Patent ID: 7805683

Claim:
A method for integrating objects external to a business information management system into the business information management system via a user interface of an application program, each of the objects including content and having one of a plurality of object types, the application program operating according to a collaboration mode and a decision support mode, comprising: displaying the user interface in the collaboration mode, the user interface including a drop area for receiving the objects by the business information management system and an action area having a plurality of graphical controls corresponding to functions under the collaboration mode; when the object is moved to the drop area, switching the application program to the decision support mode; determining an object type of the object; based upon the object type, determining a set of subroutines corresponding to the object type that updates data stored in the business information system; comparing content structure of the object with known content structures, the known content structures including at least one of a form structure and a table structure, and further comparing a field pattern of the form structure for the content of the object received in the drop area to pre-stored field patterns to determine whether the object has a recognized form structure; when the comparison generates a match, identifying a set of subroutines associated with data fields in the matching structure; if the comparison does not generate a match, analyzing the content of the object for identifying context and subject matter of the object content, and based on the identified context and subject matter of the object content, determining a set of subroutines associated with the identified context and subject matter; and displaying an interactive list of the subroutines associated with the object type, the matching structure, and the identified context and subject matter of the object content.