Employees at the Jelly Belly Candy Company also wanted technology to help them work more effectively and efficiently.

FORBES: Turning Customer Care Inside Out

She's Jelly Belly's executive vice chairman and the fifth generation of her family to run the company, started in 1869 by her great-great-grandfather.

WSJ: Serious About Sweets

Jelly Belly adopted Microsoft CRM Microsoft Dynamics CRM, and has seen similar improvements in both employee and customer retention up to 50% in some areas.

FORBES: Turning Customer Care Inside Out

By giving employees ownership from the beginning and tailoring the system to meet their specific needs, Jelly Belly created a team that is actually excited to use their business applications.

FORBES: Turning Customer Care Inside Out

However, as much as I appreciate Jelly Belly's efforts to push the envelope, and as delightful as some of their flavors pomegranate, Sunkist pink grapefruit, very cherry what were they thinking when they introduced Buttered Popcorn and Dr. Pepper?

WSJ: Serious About Sweets

Not jelly beans, per se. (I usually have them on my bed stand, believing them to be a digestive.) The issue is whether gourmet jelly beans, such as the Jelly Belly brand, are preferable to standard jelly beans.

WSJ: Serious About Sweets

To answer that question once and for all and also to have an excuse to stockpile enough jelly beans to last me through Armageddon I ran a taste test among several competing brands: Brach's Classic Jelly Bird Eggs, Hawaiian Punch, Life Saver, Starburst Sour, Mike and Ike, Russell Stover and Jelly Belly.

WSJ: Serious About Sweets