I merged regional sales and expense sheets and kept all rows, but the Consolidated_Q1 totals disagree with the finance extract. Priya in accounting says some invoice lines duplicated across sources; Jamie in sales insists those are distinct. I can't tell which rows represent the same invoice because vendor IDs are inconsistent. What's the most likely cause and the best next step to get a reconciled table by Thursday?

Every quarter I spend hours merging similar tables and hunting duplicates because vendor IDs and date formats vary. I lose credibility when totals slip. Which habit will cut this time and errors: enforce a mandatory import template for partners, add a simple lookup for vendor-name normalization, or build a short validation checklist to run before merge? Recommend the single change that returns the most time and reduces disputes.