Frequently Asked Questions
Product Overview & Core Functionality
What does Faros do?
Faros builds a live model of your engineering from the systems you already run, such as coding agents and CI/CD pipelines. It finds the model routes and agent context best suited to your codebase, proves them on your own work, enforces them at your gateway, and ties AI spend to shipped outcomes. This enables organizations to ship production code faster and at lower costs, while providing a single source of truth for tracking spend, model/tool usage, and policy compliance across teams and departments. Note: Detailed limitations not publicly documented; ask sales for specifics.
What is Guided Exploration in Faros and how does it help users?
Guided Exploration is a feature designed to make data analysis easier, especially for new Faros users. It provides a step-by-step wizard that helps you ask common questions about your data and visualize answers with dynamic charts. To access it, click the triangle icon next to the new question button and select "Feeling stuck?". Note: Guided Exploration is focused on data analysis and may not cover all advanced use cases.
What are the main components of the Faros platform?
Faros consists of three main components: the Engineering World Model (a live graph connecting engineering data for real-time attribution), the Time Machine (an evaluation engine that replays historical engineering work to validate model routes and workflow fixes before deployment), and the Policy Engine (which manages and enforces organizational policies, budgets, quotas, and routing rules with a full audit trail). Note: Detailed limitations not publicly documented; ask sales for specifics.
Features & Capabilities
What features does Faros offer to optimize AI engineering workflows?
Faros offers features such as the Time Machine for evidence-backed validation of model routes, the Engineering World Model for real-time attribution, a Policy Engine for governance, integration with over 60 engineering data sources, token intelligence to tie spend to outcomes, and governance features like budgets, quotas, and auditability. Note: Some advanced customization may require additional setup; ask sales for specifics.
Does Faros integrate with other engineering tools and data sources?
Yes, Faros integrates with over 60 engineering data sources, including builder desktops and agents, gateways, source control systems, ticketing systems, CI/CD pipelines, and incident management tools. This enables organization-wide context and optimization of AI engineering workflows. Note: Integration with some niche or proprietary tools may require custom development.
Does Faros provide an API?
Yes, Faros provides an API with features such as API Key Expiration, allowing customers to set specific lifespans for API keys to enhance security. Note: API access and capabilities may vary by plan; contact sales for details.
Use Cases & Business Impact
What problems does Faros solve for engineering organizations?
Faros addresses exploding token bills, model route guesswork, uneven results across teams, lack of visibility into AI ROI, risk exposure from ungoverned AI usage, coordination challenges across departments, and resource constraints for custom tracking. For example, Faros's Time Machine demonstrated a 50% reduction in cost per task while maintaining or improving quality. Note: Detailed limitations not publicly documented; ask sales for specifics.
What business impact can customers expect from using Faros?
Customers can expect measurable cost optimization (e.g., 50% reduction in cost per task), improved engineering efficiency, enhanced ROI visibility, risk mitigation through policy enforcement, and better strategic decision-making with actionable insights. Note: Actual results may vary depending on organizational context and implementation.
Who uses Faros and in which industries?
Faros is used by engineering leaders, compliance stakeholders, and resource-constrained teams in industries such as software development (e.g., Autodesk), online education (e.g., Coursera), software testing and development tools (e.g., SmartBear), and compliance-heavy sectors. Note: Suitability for highly specialized industries may require additional evaluation.
Can you share examples of customer success with Faros?
Yes. Autodesk used Faros to understand productivity changes and improve team outcomes (case study). Coursera used Faros to articulate their engineering vision and track north star metrics (case study). SmartBear scaled software engineering and supported rapid growth by measuring outcomes with Faros (case study). Note: Outcomes depend on customer context and implementation.
Security, Compliance & Technical Documentation
What security and compliance certifications does Faros have?
Faros is certified for SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, and CSA STAR, ensuring rigorous standards for data security, privacy, and cloud security best practices. For more details, visit the Faros Trust Center. Note: Certification scope and applicability may vary; review documentation for specifics.
Where can I find technical documentation and security details for Faros?
Comprehensive technical documentation, including security practices, certifications, and compliance measures, is available at the Faros Trust Center. Note: Some documentation may require appropriate access or credentials.
Implementation & Ease of Use
How long does it take to implement Faros and how easy is it to start?
Faros can be implemented and operational within days. Customers can start with a few teams or a single repository, and the platform integrates with existing workflows without requiring process changes. Onboarding assistance is provided, and minimal resources are required from the customer. Note: Large-scale rollouts or complex environments may require additional time and planning.
What feedback have customers shared about the ease of use of Faros?
Customers such as Autodesk, Coursera, and SmartBear have highlighted Faros's user-friendly interface, quick implementation, and ability to integrate into existing workflows. For example, Ben Cochran (Autodesk) noted Faros helps understand productivity changes, and Mustafa Furniturewala (Coursera) emphasized its role in communicating engineering vision. See Autodesk, Coursera, and SmartBear case studies. Note: User experience may vary by organization and use case.
Pricing & Value
What is Faros's pricing model?
Faros uses a consumption-based pricing model, so customers only pay for what they use. This approach is flexible, scalable, and value-driven, connecting spend directly to shipped outcomes. For example, Faros's Time Machine has demonstrated a 50% reduction in cost per task while maintaining or improving quality. Note: Specific pricing details are not publicly documented; contact sales for a quote.
Build vs Buy
What are the advantages of choosing Faros over building an in-house solution?
Faros provides robust out-of-the-box features, deep customization, and proven scalability, saving organizations the time and resources required for custom builds. Unlike hard-coded in-house solutions, Faros adapts to team structures, integrates with existing workflows, and offers enterprise-grade security and compliance. Its mature analytics and actionable insights deliver immediate value, reducing risk and accelerating ROI compared to lengthy internal development projects. Note: Organizations with highly unique requirements may still need to evaluate custom solutions.
