Get your processes in place, and then you can truly take advantage of CRM.

It was the theme I kept hearing again and again at the CRM Evolution Conference in New York City. If you're going to compete you have to move beyond just operationalizing your process.

One way to truly improve processes is with more and more analytics. Each analytic has a story behind it. Why is a certain statistic going up or down or not changing at all? There's a reason for that. And what you're ultimately trying to do is connect those stories to customers, explained Aaron Cano, VP, Marketing, Operations, and Planning for FreshDirect, an online grocery store for fresh produce delivered to your door.

Watch my interview with Cano for more insight on how to uncover those stories.