Fluent Commerce Docs

This article introduces Sourcing Criteria as the ranking (and exclusion) functions that score candidate Locations during Strategy evaluation. You’ll learn how Criteria order affects final rankings, which reference Criteria are available, and how to extend the library with custom implementations.

Author:

Kirill Gaiduk

Changed on:

2 Oct 2025

Overview

Sourcing Criteria determine which eligible Locations are best once a Strategy applies. You’ll learn how to configure, sequence, and extend Criteria so your prioritization is predictable and explainable across business scenarios.

Key points

Define prioritization with configurable Sourcing Criteria that score and order candidate Locations
Reference Sourcing Criteria schema is global and can be extended or overridden with customer-specific definitions for tailored Strategies
Criterion Utilities provide reference functions, normalization, and a registry/annotations model for custom extensions
Configure all Criteria with clear names, parameters, and evaluation order to ensure accurate and predictable ranking

What is a Sourcing Criterion?

A Sourcing Criterion is a function that returns a numeric rating for a Location (or excludes it by returning -1). Criteria are evaluated only after a Strategy passes its Conditions. Typical examples:

Proximity: `locationDistance`, `locationDistanceBanded`, `locationDistanceExclusion`
Availability-driven: `inventoryAvailability`, `inventoryAvailabilityBanded`, `inventoryAvailabilityExclusion`
Business preference: `networkPriority`, `locationTypeExclusion`, `locationNetworkExclusion`
Operational: `locationDailyCapacity`

Architectural Context

Sourcing Criteria are part of the Responsive Sourcing Framework within the Fluent platform. They sit in several places within the platform, each serving a distinct role:

1. Sourcing Criterion Entity

Sourcing Criterion Entity is represented by the `SourcingCriterion` GraphQL type.It refers to an individual, concrete instance of a Sourcing Criterion that is configured as part of a Sourcing Strategy.

Structure

Field	Type	Description	Notes
`name`	`String`	Name of the Sourcing Criterion	The `name` serves as a unique identifier for Sourcing CriteriaReference Sourcing Criteria schema (specified in the `fc.rubix.order.sourcing.criteria` Setting) can be overridden by using the same `name` and alternative configuration in the `fc.rubix.order.sourcing.criteria.custom` Setting
`type`	`String`	Type of the Sourcing Criterion	The `type` is mapped to a specific function in the `util-sourcing` library (Criterion Utilities)
`params`	`Json`	Parameters of the Sourcing Criterion	The Parameters configure Sourcing Criteria to support specific customer sourcing logicAvailable configuration options are defined with the `fc.rubix.order.sourcing.criteria` and `fc.rubix.order.sourcing.criteria.custom` Settings

Reminder

Use the Sourcing Profile GraphQL API to:

Add a Sourcing Criterion to a Primary / Fallback Sourcing Strategy (`CreateSourcingCriterionInput`)
Check the configured Sourcing Criteria (`sourcingCriteria` sub-query)

2. Sourcing Criteria Schema

The Sourcing Criteria schema is located in the dedicated Setting(s):

`fc.rubix.order.sourcing.criteria` stores reference (`GLOBAL`) Sourcing Criteria schema
`fc.rubix.order.sourcing.criteria.custom` can be created for customer-specific (`ACCOUNT` / `RETAILER`) Sourcing Criteria schema

It defines the structure of a Criterion and specifies which parameters it can include. In practice, it acts as the template for a Sourcing Criterion that is added to the Criteria library, making it available for configuration and use by end users.

Reminder

Override the reference schema by reusing the same Criterion `name` in the custom schema with alternate configuration.

3. Criterion Utilities

Criterion Utilities are an integral part of the Sourcing Utilities bundle.

Java Docs

The helper methods contained in the Utility Bundles libraries are many and varied, so the JavaDocs provided with the packages should be treated as the source of truth for documentation.

