A business object can be any person or thing that is part of or interacts with a business process. Each business object may be used by multiple business processes. Identifying commonality helps in controlling overlap between processes. Business processes may effectively reuse this commonality. Each business process using a common business object is required to adhere to the business rules governing that business object.
Business objects provide the explicit mapping of business concepts to systems.
If software is developed using object technology, the business objects and their properties retain their identity in the object database. When the database is populated, it models the real world in a way that is congruent with the enterprise's view of itself and its environment. Competitive advantages are gained by quickly deploying application systems that meet the requirements of the business. Consensus-based models guide new development, packaged software selection and customization of packaged software. Assessment, enhancement and maintenance to existing applications can be managed by evaluating models, not code.