C) Sharing trade secrets between firmsSharing trade secrets between firms is not an advantage of the few suppliers concept. Trade secrets are part of what gives a firm a competitive advantage, and it is unlikely that such information would ever be shared with an outside firm. In fact, trade secrets are one motivation to pursue another type of supply-chain strategy—vertical integration. Vertical integration is where a company develops the skills, capacity, and equipment to internalize the production of goods and services.Suppliers' willingness to participate in JIT systems and provide technological expertise are two of the common advantages of the few suppliers supply-chain strategy.