1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating processing by a state machine of business objects, comprising: retrieving, over a computer network, composite state information of a composite business object from a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the composite business object representing at least one collaboration between two or more business enterprises and including one or more components comprising component state information; controlling the composite state information of the composite business object based on one or more data structures comprising state information, action information, and transition information associated with the composite business object; and configuring a derived state information for the composite business object by assigning a priority level from a hierarchy of states to the individual component state information of the one or more components and selecting the component state information having the highest priority, each state in the hierarchy of states having a corresponding assigned priority level.