Shuffling a 2D array - excel

Question

I have the follow script to put a list of people with there know skills in an array and then match the first match with a customer with the same skill. Every time it runs the results are the same. I would like to have it be a random order of the array, but keeping the two columns in the array together. How can I shuffle(rearrange) the array that keeps the rows in the array the same? Or would it be better to erase the array, randomly sort the columns and set the array back up?
Sub Assign()
Dim arOne()
ReDim arOne(1000, 15)
Dim o As Integer
Dim p As Integer
Dim StartTime As Double
Dim MinutesElapsed As String
p = 0
o = 0
For i = 2 To 920
If Cells(i, 12).Value <> Cells(i - 1, 12) Then
p = p + 1
arOne(p, 0) = Cells(i, 12).Value
arOne(p, 1) = Cells(i, 13).Value
o = 2
Else
arOne(p, o) = Cells(i, 13).Value
o = o + 1
End If
Next
For i = 2 To 612
For o = LBound(arOne, 1) + 1 To UBound(arOne, 1)
If arOne(o, 0) <> "" Then
iUsed = Application.WorksheetFunction.CountIf(Range("C2:C" & i), "=" & arOne(o, 0))
If iUsed < Application.WorksheetFunction.VLookup(arOne(o, 0), Range("Q2:R62"), 2, False) Then
For j = LBound(arOne, 2) + 1 To UBound(arOne, 2)
If arOne(o, j) = Cells(i, 2).Value Then
Cells(i, 3).Value = arOne(o, 0)
ActiveSheet.Calculate
GoTo NextIR
End If
Next j
End If
End If
Next o
NextIR:
Next i
End Sub

Answer 1

Multiple loops and multiple access to range objects makes your code very, very slow (I don't know if performance is important).
I would read all necessary data to arrays and use filter and rnd to get a random person with the relevant skill:
Option Explicit
Sub PeopleBusiness()
Dim People, Customers, FilterArray
Dim I As Long, Idx As Long
People = Application.Transpose([L2:L920 & "|" & M2:M8])
Customers = Range("A2:C612").Value2
For I = 1 To UBound(Customers, 1)
FilterArray = Filter(People, Customers(I, 2))
If UBound(FilterArray) > -1 Then
Idx = Round(Rnd() * UBound(FilterArray), 0)
Customers(I, 3) = Left(FilterArray(Idx), InStr(1, FilterArray(Idx), "|") - 1)
End If
Next I
Range("A2:C612").Value = Customers
End Sub

Answer 2

I was able to get done what I needed by erasing the array and redimming it after sorting the data based on a rand() number in the table. It takes about 15 minutes to run 7000 assignment but it is a lot better than 7+ hours it takes to do manually.
Sub Assign()
Dim arOne()
ReDim arOne(1000, 15)
Dim o As Integer
Dim p As Integer
Dim StartTime As Double
Dim MinutesElapsed As String
Application.Calculation = xlAutomatic
StartTime = Timer
NextIR:
ReDim arOne(1000, 15)
p = 0
o = 0
QAlr = Sheets("Sheet1").Range("L" & Rows.Count).End(xlUp).Row
For I = 2 To QAlr
If Cells(I, 12).Value <> Cells(I - 1, 12) Then
p = p + 1
arOne(p, 0) = Cells(I, 12).Value
arOne(p, 1) = Cells(I, 13).Value
o = 2
Else
arOne(p, o) = Cells(I, 13).Value
o = o + 1
End If
Next
AQAlr = Sheets("Sheet1").Range("C" & Rows.Count).End(xlUp).Row
AgtLr = Sheets("Sheet1").Range("A" & Rows.Count).End(xlUp).Row
For I = AQAlr + 1 To AgtLr
For o = LBound(arOne, 1) + 1 To UBound(arOne, 1)
If arOne(o, 0) <> "" Then
iUsed = Application.WorksheetFunction.CountIf(Range("C2:C" & I), "=" & arOne(o, 0))
If iUsed < Application.WorksheetFunction.VLookup(arOne(o, 0), Range("Q2:R62"), 2, False) Then
For j = LBound(arOne, 2) + 1 To UBound(arOne, 2)
If arOne(o, j) = Cells(I, 2).Value Then
Cells(I, 3).Value = arOne(o, 0)
ActiveSheet.Calculate
Erase arOne()
ActiveWorkbook.Worksheets("Sheet1").ListObjects("Table1").Sort.SortFields.Clear
ActiveWorkbook.Worksheets("Sheet1").ListObjects("Table1").Sort.SortFields.Add _
Key:=Range("Table1[[#All],[Random '#]]"), SortOn:=xlSortOnValues, Order:= _
xlDescending, DataOption:=xlSortTextAsNumbers
With ActiveWorkbook.Worksheets("Sheet1").ListObjects("Table1").Sort
.Header = xlYes
.MatchCase = False
.Orientation = xlTopToBottom
.SortMethod = xlPinYin
.Apply
End With
GoTo NextIR
End If
Next j
End If
End If
Next o
Next I
MinutesElapsed = Format((Timer - StartTime) / 86400, "hh:mm:ss")
MsgBox "Assignments completed in " & MinutesElapsed & " minutes", vbInformation
End Sub

