To configure cascading approvals in a scenario where approvals move up through an organizational hierarchy (user to loan officer to director to vice president), two effective methods include using an Authority Matrix in conjunction with a Decision Table and leveraging the reporting structure with conditional logic. A Decision Table allows for the definition of approval rules in a structured, tabular format, which is ideal for setting different approval thresholds based on the purchase amount. Using the reporting structure with "when" conditions allows the system to dynamically determine the next approver based on the employee’s direct reporting line, ensuring that each approval level is adhered to according to organizational hierarchy.