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How to Standardize Vendor Sheet Data: Excel Formatting Guide

Learn how to standardize vendor sheet data in Excel including vendor codes, names, addresses, and contact information. Discover methods to ensure consistent formatting across vendor sheets.

RowTidy Team
Nov 27, 2025
12 min read
Vendor Sheet, Standardization, Excel, Data Formatting, Vendor Data

How to Standardize Vendor Sheet Data: Excel Formatting Guide

If your vendor sheet data has inconsistent formats, you need standardization methods. 82% of vendor sheets have format inconsistencies that cause system integration problems and data quality issues.

By the end of this guide, you'll know how to standardize vendor sheet data in Excel—applying consistent formats to vendor codes, names, addresses, contact information, and financial data.

Quick Summary

  • Standardize vendor codes - Apply consistent code format (V-XXX)
  • Normalize vendor names - Standardize legal suffixes and case
  • Format addresses - Standardize street suffixes and ZIP codes
  • Standardize contacts - Format emails and phone numbers consistently

Common Standardization Issues

1. Inconsistent Vendor Codes

Problems:

  • V-001, V001, V_001, vendor_001 mixed
  • Different formats in same sheet
  • No consistent pattern

Impact:

  • System lookup failures
  • ERP import errors
  • Data quality problems

2. Mixed Vendor Name Formats

Problems:

  • Corp, Corporation, Corp. mixed
  • Inc, Inc., Incorporated mixed
  • Different case (UPPER, lower, Title)

Impact:

  • Duplicate detection failures
  • Reporting inconsistencies
  • Data quality issues

3. Inconsistent Address Formats

Problems:

  • St., Street, St mixed
  • Different ZIP formats
  • Mixed city/state formats

Impact:

  • Shipping errors
  • Address validation failures
  • Data quality problems

4. Mixed Contact Formats

Problems:

  • Different phone formats
  • Inconsistent email formats
  • Mixed contact name formats

Impact:

  • Communication issues
  • Data validation failures
  • System integration problems

Step-by-Step: Standardize Vendor Sheet Data

Step 1: Standardize Vendor Codes

Apply consistent vendor code format.

Choose Standard Format

Recommended formats:

  • V-001, V-002, V-003 (recommended)
  • VENDOR-001, VENDOR-002
  • V001, V002, V003
  • Custom format (company standard)

Apply Standardization

Excel formula:

="V-"&TEXT(VALUE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(A2,"V-",""),"V_",""),"vendor_",""),"VENDOR-","")),"000")

Steps:

  1. Insert helper column next to vendor code
  2. Enter formula referencing vendor code
  3. Copy formula down entire column
  4. Copy formula column
  5. Paste Special > Values over original vendor code column
  6. Delete helper column

Verify Standardization

Check:

  • All codes follow same format
  • No variations remaining
  • Format consistent throughout
  • Codes are unique

Step 2: Normalize Vendor Names

Standardize company name formats.

Normalize Legal Suffixes

Standardize to:

  • Corporation (not Corp, Corp.)
  • Incorporated (not Inc, Inc.)
  • LLC (not LLC., L.L.C.)
  • Limited (not Ltd, Ltd.)

Excel formula:

=SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(A2,"Corp.","Corporation"),"Corp","Corporation"),"Inc.","Incorporated"),"Inc","Incorporated"),"LLC.","LLC"),"Ltd.","Limited")

Apply:

  1. Insert helper column
  2. Enter formula
  3. Copy down
  4. Paste as values
  5. Delete helper column

Standardize Case

Apply Title Case:

=PROPER(TRIM(A2))

Or use Excel formatting:

  1. Select vendor name column
  2. Home > Format Cells
  3. Choose format
  4. Apply case standardization

Remove Extra Spaces

Trim whitespace:

=TRIM(A2)

Combine all:

  1. Apply suffix normalization
  2. Apply case standardization
  3. Remove extra spaces
  4. Verify results

Step 3: Standardize Addresses

Normalize address formats.

Standardize Street Suffixes

Standardize to:

  • Street (not St, St.)
  • Avenue (not Ave, Ave.)
  • Road (not Rd, Rd.)
  • Boulevard (not Blvd, Blvd.)
  • Drive (not Dr, Dr.)

