Kanban Replenishment Meeting

Purpose

The Replenishment Meeting (also called Options Replenishment) is where new work enters the Kanban system. The team and Product Owner review the options pool, select items based on priority and capacity, and pull them into the system's intake column.

At a glance

How to run

1. Review current WIP (5 min) — Check the board: how much capacity is available? Are any columns at or above WIP limit?
2. Review the options pool (10 min) — Product Owner presents candidate items, ordered by priority.
3. Select items (10 min) — Team agrees which items to pull in based on available capacity, class of service, and upstream readiness.
4. Confirm pull (5 min) — Move selected items into the intake column. Confirm any sequencing or expedite decisions.

Materials needed

• Kanban board with current state
• Options pool / backlog (ordered by priority)
• Class-of-service definitions (standard, fixed date, expedite, intangible)
• Capacity data (WIP availability per column)

Pitfalls & common mistakes

• Pulling too much work — Respect WIP limits; over-filling the system defeats Kanban's purpose.
• Skipping the meeting — Without regular replenishment, the team runs dry or self-selects without alignment.
• No class of service — Treating all work equally leads to urgent items being delayed.
• PO absent — Without prioritization authority, the team cannot make informed pull decisions.

Inclusion & accessibility

• Share the options pool in advance so everyone can prepare.
• Ensure all team members can see the board during the meeting.
• Allow async input for team members in different time zones.

Variations

• On-demand replenishment — Replenish whenever the intake column empties rather than on a cadence.
• Portfolio replenishment — At the programme level, replenish the portfolio Kanban with initiatives.
• Combined replenishment + standup — For small teams, merge the two into a single 20-minute meeting.

When NOT to use this

• If you are running Scrum with fixed Sprints — Sprint Planning serves this purpose.
• If the team has unlimited WIP and no intake discipline — set up the Kanban system first.

Source & further reading

• Anderson, D. (2010). *Kanban: Successful Evolutionary Change*. Blue Hole Press.
• Burrows, M. (2014). *Kanban from the Inside*. Blue Hole Press.