The correct configuration is Assets with a parent-child hierarchy. Serialized customer components should be represented as individual Assets related in an Asset hierarchy. Work Orders and Work Order Line Items can then reference the exact component that needs service while still preserving its relationship to the overall installed product.
This distinction is important for reporting and maintenance because the organization often needs to know not merely what type of product was sold, but which serialized or installed unit changed status, location, parentage, or replacement state and which service work was performed against it.
The alternatives address different parts of the Field Service model. Products describe catalog definitions, Orders describe commercial transactions, and Work Order hierarchies organize service activity rather than the physical installed-product structure.
This approach keeps the implementation aligned with the standard Field Service data model and avoids unnecessary customization. Study Guide reference: Managing Assets - Assets; Asset hierarchies; serialized components.