Custom MES on SQL Server AI Assistant Sizing and Value Calculator
This calculator sizes a private AI assistant over Custom MES on SQL Server and estimates the value it returns. Change the inputs to see how many GPUs you need, how large the retrieval index is and when the project pays back.
Your numbers
Share of named users who ask at least one question on a working day.
Include retrieved context in the prompt. Retrieval-heavy questions are often 1,500 to 6,000 tokens.
Busiest hour as a multiple of the average working hour. Shift starts and handovers raise it.
Aggregate generation plus prompt throughput under batching. Measure your model on your GPU; this default is a planning assumption only.
Records, work orders, procedures or files, counted as documents.
Amortised hardware, power and support per GPU, or private cloud rental.
Your results
Planning estimate only. Throughput per GPU depends on model, quantisation, context length and serving stack, so benchmark your own setup. Time saved is a user-reported assumption, not a measured result.
Monthly value and GPU cost vs named users
Sweeps Named users from 20 to 1500, holding your other inputs fixed.
Check these numbers on your data
Optional: a short sizing review using your own user counts and document volumes.
Optional. The tool and every export work without this. No spam.
How to use it
Start with named users and the share who use the assistant on a typical day. Set questions per active user from a pilot or a survey; three to six a day is a common planning range for a plant tool. Prompt plus answer tokens should include retrieved context, which dominates cost. Then set your measured throughput per GPU. The chart shows how value and GPU cost scale with the number of named users.
- Use pilot data for questions per day
- Include retrieved context in token counts
- Benchmark tokens per second on your own GPU
- Treat minutes saved as an assumption to verify
Formulas and assumptions
Questions per day = users x daily active share x questions per user. Peak questions per hour = questions per day divided by 8, times the peak multiplier. Peak concurrency uses Little's law with a 20-second request time. GPUs = ceiling of peak tokens per second divided by tokens per second per GPU, minimum one. Index chunks = documents x pages x 600 tokens x 1.15 overlap divided by 400. Hours saved = questions per day x 21 days x minutes saved divided by 60. Payback = one-time cost divided by net monthly value.
System notes for Custom MES on SQL Server
The ai schema is the contract: only reviewed views are visible, columns that hold sensitive data are left out or masked, and every query runs with the end user's identity in the session context so row-level security applies. Write actions go only through the MES service layer with human approval, never through direct updates.
Common mistakes
Sizing errors are usually in tokens and in value, not in arithmetic.
- Counting only the question and answer, and forgetting retrieved context
- Using vendor peak throughput instead of measured throughput under real batching
- Assuming every named user is active every day
- Counting all minutes saved as cash savings
Frequently Asked Questions
What default throughput per GPU should I use?
The default of 1,500 tokens per second is a planning assumption for a mid-sized open-weight model with batching. Real figures vary a lot with model size, quantisation and context length, so measure your own setup with vLLM or Ollama before buying hardware.
Why is peak concurrency calculated from a 20-second request?
Little's law says concurrent requests equal arrival rate times time in system. Retrieval plus generation often takes 10 to 30 seconds for a grounded answer, so 20 seconds is a reasonable default. Change the expression if your measured time differs.
How reliable is the hours-saved figure?
It is only as good as the minutes-saved input. Measure it in a pilot by timing how long the same question takes without the assistant. Treat early numbers as a range, and do not count the saved minutes as cash unless the work is actually reduced.
Does the index size include the model?
No. Index size covers vectors, chunk text and metadata for the documents you list. Model weights are separate and range from a few GB to tens of GB depending on model size and quantisation.
If you would like these numbers checked against a pilot on your own Custom MES on SQL Server data, Netray can run the sizing and a read-only proof of value on your hardware.
Related Tools
Custom MES on SQL Server Private AI Layer Blueprint Generator
Fill in your Custom MES on SQL Server environment and get a shareable architecture plan for a private, read-only AI layer: components, controls, rollout and open questions.
On-Prem AIOn-Prem LLM Total Cost of Ownership Calculator
Model the full multi-year cost of running LLMs on your own hardware, including GPU capex, power, cooling, support contracts, and operations staffing.
On-Prem AIGPU Sizing Calculator for LLM Inference
Work out how many GPUs you need to serve a given open-weight model to your user base, based on memory footprint and token throughput.
On-Prem AIPrivate RAG Corpus Sizing Calculator
Estimate chunk counts, vector index storage, raw text volume, and embedding compute time before you build a private retrieval system over your document estate.
More On-Prem AI tools
See allGo Deeper
On-Prem LLM Deployment Architecture: Reference Guide
Reference architecture for on-prem LLM deployment: inference servers, GPU sizing, RAG pipelines, and security zones for regulated manufacturers.
A Data Governance Framework for Private AI
A practical data governance framework for private AI: classification, access controls, retention, and audit patterns that satisfy CMMC 2.0 and ITAR.
Keep exploring
Free tools
- SyteLine AI Assistant Sizing and Value CalculatorSize the GPUs and estimate the monthly value and payback of a private, on-prem AI assistant for SyteLine.
- On-Prem CMMS AI Assistant Sizing and Value CalculatorEstimate GPUs, index size, hours saved and payback for a private AI assistant over On-Prem CMMS.
- Custom MES on SQL Server Private AI Layer Blueprint GeneratorFill in your Custom MES on SQL Server environment and get a shareable architecture plan for a private, read-only AI layer: components, controls, rollout and open questions.
ERP fixes and how-tos
- How to add a private AI layer to a custom MES on SQL ServerAdd a private AI layer to an in-house MES on SQL Server: readable replica, CDC, row-level security, tool server and local model, with audit and rollout.
- Private AI Layer for SyteLine On-Prem: Reference ArchitectureReference architecture to add a private AI assistant to SyteLine on-prem: data access paths, retrieval, permissions, sizing and rollout, no cloud needed.
- How to Add a Private AI Layer to Classic JobBOSS On-PremHow to add a private on-prem AI assistant to classic JobBOSS: read-only SQL Server access, job and operation data, permissions, GPU sizing and rollout.
Guides
- SQL Server Configuration and Tuning for SyteLine ERPTune SQL Server for SyteLine ERP with memory configuration, index optimization, tempdb setup, and query performance best practices for manufacturing workloads.
- SyteLine SQL Server Maintenance GuideSyteLine SQL Server maintenance guide covering backups and recovery model, index and statistics jobs, integrity checks, and purging history tables safely.
- SyteLine Database Optimization and SQL TuningOptimize SyteLine SQL Server databases. Index maintenance, query tuning, tempdb optimization, and database configuration for peak CloudSuite performance.
Integrations
- How to build an MCP server for Epicor Prophet 21Build a Model Context Protocol server for Epicor Prophet 21: which tools to expose, SQL Server and P21 API auth, stdio vs HTTP, scoping and audit logging.
- How to build an MCP server for Ignition (MES/SCADA)How to build a Model Context Protocol server for Inductive Automation Ignition: tool design, WebDev and SQL access, transports, permissions and audit.
Software
- Critical Manufacturing MESCritical Manufacturing MES explained: a modular MES for semiconductor, electronics and medical device plants, with integrations, limitations and alternatives.
- AVEVA MESAVEVA MES explained: formerly Wonderware MES, its production, quality and tracking capabilities, ERP and System Platform integration, and alternatives.