Improving Operational Efficiency by 30%—PDF Annotation Software 'AxelaNote' Certified by the FY2026 Tokyo Metropolitan Government Trial Order Program

TransRecog Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Takaaki Kobayashi) announces that its Windows PDF annotation software, 'AxelaNote,' has been certified under the FY2026 Tokyo Metropolitan Government Trial Order Certification Program.

In recent years, while government agencies have been promoting paperless operations, many 'review processes involving a mix of paper and PDF' still remain for documents such as design plans, applications, and internal briefing materials. Challenges on the ground include reprinting documents for every revision, verbal correction instructions getting lost, and the inability to track past review histories. To address these issues, AxelaNote was first released in 2018 and later enhanced and re-released in 2022 as a software that allows users to record and manage annotations and response histories without altering the original PDF. As a Windows application, it enables recording annotations and response histories on a separate layer while preserving the original PDF, and supports visualization of PDF differences and page editing. It reduces the need for re-entry when replacing documents, visualizes the consensus-building process to enhance audit traceability, and allows for secure sharing and operation.

Previous adopters have reported a 30% improvement in operational efficiency and a reduction in paper documents equivalent to 40 binders per year.

Background of the Certification—Why are 'Review Processes' a Challenge?

In government review processes, numerous documents such as financial materials, design plans, applications, and internal briefing materials undergo repeated reviews and revisions by multiple staff members. The process involves printing PDFs to add red-ink corrections and then reprinting the revised version. Correction instructions get scattered across emails and sticky notes, making it difficult to track 'who confirmed what and when.' This inefficiency is a structural problem common not just to specific departments but to a wide range of areas including financial management, architecture and civil engineering, facility management, and education.

AxelaNote supports the efficiency and history management of mixed paper-and-digital workflows by enabling the recording of annotations and response histories on a separate layer while preserving the original PDF or image, thus balancing original document integrity with review work.

Three Key Features of AxelaNote

1. Add Information While Preserving the Original

You can add text, arrows, shapes, and more on a separate layer without any changes to the original PDF or image. This allows review work to proceed while eliminating the risk of accidental overwrites or alterations.

2. Reuse Annotations Even When Documents are Replaced

Even when a document is updated to a new version, existing annotations and comments can be carried over. This significantly reduces the effort of re-entering or redrawing them for each revision.

3. Manage Review History with CSV Export

Annotation details and response statuses can be exported to CSV for aggregation, report creation, and handovers between staff. It visualizes 'who confirmed what and when,' preventing oversights and omissions in the review process.

Comment from the CEO
Takaaki Kobayashi, CEO, TransRecog Inc.

"Open...