Latest updates in STEP
2025.1 is a performance and reach release. Matching gets faster with a significantly improved Match & Merge importer, and the Workbench launcher is reworked for users on high-latency connections. Administrators gain a business rules performance view, secure in-UI upload of sensitive files, and an improved login experience for STEP-managed accounts. In PDX, onboarding localization extends further into data standard elements, JSON replaces the sunsetting Auto Care ASCII format, notifications and a process dashboard keep users informed, and Enhanced Content Syndication gains coverage analytics, image keyword mapping and retailer-agnostic content. The New UI adds object creation in workflows, approval from search results and configurable tab display. A certified Salesforce connector enters early adopter release.
Workbench launcher improvements
Platform | Included in Base | Admin | 25.1 highlight
What changed
The SaaS platform often serves users connecting from remote regions on high-latency networks, while the Workbench launcher remained optimized for on-premises installations and local network connectivity. 2025.1 introduces improved performance using parallel download, improved connection reliability with retry, and a reduced update size after STEP updates.
- A faster, more reliable launcher.
- Significantly better experience for users on high-latency connections.
- Smaller downloads after each STEP update.
Additional resources
- Youtube chapter: Watch
Business Rules Dashboard
Platform | Included in Base | Admin | 25.1 highlight
What changed
Business rule performance information was available in the System Administration page under the Activity Dashboard, but many customers were unaware of it, and those using it found the segmented data made it hard to focus on the right business rules. With 2025.1, a new screen in the Performance Analysis tool lists summaries for business rule executions within a time frame.
- Customers can analyze and resolve performance issues themselves.
- Reduces the need to raise support tickets.
- Makes it easier to identify which business rules to focus on.
Additional resources
- Youtube chapter: Watch
SaaS login user experience
Platform | Included in Base | Business User | 25.1 highlight
What changed
External authentication is commonly used to manage logins, but in some cases user accounts must be managed in STEP. Based on internal and external feedback, the login experience for STEP-managed user accounts is enhanced with alignment to the latest styling standards, improved environment identification, expanded error messaging and a more streamlined multi-factor authentication experience. These improvements roll out gradually to all SaaS customers over the following months and are not tied to the 2025.1 update.
- A clearer, more modern login experience for STEP-managed accounts.
- Easier identification of which environment a user is signing in to.
- Better error messaging and a smoother multi-factor authentication flow.
Additional resources
- Youtube chapter: Watch
SaaS self-service UI — sensitive file management
Platform | Included in Base | Admin | 25.1 highlight
What changed
Since update 11.1 customers have been able to maintain certain configuration properties in the SaaS Self-Service UI, but some of those properties reference files containing sensitive content, which had to be uploaded manually over sFTP — causing confusion, security concerns and reliance on Stibo Systems support. With 2025.1, users can upload sensitive files within the SaaS Self-Service UI, with encrypted storage and no external access.
- Removes the need for separate sFTP uploads and support assistance.
- Sensitive files are stored encrypted, with external access removed.
- Simplifies and secures a previously manual process.
Additional resources
- Youtube chapter: Watch
Stibo Systems MDM connector for Salesforce
CXDC, BPDC / Acquire, Share | Early Adopter Release | Admin | 25.1 highlight
What changed
Salesforce is typically both an origination point for master data and a key consumer of customer master data from STEP, and while integrations were possible with existing capabilities, clients wanted a rapid, certified approach. 2025.1 further enhances connectivity and interoperability between STEP and Salesforce through a certified Salesforce app with a best-practice reference implementation, supporting bi-directional data flow and synchronization, merge scenarios and search-before-create within Salesforce. The app is optimized for Salesforce Lightning and provides forward compatibility with future Salesforce updates.
- Accelerates time to value on Salesforce integrations.
- Improves the implementation experience through a best-practice reference implementation.
- Provides forward compatibility with future Salesforce updates.