They include:

Reference Criterion Functions
- Implemented as classes extending `BaseSourcingCriterion`
- Each class encapsulates the logic for scoring (or excluding) Locations, for example:
  - `LocationDistanceCriterion` – calculates distance between destination and Location
  - `InventoryAvailabilityCriterion` – evaluates available stock coverage
  - `NetworkPriorityCriterion` – prioritizes Locations based on Network membership
- Criterion classes can override `normalize()` to adjust rating scales (e.g., smaller distance = higher score)
Annotations and Auto-Generation
- `@SourcingCriterionInfo` - defines metadata such as `name`, `type`, `tags`, and `label`
- `@SourcingCriterionParam` - specifies configurable parameters, UI component type, and options
- These annotations are processed to automatically generate the Sourcing Criteria Schema JSON, which feeds the configuration UI
Helper Methods (`SourcingCriteriaUtils`)
- `CriteriaArray` - stacks multiple Criteria for sequential evaluation and tie-breaking
- `normalize()` - scales ratings across all candidate Locations into a [0..1] range
- Utility methods (`getFloats`, `getStrings`, `getDistanceUnits`) - parse parameter values from JSON configs
- `getCriteria(...)` - merges default and Strategy-specific Criteria into a single evaluation stack
Criterion Registry (`SourcingCriteriaTypeRegistry`)
- Registers and retrieves Criterion classes by their type identifier
- Dynamically instantiates Criterion implementations during Strategy evaluation
- Supports extension with custom Criterion classes through explicit registration

Features

Within the Responsive Sourcing Framework, Sourcing Criteria provide the ability to:

Prioritize fulfillment Locations by configuring Criteria that score, rank, or exclude candidates
Leverage the reference library of predefined Sourcing Criteria, with flexible parameters and configuration options
Develop new Sourcing Criteria using recommended patterns and best practices to extend ranking logic as needed

Key Points

Understand the Ranking Mechanism: Sourcing Criteria score (or exclude) candidate Locations to drive ranking and tie-breaking
Sequence Matters: Criteria are evaluated top-to-bottom; the first Criterion decides the primary order, the next acts as a tie-breaker
Normalize Ratings: Most Criteria return raw numeric ratings that the framework normalizes across Locations to ensure consistent comparisons
Use Exclusion Carefully: Some Criteria return a negative score (-1) to exclude Locations; apply these early in the stack for predictable outcomes
Know When to Extend: The reference library covers common distance, inventory availability, and priority logic; develop a custom Criterion for domain-specific logic

Prerequisites

Responsive Sourcing Framework Overview

Sourcing Utilities Overview

Sourcing Criteria Overview

Steps

Core Concept

A Sourcing Criterion is a configurable function that evaluates a candidate Location in context of the Sourcing Request and returns a rating:

A positive float (0…1) ranks how suitable a Location is
-1 filters a Location out of consideration
Criteria are applied in sequence to produce a final ranked list of eligible Locations

During Strategy evaluation, the framework instantiates the Criterion class defined by `type` (for example, `fc.sourcing.criterion.locationDistance`) and applies its `apply()` method to every candidate Location.

Internal Mechanics

Reference Criteria share common behavior through `BaseSourcingCriterion` and Criterion Utilities:

Apply → Execute → Normalize:
- `apply()` calls pre-logic, executes business rules, and post-logic
- `normalize()` adjusts raw scores to a [0–1] range where applicable
Sequential Stack:
- Criteria are applied in order of appearance
- The first Criterion usually defines the main ranking dimension (e.g., distance or inventory availability)
- Later Criteria resolve ties
Parameter Parsing:
- `parseParams()` reads JSON params defined in the `fc.rubix.order.sourcing.criteria` Setting
- Helper Utilities (`getFloats`, `getStrings`, `getDistanceUnits`) ensure correct types and default handling

