Kanban guide · Kanban basics
Kanban Meetings and Cadences: Which Ones You Need
Kanban does not prescribe Scrum-style ceremonies, but it does recommend regular feedback loops called cadences. Teams pick the ones they need, at a frequency that suits their work.
Key takeaways
- Kanban uses cadences: regular feedback loops at different levels.
- Start with a daily meeting and a replenishment meeting.
- Walk the board right to left, focusing on finishing.
The seven Kanban cadences
The Kanban Method describes seven cadences, from daily team meetings to quarterly strategy reviews:
| Cadence | Typical frequency | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Kanban meeting (daily stand-up) | Daily, 15 minutes | Coordinate and remove blockers |
| Replenishment meeting | Weekly or as needed | Select new work to commit to |
| Delivery planning meeting | Per delivery | Plan handover to customers |
| Service delivery review | Every two weeks | Review service performance against customer expectations |
| Operations review | Monthly | Review interactions between services |
| Risk review | Monthly | Understand and respond to delivery risks |
| Strategy review | Quarterly | Align services with strategy |
The daily Kanban meeting
The daily meeting focuses on the work, not the people. Instead of each person giving an update, the team walks the board from right to left, closest to done first, asking what is needed to move each item forward. Blocked and old items get attention first. See WIP aging.
Replenishment
In a replenishment meeting, stakeholders and the team decide which items to pull from the backlog into the Ready column, based on capacity and priority. It replaces sprint planning, and it can be held as often as needed.
Starting small
Most teams begin with just two cadences: a daily Kanban meeting and a weekly replenishment. Add a service delivery review or retrospective once the board is stable, and the higher-level reviews when several teams or services interact.
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Frequently asked questions
Do Kanban meetings include retrospectives?
The Kanban Method uses service delivery and operations reviews for improvement, but many teams also hold regular retrospectives.
Is sprint planning one of the Kanban meetings?
No. Work is pulled continuously; replenishment meetings decide what to make ready next.
What are the main Kanban meetings?
Kanban describes seven cadences: the daily Kanban meeting, replenishment, delivery planning, service delivery review, operations review, risk review and strategy review. Teams adopt only those they need.
What is a Kanban cadence?
A cadence is a regular feedback loop, such as a meeting held at a set frequency, used to review work, flow or strategy. Kanban uses cadences instead of fixed Scrum-style ceremonies.
What is a daily Kanban meeting?
A short daily meeting, often 15 minutes, held at the board. The team walks the board from right to left, focusing on items closest to done, blockers and ageing work rather than individual status updates.
How is the daily Kanban meeting different from a Daily Scrum?
A Kanban standup reviews the flow of work across the board, often from right to left, while the Daily Scrum inspects progress towards the Sprint Goal. See Kanban vs Scrum.
Which Kanban meeting decides what to work on next?
The replenishment meeting. The team and stakeholders choose which items to move from the backlog into the Ready column, based on priority and capacity. It is held weekly or as needed.
Which Kanban cadence reviews how well the team serves its customers?
The service delivery review: a regular review, often every two weeks, of how well the team is meeting customer expectations, using measures such as cycle time, throughput and blockers.
Which Kanban meeting plans releases to customers?
The delivery planning meeting. It plans and coordinates releases of finished work to customers, and its frequency follows the team's delivery rhythm.
Are Kanban meetings mandatory?
No. The Kanban Method recommends feedback loops but lets teams choose which cadences to hold and how often. Most start with a daily meeting and replenishment.
Who attends the strategy review, the least frequent Kanban cadence?
Senior leaders and service owners, usually quarterly, to review direction and decide which services and types of work the organisation should focus on.