Introduction

Abstract

The phenomenal improvements in data collection due to the automation and computerisation of many operational systems and processes in business, technical and scientific environments, as well as advances in data storage technologies, over the last decade have lead to large amounts of data being stored in databases. Analysing and extracting valuable information from these data has become an important issue in recent research and attracted the attention of all kinds of companies in a big way. The use of data mining and data analysis techniques was recognised as necessary to maintain competitiveness in today’s business world, to increase business opportunities and to improve service. A data mining endeavour can be defined as the process of discovering meaningful new correlations, patterns and trends by examining large amounts of data stored in repositories and by using pattern recognition technologies as well as statistical and mathematical techniques. Pattern recognition is the research area which provides the majority of methods for data mining and aims at supporting humans in analysing complex data structures automatically.