Definition of 1. External Brain Services

External brain service (Brain-as-a-Service,BaaS) is an emerging service model that uses Internet platforms to provide professional knowledge, skills or ideas to customers in need in the form of projects or tasks. The provider of external brain services can be an individual, team or organization. They can provide customized solutions according to the customer's needs, or participate in the customer's project or process. The customers of external brain service can be enterprises, governments, social organizations or individuals. Through external brain service, they can obtain professional support, advice or cooperation to solve problems, improve efficiency or create value.

外脑服务的出现，是知识经济和平台经济的结合产物。知识经济是指以知识为核心资源，以创新为主要动力，以信息技术为基础设施，以知识密集型产业为主导的经济形态。平台经济是指以平台为基础，连接供需双方，提供交易、协作或社交的经济形态。外脑服务将知识、技能或创意作为可交易的商品，通过平台实现供需匹配，实现了知识的流动、共享和增值。

Classification of 2. External Brain Services

根据外脑服务的内容、形式和目的，可以将外脑服务分为以下四类：

咨询类：咨询类外脑服务是指提供专业的分析、建议或指导的服务，例如市场调研、战略规划、管理咨询、法律咨询等。咨询类外脑服务的特点是以知识为主要输出，以解决客户的问题或提高客户的决策能力为目的。

Execution class: Execution class external brain service refers to the provision of professional operation, implementation or management services, such as software development, design and production, data processing, project management, etc. The characteristic of performing extra-class brain services is to take skills as the main output and to complete the customer's project or task.

Creative category: Creative extra-brain services refer to services that provide original ideas, solutions or works, such as advertising planning, product innovation, content creation, and artistic creation. Creative extra-brain service is characterized by creativity as the main output, in order to create customer value or meet customer needs for the purpose.

协作类：协作类外脑服务是指提供专业的沟通、协调或合作的服务，例如教育培训、团队建设、社区运营、众包协作等。协作类外脑服务的特点是以协作为主要输出，以促进客户的学习、发展或参与为目的。

Scenarios for 3. External Brain Services

For consulting companies, external brain services can be used as an effective supplement to resources and capabilities to help consulting companies improve efficiency, reduce costs, expand business scope and improve customer satisfaction. The following are some typical usage scenarios of external brain services in consulting firms:

Expanding the pool of professionals: the core competitiveness of consulting companies is professionals, but the recruitment and training of professionals is a long-term investment, and the demand for professionals is often dynamic, it is difficult to match the supply. Through external brain services, consulting companies can quickly obtain professionals in different fields, different levels, and different regions to respond to different projects or customer needs, and improve the flexibility and adaptability of consulting companies.

Optimize the project management process: The project management process of a consulting firm usually includes multiple links, such as requirements analysis, program design, data collection, report writing, and result presentation. Some of these links are core, some are auxiliary, some are repetitive, and some are innovative. Through external brain services, consulting companies can outsource some non-core and non-innovative links to external brain service providers, thus saving time, energy and cost, focusing on core and innovative links, and improving the quality and efficiency of projects.

Expanding business areas and customer base: The business areas and customer base of consulting companies are important directions for their development, but expanding business areas and customer base requires a lot of resources and energy, and there are greater risks and uncertainties. Through external brain services, consulting firms can use the expertise, skills or ideas of external brain service providers to open up new business areas or customer groups, or to provide more added value to existing business areas or customer groups, thereby increasing the consulting firm's revenue and competitiveness.

提升客户体验和满意度：咨询公司的客户体验和满意度是其品牌和口碑的重要体现，但是提升客户体验和满意度需要不断地创新和改进，而且需要考虑客户的多样性和个性化的需求。通过外脑服务，咨询公司可以借助外脑服务提供者的创意、协作或沟通能力，为客户提供更加丰富、多元、个性化的服务，从而增强客户的信任、忠诚和推荐。

Advantages and Challenges of 4. External Brain Services

External brain services have both advantages and challenges for consulting firms. The following is an analysis of some of the advantages and challenges of external brain services:

Advantages:

Resource optimization: External brain services can help consulting firms optimize the allocation and utilization of resources, making resources more flexible, efficient, and low-cost, thereby improving the competitiveness and profitability of consulting firms. -Ability improvement: External brain services can help consulting companies improve the level and scope of their capabilities, making them more professional, diversified and innovative, thereby improving the quality and influence of consulting companies. -Value creation: External brain services can help consulting companies create value in ways and channels that make value richer, differentiated, and personalized, thereby increasing the value and attractiveness of consulting companies.

Challenges:

质量控制：外脑服务的质量难以保证和评估，因为外脑服务提供者的背景、水平、信誉等因素存在差异和不透明，而且外脑服务的内容、形式、目的等因素存在复杂和多变。因此，咨询公司需要建立有效的质量控制机制，以筛选、监督和评价外脑服务提供者，以保证外脑服务的质量和标准。

安全保障：外脑服务的安全存在风险和威胁，因为外脑服务涉及客户的敏感信息、核心数据、重要知识等资源，而且外脑服务的交易、协作或社交等活动可能遭受攻击、泄露或滥用等问题。因此，咨询公司需要建立有效的安全保障机制，以保护、加密和备份外脑服务涉及的资源，以防止外脑服务的安全和隐私被侵犯。

信任建立：外脑服务的信任难以建立和维持，因为外脑服务缺乏面对面的沟通、交流或互动，而且外脑服务存在不确定性、不稳定性或不可预见性等因素。因此，咨询公司需要建立有效的信任建立机制，以增加、传递和维护外脑服务的信任，以促进外脑服务的合作和满意。

5.Conclusion

External brain service is a new service model, which takes knowledge, skills or ideas as tradable commodities, and realizes the matching of supply and demand through the platform, realizing the flow, sharing and value-added of knowledge. External brain services have both advantages and challenges for consulting firms. Through external brain services, consulting companies can expand their professional talent pool, optimize project management processes, expand business areas and customer base, and improve customer experience and satisfaction, thereby increasing efficiency, reducing costs, increasing revenue and competitiveness. However, consulting companies also need to pay attention to the quality control, security and trust building of external brain services to ensure the quality, safety and trust of external brain services, so as to avoid the risks and threats of external brain services.