# What is NDT software? The four kinds and what each does

> When people search for NDT software they mean one of four things: software that runs instruments and analyses scan data, integrity systems that asset owners use to manage inspection data, job and asset platforms that NDT contractors run their business on, or generic field-service tools. Most "best NDT software" lists mix them up.

- Source: https://amps.global/guides/what-is-ndt-software/
- Type: Guide
- Published: 2026-09-05
- Updated: 2026-09-10
- Tags: guide, software, NDT

## Key facts

- Instrument and analysis software: Evident OmniScan and WeldSight, Eddyfi Capture and Magnifi, CIVA, ESBeamTool; sold with or for instruments
- Asset-owner inspection data and integrity platforms: MISTRAS PCMS, InspectionBank, Cenosco IMS, Metegrity Visions, Baker Hughes APM; RBI and integrity management
- Contractor business platforms: AMPS, OMS Software, Floodlight, AgileNDT, DRIVE NDT, InspectO, NDT Suite; jobs, certificates, reports, invoicing
- Generic field-service and ERP tools: simPRO, ServiceM8, Jobber, Odoo, Dynamics 365; scheduling and invoicing without NDT specifics

## 1. Instrument and analysis software

Runs on or with the instrument: phased array acquisition and analysis, eddy current data, radiographic image viewing, beam simulation (CIVA, ESBeamTool). Bought by the people who own the instruments. It produces the technical evidence but does not run the company.

## 2. Asset-owner inspection data and integrity platforms

Used by refineries, plants and utilities to hold inspection data per equipment item over decades, run risk-based inspection and fitness-for-service assessments, and plan inspection programs. Contractors deliver reports into them. These dominate "best NDT software" listicles, which is confusing for a contractor looking for a business system.

## 3. Contractor business platforms

What an NDT or inspection company runs its operation on: jobs from quote to invoice, technician certificates and equipment calibration, method reports, asset history, timesheets and costs, and analytics. AMPS is in this group, alongside OMS Software, Floodlight, AgileNDT, DRIVE NDT, InspectO and NDT Suite, each with different emphases (compliance suites, offline apps, per-customer customisation, radiography depth).

## 4. Generic field-service and ERP tools

Scheduling, dispatch and invoicing for any trade. Good at what they do, silent on certificates, calibration traceability, method reports and accreditation audit trails.

## Choosing

Instrument software is chosen by the instrument. An asset owner needs an integrity platform. A contractor needs a business platform and should decide how much of accounting, document storage and analytics they want inside it versus integrated: AMPS keeps Xero, OneDrive, SharePoint or Google Drive and Power BI, and focuses on the job and asset work that is specific to inspection.

## Frequently asked questions

### What software is used for NDT reporting?

Contractor platforms such as AMPS, AgileNDT, Floodlight, OMS Software and InspectO generate method reports (UT, RT, MT, PT, VT) from templates or form designers. AMPS uses your own Word documents as templates, fills them with job data and adds an AI writing assistant and e-signature. Instrument software produces scan data and images that are attached to those reports.

### Is there cloud-based NDT inspection software?

Yes. Most contractor platforms are cloud-based web applications, including AMPS, which runs in the browser on phones, tablets and computers and stores documents in your own OneDrive, SharePoint or Google Drive. Instrument software usually runs on the instrument or a Windows PC.

### How do NDT companies manage certifications?

With a register of every technician's method certificates, vision tests and site tickets and every instrument's calibration, with due dates and warnings. In AMPS this is the personnel and equipment pages with a flag one month before expiry; several other contractor platforms offer similar modules, some with automatic blocking of expired technicians.

### What is the difference between LIMS, ERP, QMS and FSM for inspection?

LIMS tracks laboratory samples and tests; ERP runs finance and resources across a business; QMS software manages quality documents and non-conformances; FSM schedules and dispatches field work. An inspection company touches all four, which is why NDT-specific platforms combine the parts that matter and integrate with accounting rather than re-implementing it.

## Related pages

- [What is AMPS?](https://amps.global/guides/what-is-amps/)
- [EH&S software for oil and gas explained](https://amps.global/guides/ehs-software-for-oil-and-gas/)
- [FSM vs ERP vs QMS vs LIMS](https://amps.global/glossary/fsm-erp-qms-lims/)
- [Guide: NDT software vs generic field-service software](https://amps.global/guides/ndt-software-vs-generic-field-service-software/)
- [Non-destructive testing (NDT)](https://amps.global/glossary/non-destructive-testing/)
- [NDT & inspection management software](https://amps.global/solutions/ndt-inspection-management-software/)

## Sources

- [Nondestructive testing on Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nondestructive_testing)