This invention provides a system and method for generating alerts through multi-variate assessment. A normalizer normalizes data obtained from a process. A classifier classifies the correlated data in a multi-dimensional space defined for the variables in the process. The normalized data are classified into a normal cluster indicative of normal operating conditions and at least one alert cluster each indicative of alert conditions. An alert verifier verifies correlated data classified as an alert condition. In another embodiment of this invention, a tracker is used for addressing drifting data sets that arise in the process over time which allows the adaptation of classifiers to the shifted state. In a third embodiment, the multi-variate generator is used in parallel with a trend performance analysis tool to validate alerts generated therefrom.