Have you ever noticed that many member companies have similar names? 

If you type the word “state” into the AF Directory Company Name search entry, you will receive over 100 company code results. This does not include the individual subsidiaries with “state” in the name. If the entry is “national,” the results exceed 200, and any variation of the word “farm” is a top contender as well.

Limiting the search to just active E-Subro Hub companies can also produce a variety of results for a couple of reasons:

1. Entering “state” when selecting a Responder will give you nearly 20 separate company codes with a multitude of associated subsidiaries. “National” is close to 30 and “farm” lists around 25.
2. Even if a correct party is not active in E-Subro Hub, the wrong company may be selected simply because they have a similar name and is listed.  

This can be very confusing when filing an arbitration or initiating an E-Subro Hub demand. Choosing the correct Responding company is incredibly important for many reasons, but it primarily prevents a waste of time for both the receiving party and the issuing party. Ultimately, an incorrectly filed demand or arbitration is going to need to be reviewed by the Responder and revised by the Demander. It is better to get it right at the beginning to eliminate that inefficiency.

A few steps can be followed to minimize these errors:

1. Before sending a demand, confirm the correct Responding company’s full name.
2. Confirm the involved company is actually an active member in E-Subro Hub.
3. Enter as much of the name as possible to narrow the list of Responder company names.
4. When selecting the Responder company from the list make sure it is accurate.
5. Remember, the Responder company dropdown list is in company code order and not alphabetical.
6. Do not pick the first company that appears on the list. Keep typing until you can confirm the correct name.

A major benefit to filing an E-Subro Hub demand correctly is that misfiled arbitrations will be reduced. As more AF member companies become active in E-Subro Hub, this process is even more important.

If you have any E-Subro Hub questions, please contact AF at esubrohub@arbfile.org.