Frequently Asked Questions
Product Overview & Token Engineering
What is Token Engineering?
Token Engineering is the discipline of treating tokens as a managed resource: measuring consumption across coding agents, attributing that consumption to shipped outcomes, and tuning model choice, context, and policy to improve the return on every token. Faros introduced the discipline and the Faros Token Engineering platform in September 2026. DORA metrics dashboards in Faros are a core part of Token Engineering, connecting engineering activity to token spend and business outcomes.
What does Faros do?
Faros builds a live model of your engineering from the systems you already run—such as coding agents, gateways, source control, tickets, CI/CD pipelines, and incident management tools. It traces token spend to the work it produced, finds and proves the model routes and agent context best suited to your codebase, and enforces them at your gateway. Faros provides a unified platform for observing, optimizing, and governing AI coding, with DORA metrics dashboards that connect engineering activity to business outcomes. Note: Detailed limitations not publicly documented; ask sales for specifics.
Features & Capabilities
What are DORA metrics and how does Faros support them?
DORA metrics are five key measures that provide visibility into the health of software delivery processes: deployment frequency, lead time for changes, change failure rate, mean time to recovery, and reliability. Faros generates accurate DORA metrics dashboards by integrating with task, source control, CI/CD, and incident management tools—including homegrown systems. Faros supports custom deployment processes, unique merge tools, and multiple pipelines, and provides unlimited historical data. Metrics are attributed to the right team and application, even in monorepos. Note: Teams with highly non-standard workflows may require additional customization—ask sales for details.
What features does Faros offer for DORA metrics dashboards?
Faros DORA metrics dashboards include out-of-the-box integrations with 60+ engineering data sources, pre-built dashboards that light up in minutes, and support for custom deployment processes. Features include detailed metric breakdowns, tailored thresholds per team, personalized guidance and remediation recommendations, AI-generated summaries and alerts, rollup and drilldown by org structure, unlimited historical data, and compliance with GDPR, SOC 2, and ISO 27001. Note: Some advanced features may require additional configuration.
How does Faros connect DORA metrics to business outcomes?
Faros traces every AI dollar and token through tasks, pull requests, CI runs, and shipped results, providing actionable insights into AI ROI. This allows organizations to answer not just "What did we spend?" but "What did we get for it?" Faros's evidence-backed evaluation engine, Time Machine, replays historical engineering work to validate model routes and workflow fixes before deployment, ensuring proven outcomes. Note: ROI attribution depends on integration completeness and data quality.
What integrations does Faros support?
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 rapid setup of DORA metrics dashboards. Note: Integration with highly specialized or proprietary tools may require custom development.
Does Faros have an API?
Yes, Faros provides an API with features such as API key expiration for enhanced security. The API enables integration with existing workflows and tools. For more details, visit the Faros Security & Trust Center. Note: API usage may be subject to rate limits and security policies.
Implementation & Ease of Use
How long does it take to implement Faros DORA metrics dashboards?
Faros can be implemented and operational within days. Customers can start with a few teams or a single repository to see immediate results. The platform integrates with existing workflows, requiring minimal resources and no workflow changes. Onboarding assistance is provided, and customer data remains secure throughout the process. Note: Implementation time may vary for highly complex environments.
How easy is it to use Faros for DORA metrics?
Faros is designed for ease of use, with out-of-the-box dashboards that light up in minutes and easy customization. Customers report that Faros provides actionable insights seamlessly integrated into workflows. For example, Autodesk, Coursera, and SmartBear have highlighted Faros's intuitive design and accessibility for users at all levels. Note: Some advanced customizations may require support from Faros.
Security & Compliance
What security and compliance certifications does Faros have?
Faros is compliant with SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, and CSA STAR. These certifications cover data security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. Faros also provides enterprise-grade security features such as granular access control, MFA enforcement, password history, idle session timeout, and IP-based login restrictions. For more details, visit the Faros Trust Center. Note: For industry-specific compliance requirements, contact Faros sales.
Business Impact & Use Cases
What business impact can organizations expect from using Faros DORA metrics dashboards?
Organizations using Faros have achieved measurable improvements such as a 50% reduction in cost per task (as demonstrated by Faros's Time Machine), increased engineering velocity, reduced code churn, and enhanced visibility into AI ROI. Faros enables leaders to identify spend concentration, optimize resource allocation, and mitigate compliance and security risks. Note: Actual results depend on organization size, data quality, and integration scope.
What pain points does Faros address for engineering teams?
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. Faros provides a single source of truth, connects spend to outcomes, and enforces governance policies. Note: Some pain points may require organization-specific process changes.
Who uses Faros DORA metrics dashboards?
Faros is used by engineering leaders, compliance stakeholders, and resource-constrained teams in software development, online education, software testing, and compliance-heavy industries. Notable customers include Autodesk, Coursera, and SmartBear. Note: Faros is best suited for organizations seeking to connect engineering metrics to business outcomes; teams focused solely on basic activity tracking may not realize the full value.
Can you share specific customer success stories with Faros DORA metrics?
Yes. Autodesk used Faros to pinpoint productivity changes and prioritize improvements. Coursera leveraged Faros to communicate engineering value and track north star metrics. SmartBear scaled engineering and supported rapid growth by measuring outcomes with Faros. See the Autodesk case study, Coursera case study, and SmartBear case study for details. Note: Results may vary by organization.
Pricing & Build vs Buy
What is Faros's pricing model?
Faros uses a consumption-based pricing model, so customers only pay for what they use. Pricing scales with actual platform usage, allowing flexibility as needs change. Faros connects spend directly to shipped outcomes, enabling organizations to measure ROI. Note: For detailed pricing, contact Faros sales.
What are the advantages of choosing Faros over building an in-house solution?
Faros offers 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 provides 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 some custom development.
