The chain does have pockets of aggregated and individualized customer data through its Web site, she said, which sees about 49 million page views a month via its 600,000 visits.

But because the chain doesn't yet sell ice cream—or anything else, other than gift certificates—directly from its site, the data is limited to comments and some small programs.

"The Web site is a part of the strategy that we are still obviously developing. We need to make it come to life to generate better support," Bell said. "We want to have more of a relationship with our ice cream lover customers. There is not a lot of relationship-building on the Web site right now."

The chain is within a few weeks of rolling out phase one of a CRM package from NetSuite.

Bell said that one of the key items that attracted her to NetSuite was that it had offered more e-commerce capabilities.

E-commerce action is being debated, but there are no concrete plans, she said.

"We are certainly looking at different avenues that would include e-commerce, a tool that would add a lot of value to the CRM," Bell said.

"Having this tool just prepares us. As a company, we are looking at different business opportunities. Delivery [of ice cream] is something that has certainly been thrown out there. We have such a awesome franchise opportunity."

The franchise opportunity is referring to national orders that could be assigned to the nearest local store in any of 47 current states (all U.S. states other than Vermont, New Hampshire and Wyoming) plus Washington, D.C., and outside the United States in Puerto Rico, Guam and a store about to open in Japan.

The chain directly owns about a dozen stores in the U.S., including its first in Tempe, Arizona, and a flagship store in New York City. All of the others are franchised.

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Because of the large number of independently owned franchises, the chain can operate with a relatively small staff of about 200 employees.

Bell's IT group employs 14 people "and key partners," she said.

But having such a huge percentage of revenue under the control of franchisees makes corporate-wide IT and marketing initiatives something that has to be handled very delicately.

Bell, for example, said her chain wants to be much more than a chain of scoop shops within a few years.

"Our vision is to be the number one best-selling ice cream in America," she said, which is why she adds ice cream manufacturers Breyers and Dreyers to her list of rivals. That also raises the question of retail and grocery store distribution, which is not likely to sit well with franchisees.

Locally, franchisees have done outreach programs to area businesses and schools and can roughly gauge community preferences in that way.

"We have franchisees who have done an outstanding job with local relationships. They know who the school administrators are, the girls and boys clubs, the businesses that order cakes, etc."

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But for a true corporate business intelligence system, more detailed information must be gathered at all stores with all orders and analyzed at headquarters, Bell said.

Bell comes to her role with a nontraditional background, officially having the title of VP, Special Projects.

Before Cold Stone, she held senior legal department positions at BellSouth and McDonalds, although the positions were management and she is not an attorney.

Her e-mail signature touts her favorite creation as Mint Mint Chocolate Chip, and the acting CIO's outgoing voicemail message even reminds message-leavers that every day is a good day for ice cream. It wisely doesn't mention the 14 percent butterfat.

Retail Center Editor Evan Schuman can be reached at Evan_Schuman@ziffdavis.com.

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