OneVisionaries: Dave Williams

OneVisionaries is our ongoing series spotlighting the unique personalities and talents of our incredible team members.

Dave Williams has a lot of formidable ‘formers’ under his belt. He’s a former Apple solutions implementer for Fortune 500 companies. A former U.S. Marine. And currently? He’s OneVision’s Lead Technology Manager; the guy who makes sure our clients get impeccable and up-to-the-minute service. Here are some more essentials about him.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be an astronaut. I liked exploration and there’s really nothing left to see on earth that no one hasn’t already seen. So I always thought it would be cool to be the first person to find something, see something, or touch something.

Let’s assume that every week you spend a third of your time working, a third of your time sleeping, and then you could spend the remaining third doing absolutely anything you wanted. What would that be?

Travel through New England and take pictures. Oftentimes my girlfriend and I will wake up and search Hotel Tonight or Groupon and pick a spot that we’ve never been to before. We look for little quaint inns in Maine, Vermont or Rhode Island.

Our favorite spot is Truro on Cape Cod; we love going in September because it’s not quite swimming weather but a constant 75 degrees and perfect for biking everywhere.

What’s the best part of your day?

The best part of my day is my bike ride home. In the warmer months I bike to and from our office in the Navy Yard, and it’s 28 miles round trip. It’s about an hour each way, and on the trip home I find that it relaxes you. It’s more of a physical exhaustion rather than the mental one that you get from driving. I feel more awake and more alert and the rest of my night is a lot better.

What’s one recent client experience you’re particularly proud of?

They’re all kind of interesting in their own way. I get the most excited about a client experience that I had nothing to do with and that my team managed to do on their own. It’s also awesome to see some of the new specialists get thrown into a new situation and totally excel. Recently the team has been bringing service to an even higher level than before, and it’s great to hear feedback from our clients saying how awesome their service is. They’re constantly exceeding expectations and delighting our clients.

Where are you originally from, and do you think that has any bearing on your personality?

I’m from Southern New Hampshire, and no I don’t think it has any bearing. I believe environment is more important than location. My dad always pushed me and my siblings to never limit ourselves and what we “thought” we could do. Meaning, that just because you go to college doesn’t mean that you will get a great job and just because you don’t go to college doesn’t mean that you won’t make a great living with a good job.

Everyone at OneVision has a desk mascot. What’s yours?

I have a Lamborghini remote control car, because apparently some people think I drive aggressively. I don’t see it, though.

What’s different about working at OneVision than any other place you’ve worked?

Everything. I’ve never been as bought-in or on-board with a company. It’s a demanding job that has lots of hours and lots of responsibility, but I feel such ownership that drives me forward, and I want to do everything I can to see the company succeed.

Favorite book or movie, and what do like most about it?

My favorite books are Ken Follet books like “Pillars of the Earth.” They’re told in a way that’s realistic but not over the top and they cover all aspects of life: crime, violence, love, and hardships, but the time period it takes place in makes everything seem a little harsher. I also like seeing the lifespan of the characters. They start out at age 10 and then develop all the way through to their 50s and 60s.

What’s your absolute favorite kind of project or client-related task to work on?

Onboarding, because there is so much attention to detail and project management required. It’s a bunch of little projects all at the same time, all the while building the foundation for a great client relationship. Onboarding is the process we bring every client through to establish order in their technology life. We implement standards, introduce best practices, and provide lots of training.

This is a process in which we totally OneVision-ize their technology. Inevitably change can make our new clients nervous, but it’s our job hold their hands and guide the process in a smooth, unassuming manner. Each onboarding is also a different experience because some clients come from PCs, some from a Mac, and it’s a challenge to make sure you get everything perfect.

Onboarding takes approximately two to three weeks, but we provide loaners for the day or two we need to take their computers. We stage email, contact and calendar migration, and configure new computers to our standards. We’re also securing all their passwords with a password management solution. Before migrating any of our client’s data to the new setup, we test for bugs. The final migration is done overnight so there’s no downtime for the client, and then we deliver their computer/devices to them the next morning and provide in-person training with their new technology manager leading the way. It’s an incredible experience and establishes the perfect foundation for ongoing technology management.

Just one of the ways Dave is constantly upgrading service for OneVision’s clients.