Blueprint Software Congratulates Rick Toothill and Kathleen O’Brien of Merck for Winning 2011 Requirements Lifecycle Award

TORONTO, ON— Blueprint Software Systems, the leader in  requirements definition and management software, congratulates Rick Toothill, Manager and Kathleen O'Brien, Lead Business Analyst, both from Merck, a global health care leader, for winning the 2011 Requirements Lifecycle Award. The annual award presented by Requirements.net, the industry's largest consortium for the advancement of Business Analysis, honors individuals who have made a positive impact on their organization’s software requirements lifecycle through education, process and automation initiatives.

Toothill and O’Brien were instrumental in creating the Analysis Skill Center, which acts as a resource for over 100 business analysts and works to develop and promote best practices and solutions for Merck's globally distributed IT groups. "Rick and Kathleen have done remarkable work with the Analysis Skills Center," said Tony Higgins, VP Product Marketing, Blueprint. "They've demonstrated how organizations can dramatically improve requirements development, and have better communication, understanding and efficiency in the software development process."

"I'd like to thank the Requirements.net consortium for the award," said Rick Toothill. "We appreciate this and consider it an honor." "It's great to be recognized for doing good BA work," said Kathleen O'Brien. "It's great to talk about what we're so passionate about."

A video interview of the winners discussing the goals and accomplishment of the Analysis Skills Center at Merck can be viewed at  http://www.requirements.net/requirements_lifecycle_award .

About the Requirements Lifecycle Award

The Requirements Lifecycle Award recognizes the achievements of individuals who have led transformations in their organization's software requirements lifecycle through education, process, and automation initiatives to reduce waste and inefficiencies. Requirements.net members include HP Software, Cap Gemini, Blueprint, BA Times, The Requirements Networking Group, Orasi Software, Cortechs, Zap Technologies, the Requirements Solutions Group, Centerline Partners, and SKY IT.

About Blueprint

Blueprint Software helps customers improve the  economics of software development by improving software requirements. Blueprint's award winning solution, Blueprint Requirements Center™, is the industry's first enterprise-class requirements definition and management software tool purpose built for globally distributed requirements authors and stakeholders. Blueprint's customers benefit from faster software project delivery, substantially lower costs,  reduced rework and project backlog, and a dramatically improved relationship between business and IT. Blueprint is a global provider, headquartered in Canada, and with presence, partners and customers in North America and Europe. For more information on Blueprint, visit http://www.blueprintsys.com.

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Zenobia Godschalk
ZAG Communications
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