Additional resources
Optimized Match & Merge Importer
CXDC, BPDC / Acquire | Included in Base | Admin | 25.1 highlight
What changed
Growing data volumes and tighter coupling between MDM and dependent business systems made matching performance and scalability critical. In 2025.1 the Match & Merge importer is significantly improved: efficient data handling delivers up to 50% faster import operations, traceability improvements make slowdowns easy to identify for troubleshooting, and stability enhancements make processing more reliable. The improved importer is released initially to selected customers working closely with the product team.
- Up to 50% faster import operations.
- Easier identification of slowdowns and simpler troubleshooting.
- More reliable processing with fewer interruptions.
Additional resources
- Youtube chapter: Watch
Product Data Onboarding localization
PXDC / Acquire | Available with the PDX Onboarding license | Admin | 25.1 highlight
What changed
Global retailers face growing complexity because suppliers struggle to onboard product data in their local languages. Update 2024.4 added support for language-specific lists of values in onboarding channels, and 2025.1 extends content localization further to attribute group names, category names and unit of measure names.
- More data standard elements returned from STEP are localized in Product Data Onboarding.
- Suppliers can work in their preferred language.
- Reduces onboarding friction for global retailers.
Additional resources
- Youtube chapter: Watch
JSON file format support for Auto Care
PXDC / Acquire | Available with the Auto Care license | Admin | 25.1 highlight
What changed
Auto Care is sunsetting the ASCII file format for reference data and moving to a service-based architecture. With 2025.1, support for JSON file formats is introduced for reference data so customers can continue importing Auto Care reference data. The shift to a service-based architecture follows in a subsequent phase.
- Maintains business continuity as Auto Care retires the ASCII format.
- Customers can keep importing Auto Care reference data without workarounds.
- Prepares for the later move to a service-based architecture.
Additional resources
- Youtube chapter: Watch
Notifications and actionable dashboard
PXDC / Manage | Available with the PDX license | Admin, Business User | 25.1 highlight
What changed
Whether onboarding products to a single retailer or syndicating across dozens of channels, users struggled to stay aware of what needed their attention and to act quickly. With 2025.1, email notifications about product status changes are added, along with a process overview on the dashboard giving at-a-glance transparency into system processes, and visibility into product statuses in multi-market and multi-receiver channels.
- Users stay informed about what needs their attention.
- Clearer transparency into system processes.
- Accelerates time to market by enabling prompt action.
Additional resources
Content coverage analytics
PXDC / Share | Available with the Enhanced Content license | Business User | 25.1 highlight
What changed
Brands lacked the analytics needed to prioritize content creation and optimization. With 2025.1, brands and manufacturers get accurate content coverage metrics in Enhanced Content Syndication, with an overview of coverage across channels and categories.
- Content gaps can be identified and addressed quickly.
- Helps product marketing managers work towards company KPIs.
- Focuses content investment on the markets where it matters most.
Additional resources
- Youtube chapter: Watch
Master data image keywords in templates
PXDC / Share | Available with the Enhanced Content license | Business User | 25.1 highlight
What changed
Amazon requires image keywords for A+ Content, often stored as asset metadata in PIM, but that metadata could not be used in Enhanced Content Syndication template mappings. With 2025.1, product marketing managers can map asset metadata from upstream systems — such as AI-generated image keywords stored in STEP — to the appropriate images in the content records produced for Amazon.
- Image keywords can be added to A+ Content automatically.
- Reduces the manual effort required to produce enhanced content.
- Improves time to market for the content produced.
Additional resources
- Youtube chapter: Watch
Retailer-agnostic content for configured channels
PXDC / Share | Available with the Enhanced Content license | Business User | 25.1 highlight
What changed
Brands struggled to provide enhanced content to all their retailers and marketplaces globally. With 2025.1, brands and manufacturers can produce retailer-agnostic enhanced content that can be embedded on the product detail pages of multiple retailers. Retailers request the content using a link that can be added to existing data flows facilitated by configured channels and the Digital Catalog through simple attribute mappings.
