1. A method for performing an automated business process, the method comprising: storing a first database at a data storage system; storing a second database at the data storage system, the first database having a different schema than the second database; initializing, at a server computing system, a workflow instance, the workflow instance being an instance of a workflow that facilitates performance by an enterprise of a business process, the business process being a structured set of tasks routinely performed by the enterprise to accomplish a specific business goal, the workflow instance comprising a plurality of activities, each activity in the plurality of activities comprising a set of computer-executable code that when executed facilitates performance of a task in the business process; initializing, at the server computing system, a list object, the list object being a software object enabling access to a list, the list comprising a data item collection, each data item in the data item collection comprising an item key field specifying an item key, no two data items in the data item collection having item key fields specifying a shared item key, each data item in the data item collection comprising a set of additional fields, each field in the set of additional fields having a value derived from the first database or each field in the set of additional fields having a value derived from the second database, the list object implementing an interface, the interface being the same regardless of whether fields in the set of additional fields have values derived from the first database or the second database, the item keys specified by the item key fields being of a same data type regardless of whether fields in the set of additional fields have values derived from the first database or the second database; initiating, at the server computing system, after initializing the workflow instance and the list object, execution of the workflow instance; accessing, at the server computing system, during execution of the workflow instance in response to executing one of the activities in the workflow instance, a data item in the list by invoking an access method of the list object, the access method being a member of the interface; and completing, at the server computing system, execution of the workflow instance, thereby completing a cycle of the business process.