Discovering patterns in a certification system of companies

One of the most common tasks in data mining is the discovery of hidden patterns in a specific dataset in order to find relevant information to help making decisions in a given working area. This paper presents a study carried out over a specialized database containing information about a large number of certificates acquired by Portuguese companies, in the period 2008-2010. Certification is a voluntary process that can be crucial to the survival of a company in its business area. The set of certificates that a company must acquire may vary according to several factors, like the region where the company is located or its sector of activity. The application of data mining techniques in this area allows making predictions about which licenses a company may acquire that best fit its business characteristics and that bring some advantages in its business activities.