Reference Sourcing Criterion Functions

Class(Criterion Utilities)	Type(Sourcing Criteria Schema)	Description(UI)	Notes
`LocationDistanceCriterion`	`fc.sourcing.criterion.locationDistance`	Prioritises locations that are geographically closer to the delivery address	Calculates raw distance (in km) between delivery address and Location Then normalized (closer = higher rating)
`LocationDistanceBandedCriterion`	`fc.sourcing.criterion.locationDistanceBanded`	Ranks locations by distance bands {{value}}, prioritising bands that are closer	Groups Locations into configurable distance “bands” (in km or miles) Scores based on which band they fall into (closer = higher rating)
`LocationDistanceExclusionCriterion`	`fc.sourcing.criterion.locationDistanceExclusion`	Excludes locations that are farther than {{value}}{{value}}	Excludes (-1) Locations beyond a specified maximum distance threshold (in km or miles)
`LocationDailyCapacityCriterion`	`fc.sourcing.criterion.locationDailyCapacity`	Prioritises locations with the highest available daily fulfillment capacity	Rates Locations based on their `DAILY_MAX_ORDER_CAPACITY` attribute value (higher capacity = higher rating)
`NetworkPriorityCriterion`	`fc.sourcing.criterion.networkPriority`	Prioritises locations by the specified network ranking {{value}}	Assigns scores by matching each Location to an ordered list of preferred Networks If a Location belongs to multiple Networks, it inherits the score of the highest-ranked Network it belongs to Example: Network priority value = [Network1, Network2] Scores: Location1 (Network1) → 1 Location2 (Network2) → 0 Location3 (Network1 and Network2) → 1
`InventoryAvailabilityCriterion`	`fc.sourcing.criterion.inventoryAvailability`	Prioritises locations based on total units of inventory requested in the order that can be fulfilled	Calculates a "raw" availability for each Location = total available Items / total requested Items (can be > 1 if there is surplus Inventory) All scores normalized to the 0-1 range: normalized = raw / max(raw) If total requested Items = 0, returns 1 Example: Sourcing Request: Product1 (P1): 5 Product2 (P2): 3 Total requested Items = 8 Scores: Location 1 (P1: 5, P2: 3) → raw = 8 / 8 = 1 → normalized = 0.625 Location 2 (P1: 4, P2: 1) → raw = 5 / 8 = 0.625 → normalized = 0.39 Location 3 (P1: 10, P2: 6) → raw = 16 / 8 = 2 → normalized = 1 Note:A Location with surplus Inventory that does not fulfill the entire Sourcing Request may still receive a higher score than a Location that fully satisfies the Request. However, the framework prioritizes the Fulfillment Plan with the fewest Fulfillments overall
`InventoryAvailabilityBandedCriterion`	`fc.sourcing.criterion.inventoryAvailabilityBanded`	Ranks locations by fulfillment percentage bands {{value}}, prioritising bands with higher availability	Converts fulfillment percentage into configured “bands” Assigns corresponding scores
`InventoryAvailabilityExclusionCriterion`	`fc.sourcing.criterion.inventoryAvailabilityExclusion`	Excludes locations where inventory availability for a given order, is less than {{value}}%	Excludes (-1) Locations that do not meet the configured minimum fulfillment threshold (in %)
`LocationTypeExclusionCriterion`	`fc.sourcing.criterion.locationTypeExclusion`	Excludes locations of type {{value}}	Excludes (-1) Locations whose type matches a configured value(s) (e.g., store vs. warehouse)
`LocationNetworkExclusionCriterion`	`fc.sourcing.criterion.locationNetworkExclusion`	Excludes locations that are members of one of the following networks {{value}}	Excludes (-1) Locations that belong to disallowed Networks If a Location belongs to multiple Networks, and any of them matches a disallowed Network from the list, that Location will be excluded
`OrderValueCriterion`	`fc.sourcing.criterion.orderValue`	Prioritises locations that fulfill a higher monetary portion of the order	Calculates a score for each Location based on the monetary value of fulfillable Items For each Item: value = (paidPrice + taxPrice) * quantity filled = sum of monetary value that the Location can fulfill (capped at the requested quantity) total = sum of monetary value of all requested Items Score = filled / total (always in the 0–1 range) If total = 0, returns 0 Example: Sourcing Request: Product1 (P1): 5 units @ $10 each Product2 (P2): 3 units @ $20 each Total value = (5 × $10) + (3 × $20) = $110 Scores: Location 1 (P1: 5, P2: 3) → fulfills full $110 → 1 Location 2 (P1: 4, P2: 1) → fulfills (4 × $10) + (1 × $20) = $60 → 0.545 Location 3 (P1: 2, P2: 2) → fulfills (2 × $10) + (2 × $20) = $60 → 0.545 Note:Unlike `InventoryAvailabilityCriterion`, surplus Inventory does not increase the score above 1 because the calculation caps the fulfilled value at the requested quantity of each Item

Default Sourcing Criteria

Class	Type	Notes
`RejectedLocationExclusionCriterion`	`fc.sourcing.criterion.locationExclusion`	Automatically excludes Locations that previously rejected Items in the same Sourcing Request (applied by default, not shown in UI)

