An interactive voice response (IVR) system executes a call flow that references data objects holding information. The information within a data object includes a variable that holds a value utilized by the call flow, state information describing the state of the variable, and fulfillment type information that describes how to get a value for the variable or otherwise change the variable's state. Process and application objects in the call flow specify desired states of variables at given points in the call flow. A resolution module within the IVR system determines whether the variables are in the desired states and, if not, utilizes the fulfillment type information in the data objects to attempt to put the variables in the desired states. This dynamic resolution process provides a mechanism for resolving the values of variables in data objects as the values are required and eases the burden on the call flow developer.