- Reusing content across retailers significantly reduces content production and maintenance cost.
- Ensures brand consistency across retailers.
- Lowers the barrier for both brands and retailers to publish engaging product stories.
Additional resources
Create objects in workflows
PXDC / Acquire | Please refer to your Account Manager | Business User | 25.1 highlight
What changed
Centralized onboarding in STEP needed a way for users to create and initiate objects directly into workflows while entering correct and relevant data. The 2025.1 New UI update enables users to create and initiate products, alternate classifications, entity objects and assets into workflows, with intuitive item creation, the ability to initiate multiple items simultaneously, and support for maintaining mandatory and optional attributes during initiation.
- A modern, user-friendly creation experience.
- Improves accuracy of item attribution and reduces data errors.
- Increases reliability of centralized onboarding.
Additional resources
Approval from search results
PXDC / Manage | Please refer to your Account Manager | Business User | 25.1 highlight
What changed
Approvals are an important step in ensuring updated data is accurate and ready for downstream use, but they required leaving the search experience. With 2025.1, approval functionality is added directly to the search result toolbar in the New UI, so users can complete the entire search, update and approve workflow in a single interface.
- Fewer steps and less navigation in a common workflow.
- Saves time for users working through search results.
- Maintains data accuracy while improving efficiency.
Additional resources
- Initiative video: Watch
Better tab display in the New UI
PXDC / Manage | Please refer to your Account Manager | Admin | 25.1 highlight
What changed
Different user roles need different information and navigation, and the New UI offered no way to tailor tabs to them. With 2025.1, administrators can configure tabs to display or hide based on specific business or object conditions, including visibility for workflow task perspectives and tabs tailored for browse or maintenance tasks.
- Role-specific, customizable navigation.
- Supports the find, enrich and approve use cases.
- A more intuitive and tailored experience for each user role.
Additional resources
- Youtube chapter: Watch
FAQ
2025.1 delivers up to 50% faster Match & Merge imports to selected customers and optimizes the Workbench launcher for high-latency connections. Administrators gain a business rules performance screen, secure in-UI upload of sensitive files and an improved login experience for STEP-managed accounts. PDX extends Product Data Onboarding localization, adds JSON support for Auto Care reference data, and introduces notifications and an actionable dashboard. Enhanced Content Syndication gains coverage analytics, image keyword mapping and retailer-agnostic content for configured channels. The New UI adds object creation in workflows, approval from search results and configurable tab display, and a certified Salesforce connector enters early adopter release.
Administrators are the main audience for the platform updates, the Match & Merge importer, onboarding localization, Auto Care JSON support, the Salesforce connector and New UI tab configuration. Business users are targeted by the SaaS login experience, notifications and dashboard, all three Enhanced Content Syndication updates, object creation in workflows and approval from search results.
Acquire covers the Match & Merge importer, onboarding localization, Auto Care JSON support and object creation in workflows. Manage covers notifications and the actionable dashboard, approval from search results and tab display. Share covers the three Enhanced Content Syndication updates. The Salesforce connector spans Acquire and Share, and the four platform updates are platform-level.
The platform updates and the Match & Merge importer are included in base. Product Data Onboarding localization requires the PDX Onboarding license, Auto Care JSON support requires the Auto Care license, and notifications and the actionable dashboard require the PDX license. Content coverage analytics, image keywords in templates and retailer-agnostic content all require the Enhanced Content license. The Salesforce connector is an Early Adopter Release. For the three New UI updates the deck directs customers to their Account Manager.
Yes. The optimized Match & Merge importer is released initially to selected customers working with the product team — contact your Stibo Systems representative. The Salesforce connector is an Early Adopter Release, accessed by emailing sfdcconnector@stibosystems.com.
Links to the 2025.1 update notes, overview video, YouTube chapters and overview deck are listed under Supporting assets. [Insert / confirm]