Sorting project task list with merged cells

[monkia]

Hi all,

I’m a bit of an excel newcomer and I know this has been brought up time-and-time again…

I have a project plan that is defined over several stages. Each stage has multiple tasks/subtasks that each have their own date, status, delivery method, etc.

I’m trying to implement a drop down menu that would let the users (my boss) quickly make a selection and see only the tasks/subtasks of that stage. That is, I want to be able to sort by stages, but the way I have it setup right now (merged cells) does not let me do this. Is there any way to sort by stage without doing something like I've done in stage 3 (as a sample)?

What are the best practices and standards for something like this? How can I keep the same look and feel without making everything so cluttered.

Thanks,
Ian