1. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions to: supply, by an action framework to a client, a graphical user interface element with an embedded control, which when activated, invokes an action with an associated workflow performed by executable instructions, the workflow comprising a plurality of actions, the action framework being interposed between the client and a business intelligence (BI) platform; identify, by the action framework, activation of the embedded control in the client by receiving a request from the client; augment, by the action framework, the action with an action context characterizing a set of conditions under which the action is requested; receive, by the BI platform from the action framework, the action context; search, a metadata repository of the BI platform, a set of metadata for metadata corresponding to the action, wherein the search is limited by the action context; insert, by the action framework, selected metadata for the action from the BI platform into a collection of graphical user interface elements, wherein: the selected metadata results from searching the set of metadata, the selected metadata includes: a reference to the set of executable instructions that implements the action, and a description of the action; return, to the action framework to the client, the collection of graphical user interface elements; and receive, by the action framework from the client, an interaction with the collection of graphical user interface elements that invokes the set of executable instructions to perform the workflow.