Parameter Definitions

Sourcing Criteria rely on parameters defined in the `fc.rubix.order.sourcing.criteria` Setting to ensure valid configuration:

`value`: Numeric thresholds or band breakpoints. An input like [10, 25, 50] defines 4 bands:
- (–∞ … 10]
- (10 … 25]
- (25 … 50]
- (50 … +∞)
`valueUnit`: Selects unit of measure where applicable (kilometres, miles)
`component`: UI input type such as `fc.field.multistring`, `integer`, or `select`
`mandatory` / `exactSearch`: Validation flags controlling whether the field must be provided and if exact match applies

Correct parameter definition guarantees consistent evaluation in both UI and runtime.

Configuration in the UI

The reference schema in `fc.rubix.order.sourcing.criteria` Setting defines templates for all reference Sourcing Criteria. Each template specifies the required UI components and their validation rules to ensure that Criteria parameters are entered consistently and correctly.For account/retailer-specific adjustments, override Criteria in `fc.rubix.order.sourcing.criteria.custom`. When a Criterion with the same `name` exists in both schemas, the custom schema takes precedence, allowing organizations to tailor global definitions to their own business needs without breaking the baseline.

Attaching Criteria to Strategies

Sourcing Criteria are added to Primary or Fallback Sourcing Strategies via the Sourcing Profile GraphQL API, similar to Conditions.

Best Practices

Order Criteria deliberately: put Exclusion Criteria first, then your primary ranking Criterion, then tie-breakers
Provide exact values and enforce strict types via schema-driven components (e.g., units in select, numeric bands)
Test boundary and edge cases thoroughly
Apply overrides in `fc.rubix.order.sourcing.criteria.custom` when tailoring Criteria for specific Accounts / Retailers

Related artifacts

fc.rubix.order.sourcing.criteria

Key Points

Outcome: You’ll extend the Responsive Sourcing Framework with a Custom Criterion and apply it in real Strategies
Minimal essentials: Implement the Criterion → register it → expose it in the Setting (auto-generate or manual) → verify behavior
Application: Influence Location ranking (exclusion) with domain-specific scoring that fits your business

Prerequisites

Responsive Sourcing Framework Overview

Sourcing Utilities Overview

Sourcing Criteria Overview

Getting Started with Reference Sourcing Criteria

Steps

Preliminary Setup

Custom Sourcing Criterion creation requires modifying the Sourcing Utilities bundle:1. Prepare your module that contains Order Reference Module assets.2. Download the Sourcing Utilities Package (Java source code).3. Add Sourcing Utilities as a dependency in your project's ``pom.xml`` file.

Implement a Custom Sourcing Criterion Function

Create a class that enforces your ranking (exclusion) logic:

Implement `SourcingCriterion` (or extend `BaseSourcingCriterion`)
Put computation in `execute(CriterionContext ctx)` (when extending `BaseSourcingCriterion`)
Parse configuration in `parseParams(JsonNode params)` if needed
(Optional) Override `normalize(min, max, rating)` when your metric’s “lower is better” (e.g., distance)

Register the Criterion in the Type Registry

Expose the Criterion Schema

Create (or update the existing) the Setting `fc.rubix.order.sourcing.criteria.custom` with your new Criterion schema, similar to Conditions.

Schema Autogeneration

Sourcing Criteria support annotation-driven generation of the Setting JSON.

How it works

The generator scans all classes registered in `SourcingCriteriaTypeRegistry`.
Reads `@SourcingCriterionInfo` + `@SourcingCriterionParam` annotations
Produces a complete JSON (name, type, tags, params, including select options)

Run it

Command: `java -jar <path>util-sourcing-<version>-sources.jar`
Output: SourcingCriteriaSetting.json in the same folder as the JAR/classes
Use this JSON to populate `fc.rubix.order.sourcing.criteria.custom` Setting

When to use

Any time you add/update Sourcing Criteria or their `params` - regenerate to keep UI configs in sync

Verify the Criterion Behavior

Use the Sourcing Profile GraphQL API to add the new Criterion to a Sourcing Strategy.
Test against different Sourcing Requests and confirm the expected outcomes.

Related artifacts

fc.rubix.order.sourcing.criteria

Overview