The highest level of architecture abstraction is the general principle level. These principles reflect the common vision of top business and IT management. The general principles apply to everyone and must therefore be comprehensible to everyone. Together the general principles and policy directives are referred to as the architecture principles. 

Examples of general principles are:

• The business strives to achieve faultless and dependable service. 
• The customer is able to go to a single counter for all his/her inquiries. 
• There is to be no unauthorized access to any company belongings.