Excel formula:

=SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(A2,"St.","Street"),"St","Street"),"Ave.","Avenue"),"Ave","Avenue"),"Rd.","Road"),"Rd","Road"),"Blvd.","Boulevard"),"Blvd","Boulevard")

Apply:

  1. Insert helper column
  2. Enter formula
  3. Copy down
  4. Paste as values
  5. Delete helper column

Format ZIP Codes

Standardize to 5-digit:

=TEXT(A2,"00000")

Or ZIP+4:

=LEFT(A2,5)&"-"&RIGHT(A2,4)

Standardize City Names

Apply Proper Case:

=PROPER(TRIM(A2))

Standardize State

Use abbreviations:

  • CA, NY, TX (standard)
  • Or full names (consistent)
  • No mixing

Create lookup table:

  • Full name → Abbreviation
  • Apply VLOOKUP to standardize

Step 4: Standardize Contact Information

Format emails and phone numbers consistently.

Standardize Email Addresses

Format:

Excel formula:

=LOWER(TRIM(A2))

Apply:

  1. Convert to lowercase
  2. Remove spaces
  3. Validate format
  4. Verify domains

Standardize Phone Numbers

Format: (XXX) XXX-XXXX

Excel formula:

="("&LEFT(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(A2,"(",""),")",""),"-","")," ",""),3)&") "&MID(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(A2,"(",""),")",""),"-","")," ",""),4,3)&"-"&RIGHT(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(A2,"(",""),")",""),"-","")," ",""),4)

Apply:

  1. Remove all formatting
  2. Extract digits only
  3. Format as (XXX) XXX-XXXX
  4. Verify format

Standardize Contact Names

Apply Proper Case:

=PROPER(TRIM(A2))

Format:

  • First Last (standard)
  • Title Case
  • No extra spaces

Step 5: Standardize Tax IDs

Ensure consistent tax ID format.

Standardize EIN Format

Format: XX-XXXXXXX

Excel formula:

=LEFT(SUBSTITUTE(A2,"-",""),2)&"-"&RIGHT(SUBSTITUTE(A2,"-",""),7)

Apply:

  1. Remove existing hyphens
  2. Insert hyphen after 2 digits
  3. Verify 9 digits total
  4. Format consistently

Standardize VAT Format

Country-specific:

  • EU: Country code + number
  • Format varies by country
  • Research country format
  • Apply consistently

Step 6: Standardize Financial Information

Normalize payment terms and currency.

Standardize Payment Terms

Format: Net XX

Standardize to:

  • Net 30 (not NET30, net 30, 30 days)
  • Net 60 (not NET60, net 60, 60 days)
  • Consistent format

Excel formula:

="Net "&VALUE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(A2,"Net ",""),"NET ",""),"net ","")," days",""))

Standardize Currency

Use ISO codes:

  • USD (not $, US Dollar)
  • EUR (not €, Euro)
  • GBP (not £, British Pound)

Create lookup table:

  • Symbol/Name → ISO Code
  • Apply VLOOKUP

Step 7: Standardize Date Formats

Ensure consistent date formatting.

Choose Standard Format

Recommended:

  • YYYY-MM-DD (ISO format)
  • MM/DD/YYYY (US format)
  • DD/MM/YYYY (European format)

Apply Format

Method 1: Format Cells

  1. Select date column
  2. Right-click > Format Cells
  3. Choose Date
  4. Select format
  5. Click OK

Method 2: Formula

=TEXT(A2,"YYYY-MM-DD")

Step 8: Verify Standardization

Check all formats are consistent.

Validation Checklist

Verify:

  • Vendor codes standardized
  • Vendor names normalized
  • Addresses standardized
  • Contact info formatted
  • Tax IDs standardized
  • Financial info standardized
  • Dates formatted consistently
  • All formats consistent

Spot Check

Random sample:

  • Check 10-20 random rows
  • Verify formats consistent
  • Look for any variations
  • Fix any found

Real Example: Standardizing Vendor Sheet

Before (Inconsistent Formats):

Vendor Codes:

  • V-001, V001, V_001, vendor_001

Vendor Names:

  • Acme Corp, Acme Corporation, ACME CORP, acme corp

Addresses:

  • 123 Main St, 123 Main Street, 123 MAIN ST.

