Accounts payable represents one of the worst jobs in a company. Representing debt owed to others, accounts payable represents money going out of the company, in pretty much the opposite direction it should be going.

To make that process a little easier on the user, Tipalti recently revealed a cloud-based tool that allowed for complete automation of the accounts payable workflow.

Running start-to-finish throughout the whole process, the Tipalti platform includes invoice collection tools, approval systems, and a complete management of everything from tax compliance to global payment tools and beyond.

Tipalti was previously known in the field for supplier payments automation, so its jump to accounts payable automation isn’t such a leap.

Perhaps more interesting is that, with Tipalti’s tool, supplier payment operations can now be managed in 80 percent less time, which means more can get done with the same amount of people, or the same can get done with fewer.

Tipalti co-founder and CEO Chen Amit commented “I am proud that Tipalti has introduced the first platform ever to automate every step in the AP operation, ensuring a frictionless flow from invoice-to-payment-to-reconciliation.

With the unmatched automation of this new AP platform, CFOs and finance leaders have never been in better position to redirect their finance organization to more strategic initiatives to add significant value to the rest of their enterprise.”

Exciting news in some senses, but also potentially disastrous in others. Any time automation comes into play in any industry, there’s always the issue of what happens to the workers that formerly did the thing that is now automated.

There are possibilities, of course; they may have been spread out throughout the company, absorbed into other departments, or maybe just set to new tasks within the current department.

That’s seldom a bad thing; after all, taking a little strain off an overworked department with automation is welcome and helps restore that work-life balance.

Taken too far, however, and it costs jobs. That has a much broader effect on the economy, and may make Tipalti’s tool a lot more dangerous than might be expected.

Tipalti’s tool represents a great potential to improve business, or potentially hurt the overall economy. Just which comes about depends on how its used.