In the process of creating Target’s first inventory of water
consumption across all facilities, Will Teichman used regression
analysis to identify the primary drivers of water usage for the
purposes of prioritizing future water-saving initiatives. 
Target Corporation consistently ranks as one of the most responsible
corporations in America – giving away 5% of profits and striving
to operate its stores in a manner that is environmentally
responsible. As the company’s first MBA intern in the area of
sustainability, Will brought an analytical eye to the challenge of
measuring and understanding the company’s water
footprint. The goal of the project was to prepare the company to
address an emerging environmental issue by using available
data to identify opportunities to improve water efficiency.
Will worked closely with functional experts from across the
organization – including store design, operations, and sourcing – to
collect data on water consumption and other key store
characteristics. He constructed a database that served as a
centralized repository for this data - containing monthly water
utility data, and bringing together information on store size,
location, surrounding retail context, operating activities, and
other key characteristics. The database served as a virtual pivot
table – eliminating duplicate information and providing the
capability to aggregate and analyze the data by store, state,
region, etc.
Will extracted a dataset that allowed him to regress annual store
water consumption on a number of store characteristics. This
analysis revealed 8 store characteristics that correlate with
significantly higher or lower water use.
Using the insights gained from Will’s project, the company is
exploring a number of water use reduction projects that will shrink
the company’s water footprint and reduce operating expenses.
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