Industry benchmarks for key metrics are meant to help you make comparisons and evaluate the financial performance of the business within its industry.
Having a metric below or above the industry benchmark is not necessarily a bad thing but can be an indicator that there is an opportunity to extract value from your financial statements. It could also be a warning signal to underlying issues within your business.
When the business is above or below the industry benchmark, it's important to monitor the key metrics and analyze the issue(s) closely to ensure that problem is resolved or that value is extracted if an opportunity exists.