Establishing direct relationships with lower-tier suppliers can give the manufacturer better visibility into the entire supply chain, including lead times for component parts. This can enable the manufacturer to better plan production schedules and respond to changes in demand. While the other options - providing smaller lot sizes, providing Just in Time deliveries, and providing information about impending shifts in the economy - may also have benefits in certain situations, they do not directly address the benefits of a direct relationship with lower-tier suppliers.

The sentence should have more clarity. Supplier sharing information of Economy of what ? global, country, self ?