Today’s orbital welding power supplies automatically record the majority of required welding data for projects, removing the burden of manual documentation from welders. The systems capture this data electronically for simple, error-free transfer to quality control administrators and third-party inspectors. Automated electronic data collection ensures that searchable quality assurance data is available to welders and inspectors so each party can conduct in-process inspections in an efficient manner. Welders are typically required to maintain comprehensive data about each weld in a project—cumbersome process that can easily account for 30% of a project’s total construction labor hours when performed manually. The data includes multiple parameters associated with each weld as required by the project and code specifications, such as ASME B31.3 for process piping and ASME Section 8 for pressure vessels. Data may include the welder’s certifications, materials used, location of the weld according to a weld map, and numerous other details. Automated data collection captures all of this data with minimal operator input, allowing welders to focus on their primary job, which is to complete accurate, high-quality welds. To ensure complete data collection, some orbital welding power supplies highlight required data fields and do not permit welding to start until operators fill in all open fields. In addition, welders can provide documentation data electronically to quality control administrators for input into spreadsheets, which virtually eliminates the potential for human error during data transfer. Proper data transfer yields a higher probability of passing in-process inspections.Electronic documentation data made available to third-party inspectors expedites their in-process inspections. As part of quality control procedures, inspectors may review project data, including weld logs and documentation packages, to confirm that the welding company provided all of the required information, the examinations were performed appropriately, and the project is free of errors. In an electronic format, this data is sortable and searchable, providing inspectors with valuable efficiency during their reviews.