1. A computer system for controlling actions in a computer-based process, the system comprising: one or more processors operable to provide: a status schema model that is defined at design-time that includes a modeling element indicating a process step for a business process, the process step can be switched on and off at runtime; and a computer-readable storage device including computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, perform operations comprising: creating a status schema instance for a particular data object node instance being used in a computer-based process, the status schema instance corresponding to the status schema model, and the data object node instance including a status variable, multiple status values for the status variable, and actions capable of being performed by the data object node instance, each status value of the status variable being a precondition for at least one of the actions, the preconditions identifying whether the associated action is to be allowed to be performed at runtime by the data object node instance conditioned on the process step being switched on; based on the status schema instance and if the process step is switched on; monitoring a status of the status value of the status variable of the data object node instance to determine whether a precondition associated with a particular action is satisfied; in response to the determination that the precondition is satisfied, enabling the particular action to be executed; and in response to executing the particular action, altering the status value of the status variable.