Triage is commonly used in Emergency Rooms. It's the process of deciding what gets the attention first. So, when you have a stack of things to do on your list and you can already see you can't get it all done, you have to decide what gets your attention first. That's why people that go to the ER rather than waiting to see their regular doctor for flu or gastroineritis (sp?) end up waiting hours on end while people with heart attacks or profuse bleeding go in ahead of them even if they came in later. It's about allocating your resources to the most pressing need and most effective use of those resources.