Phones:

  • 5551234, (555)123-4567, 555-123-4567

After (Standardized):

Vendor Codes:

  • V-001, V-002, V-003 (all consistent)

Vendor Names:

  • Acme Corporation (all standardized)

Addresses:

  • 123 Main Street (all consistent)

Phones:

  • (555) 123-4567 (all formatted)

Result:

  • 100% format consistency
  • Ready for system integration
  • Data quality improved

Best Practices for Standardization

Do's

✅ Do choose standards first - Define formats before applying
✅ Do apply consistently - Same format throughout
✅ Do verify results - Check standardization worked
✅ Do document standards - Keep format guidelines
✅ Do test after standardization - Verify system compatibility
✅ Do backup before standardizing - Preserve original

Don'ts

❌ Don't mix formats - Consistency required
❌ Don't skip verification - Check results
❌ Don't standardize without backup - Risk data loss
❌ Don't ignore edge cases - Handle all variations
❌ Don't skip testing - Verify system compatibility
❌ Don't change standards mid-process - Stick to chosen format

Mini Automation Using RowTidy

You can standardize vendor sheet data automatically using RowTidy.

The Problem:
Standardizing vendor sheet data manually is time-consuming:

  • Applying formulas to each column
  • Handling format variations
  • Verifying consistency
  • Testing results

The Solution:
RowTidy standardizes vendor sheet data automatically:

  1. Upload vendor sheet - Drag and drop Excel file
  2. AI detects formats - Identifies current formats and variations
  3. Auto-standardizes - Applies consistent formats to all data
  4. Validates consistency - Verifies all formats standardized
  5. Exports standardized sheet - Get consistently formatted vendor sheet

RowTidy Standardizes:

  • Vendor codes - Consistent format (V-XXX)
  • Vendor names - Normalized suffixes and case
  • Addresses - Standardized street suffixes and ZIP codes
  • Contact information - Formatted emails and phones
  • Tax IDs - Standardized formats
  • Financial data - Consistent payment terms and currency
  • Dates - Consistent date formats

Time saved: 2-4 hours manual → 10 minutes automated

Standardize vendor sheet data automatically with RowTidy. Try RowTidy's standardization →

FAQ

1. How do I standardize vendor codes in Excel?

Choose standard format (V-XXX recommended), use Excel formula to convert all codes, apply consistently, verify uniqueness and format.

2. What format should vendor names be?

Title Case with standardized legal suffixes (Corporation, Incorporated, LLC, Limited). Consistent throughout sheet.

3. How do I standardize addresses in vendor sheets?

Standardize street suffixes (Street, Avenue, Road), format ZIP codes (5-digit or ZIP+4), apply Proper Case to cities, use state abbreviations consistently.

4. Should I standardize phone numbers?

Yes. Format as (XXX) XXX-XXXX consistently. Makes data easier to use and validates correctly.

5. How do I standardize payment terms?

Format as "Net XX" (Net 30, Net 60). Remove variations like "NET30", "net 30", "30 days". Consistent format throughout.

6. Can I automate vendor sheet standardization?

Yes. Use RowTidy to automatically standardize vendor sheet data: codes, names, addresses, contacts, tax IDs, financial data, dates.

7. What if I have multiple format variations?

RowTidy handles all variations automatically. Detects all format types and standardizes to chosen format. Manual method requires multiple formula applications.

8. Should I backup before standardizing?

Yes, always. Backup original sheet before any standardization. Can't recover original formats if mistakes made without backup.

9. How do I verify standardization worked?

Check random sample of rows, verify formats consistent, look for any variations, test system import if applicable.

10. How long does standardization take manually?

Depends on sheet size: small (500 vendors) = 1-2 hours, medium (2,000 vendors) = 2-4 hours, large (10,000+ vendors) = 4-8 hours. RowTidy standardizes in minutes.

Related Guides

Conclusion

Standardize vendor sheet data by applying consistent formats to vendor codes (V-XXX), normalizing vendor names (legal suffixes, case), standardizing addresses (street suffixes, ZIP codes), formatting contact information (emails, phones), standardizing tax IDs, normalizing financial data (payment terms, currency), and ensuring date formats are consistent. Use tools like RowTidy to automate standardization and ensure consistent formatting across vendor sheets.

Try RowTidy — automatically standardize vendor sheet data and ensure consistent formatting.