Split Compound SKU into Four Columns

You're an inventory analyst loading 12 SKUs into a system that requires the four components broken out into separate columns. The source SKU strings in column A follow a strict 4-part format: COLOR-SIZE-PRODUCT-YEAR (single hyphens between parts).

Example: RED-XL-WIDGET-2024 →

• Color: RED
• Size: XL
• Product: WIDGET
• Year: 2024

Your task — fill columns B–E so each row decomposes cleanly:

The one-formula answer (preferred for this layout): =TEXTSPLIT(A2, "-") in B2 spills horizontally across B2:E2 in a single drag-fillable cell. Drop it in B2, drag down to B13, and Excel populates all four columns automatically.

The explicit per-column form is the fallback when the spill range conflicts with adjacent data, or when an interviewer wants to see the slicer math:

• B (Color): =LEFT(A2, FIND("-", A2) - 1)
• C (Size): =LET(d1, FIND("-", A2), d2, FIND("-", A2, d1+1), MID(A2, d1+1, d2-d1-1))
• D (Product): =LET(d2, FIND("-", A2, FIND("-", A2)+1), d3, FIND("-", A2, d2+1), MID(A2, d2+1, d3-d2-1))
• E (Year): =LET(d3, FIND("-", A2, FIND("-", A2, FIND("-", A2)+1)+1), MID(A2, d3+1, LEN(A2)-d3))

Wrapping each per-column formula with LET to bind the hyphen positions makes the Size and Product slicers readable; without LET the nested FINDs become almost impossible to debug.

Graded cells: B2 (RED), C5 (LG), D8 (CABLE), E13 (2026).