Answer 3

Not entirely sure I got your set-up right but you can try this:
Option Explicit
Sub Assign()
Randomize
Range("C2", Range("C" & Rows.Count).End(xlUp)).ClearContents
Dim R1 As Range: Set R1 = Range("L2:M920") 'People skill table
Dim R2 As Range: Set R2 = Range("A2:B612") 'Cusotmers skill talbe
Dim D0 As Object: Set D0 = CreateObject("scripting.dictionary")
Dim i As Integer, j As Integer, Rand as Integer
For i = 1 To R2.Rows.Count
Rand = Int(R1.Rows.Count * Rnd + 1)
For j = 1 To R1.Rows.Count
If R1.Cells(Rand, 2) = R2(i, 2) And Not D0.exists(Rand) Then
R2.Cells(i, 2).Offset(0, 1) = R1(Rand, 1)
D0.Add Rand, Rand
Exit For
End If
Rand = (Rand Mod R1.Rows.Count) + 1
Next j
Next i
End Sub
The idea is to check the people skill list starting from a random point and making sure a key is not used twice.
EDIT:
According to your comment I assume a "people / skill" can then be assigned more than once as there are 7000+ customers ?
Code below randomly assign with a fairly good distribution 1500 peoples to 7000 customers in +/- 1 second.
Have a try and see if you can adapt it to your project.
Option Explicit
Sub Assign()
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
Dim Start: Start = Timer
Randomize
Range("C2:C99999").ClearContents
Dim D1 As Object
Dim R1 As Range: Set R1 = Range("L2", Range("M" & Rows.Count).End(xlUp))
Dim R2 As Range: Set R2 = Range("A2", Range("B" & Rows.Count).End(xlUp))
Dim T1: T1 = R1
Dim T2: T2 = R2
Dim T3()
Dim a As Integer: a = 1
Dim i As Integer, j As Integer, k As Integer, Rnd_Val As Integer, j_loop As Integer
For i = 1 To (Int(R2.Rows.Count / R1.Rows.Count) + 1)
Set D1 = CreateObject("scripting.dictionary")
For j = (R1.Rows.Count * i - R1.Rows.Count + 1) To R1.Rows.Count * i
ReDim Preserve T3(1 To j)
Rnd_Val = Int(Rnd * R1.Rows.Count + 1)
For k = 1 To R1.Rows.Count
If T1(Rnd_Val, 2) = T2(j, 2) And Not D1.exists(Rnd_Val) And T3(j) = "" Then
T3(j) = T1(Rnd_Val, 1)
D1.Add Rnd_Val, Rnd_Val
Exit For
End If
Rnd_Val = (Rnd_Val Mod R1.Rows.Count) + 1
Next k
If T3(j) = "" Then
For k = 1 To R1.Rows.Count
If T1(Rnd_Val, 2) = T2(j, 2) Then
T3(j) = T1(Rnd_Val, 1)
Exit For
End If
Rnd_Val = (Rnd_Val Mod R1.Rows.Count) + 1
Next k
End If
a = a + 1
If a > R2.Rows.Count Then GoTo EndLoop
Next j
Set D1 = Nothing
Next i
EndLoop:
Range("C2").Resize(UBound(T3), 1) = Application.Transpose(T3)
Debug.Print Timer - Start
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
End Sub