1. An online monitoring system for monitoring a short-circuiting gas metal arc welding process, the online monitoring system comprising: (a) a computer having (i) a controlling microprocessor, and (ii) a graphical user interface; (b) at least one welding machine in operable communication with the computer, the welding machine having at least one welding gun in further operable communication with the welding machine; (c) a communication interface for interfacing communication between the at least one welding machine and the computer; (d) a data acquisition system adapted for acquiring welding signal data from the welding machine, wherein the data acquisition system is in operable communication with the controlling microprocessor and is in further communication with the at least one welding machine for acquiring welding signal data from the at least one welding machine, and wherein the data acquisition system has an associated memory means; (e) a quality management database for storing at least one of welding signal data, monitoring results, and diagnostic results in the data acquisition system associated memory means; and (f) a statistical signal processing system in communication with the data acquisition system for processing the welding signal data stored in the data acquisition system associated memory means and in further communication with the communication interface for communicating processed welding signal data to the graphical user interface.